hale pule
/ˈha.le ˈpu.le/word by word
The Hawaiian word for church is hale pule.
hale pule refers to a house of worship.
Meaning: house of worship (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound noun composed of hale (house) and pule (prayer or pray).
How does it change in a sentence?
As a compound noun, hale pule does not change its form to indicate plurality. You must use context or a number word to show whether you are referring to one or more churches.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈha.le ˈpu.le/. The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word pule has a completely different historical root in the word for a 'cowrie shell'.
- While hale pule means 'house of prayer', the word pule itself is etymologically linked to the concept of 'exerting authority'.
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concept of hale extended to any enclosed structure, not just residential homes.
Examples in context
- He hale pule kēia.This is a church.
- E hele ana māua i ka hale pule.We are going to the church.
- He nui ka poʻe ma ka hale pule.There are many people at the church.
Example conversation
Leilani and Ikaika are planning their Sunday morning.
- LeilaniE hele kākou i ka hale pule.Let's go to the church.
- IkaikaʻAe, e mākaukau au i kēia manawa.Yes, I will be ready in a moment.
- LeilaniHe aha ka lālani o ka hale pule?What is the schedule of the church?
- IkaikaHoʻomaka ia i ka hola ʻumi.It starts at ten o'clock.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “church” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hale, pule) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hale, pule, CC BY-SA 4.0.
