lā
/ˈlaː/
The Hawaiian word for "day" is lā. Wiktionary also lists pō and ao.
Meaning: period of 24 hours (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian | IPA |
|---|---|
| lā | /ˈlaː/ |
| pō | /ˈpoː/ |
| ao | /ˈao̯/ |
The term lā is used to refer to a period of 24 hours or the sun itself.
What does it mean word for word?
The word lā can mean both 'day' and 'sun' depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
While lā refers to the 24-hour period or the sun, ao specifically refers to the daylight or the period of light during the day. Pō is the antonym of ao and refers to the night or the period of darkness.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlaː/
Did you know?
- A common ancestor of the word lā also evolved into the Malay word layar and Tagalog layag meaning 'sail'.
- Historically, the Hawaiian concept of a day cycle was based on counting moon phases starting from sunrise, rather than the 24-hour solar cycle used today.
Examples in context
- Ke aloha o ka lāThe love of the day
- Mea o ka lāThing of the day
- He lā maikaʻi kēia.This is a good day.
- Ua māmā kēia lā.This day was easy.
Example conversation
Malia and Kai are planning a meeting.
- MaliaHiki pū mākou i kēlā lā?Can we all make it that day?
- KaiʻAe, hiki iaʻu.Yes, I can.
- MaliaHe lā maikaʻi kēlā.That is a good day.
- KaiE hui kākou i kēlā lā.Let's meet on that day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day” translations and entries lā, pō, ao, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ao, lā, pō, CC BY-SA 4.0.
