maʻemaʻe
/ma.ʔeˈma.ʔe/
The Hawaiian word for 'clean' is maʻemaʻe.
This verb is used to describe the action of removing dirt from a place or an object.
Meaning: (transitive) to remove dirt from a place or object (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable. It is pronounced /ma.ʔeˈma.ʔe/.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian, the concept of 'cleaning' is often linked to the word hoʻoponopono, which means to make things right. While maʻemaʻe is the state of being clean, hoʻoponopono is the process of cleaning up a conflict.
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concept of 'cleanliness' is deeply tied to the concept of 'kapu', where certain items had to be kept 'maʻemaʻe' to avoid spiritual transgression.
- The glottal stop represented by the ʻokina in maʻemaʻe is a full consonant, meaning you must briefly close your throat to pronounce it correctly.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Leilani are tidying up the kitchen.
- IkaikaLeilani, e maʻemaʻe i ka papaʻai.Leilani, clean the table.
- LeilaniʻAe, e hana au i kēlā i kēia manawa.Yes, I will do that right now.
- IkaikaMahalo, Ikaika e maʻemaʻe i ka hale.Thanks, Ikaika will clean the house.
- LeilaniMaikaʻi, e maʻemaʻe pū kāua.Good, let's clean together.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry maʻemaʻe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
