pōpoki
/poːˈpo.ki/
The English word "cat" can be translated into Hawaiian as pōpoki or ʻowau.
Meaning: domestic species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian | IPA |
|---|---|
| pōpoki | /poːˈpo.ki/ |
| ʻowau |
Both words refer to the domestic species of cat.
How do you pronounce it?
/poːˈpo.ki/. The stress is on the second of the three syllables.
Did you know?
- The term pōpoki is believed to be a phonetic adaptation of the English phrase 'poor pussy'.
- The use of the ‘okina, the glottal stop seen in ʻowau, is a distinct consonant that changes the meaning of the word if omitted.
- Domestic cats were not native to the Hawaiian Islands and were introduced by explorers and settlers.
Examples in context
- Ua ʻai ka pōpoki i ka ʻiole.The cat ate the mouse.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use pōpoki in a sentence describing an action.
- He pōpoki kēlā.That is a cat.
- Makemake ka pōpoki i ka wai.The cat wants water.
Example conversation
Malia and Koa are looking at a pet in the yard.
- MaliaHe pōpoki nō kēia?Is this a cat?
- KoaʻAe, he pōpoki kō Malia.Yes, it is Malia's cat.
- MaliaHe pōpoki nani kēia.This is a beautiful cat.
- KoaMahalo, Koa.Thank you, Koa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cat” translations and entries pōpoki, ʻowau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pōpoki, ʻowau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
