nanea
The Hawaiian word for enjoy is nanea.
The Hawaiian word nanea is used to describe the state of enjoying oneself or the quality of something being pleasant and leisurely.
Meaning: to receive pleasure or satisfaction from something (verb)
Did you know?
- The word nanea can be used to describe a person's character, implying they are someone who is naturally easygoing and relaxed.
- While English uses 'enjoy' for everything from food to movies, nanea specifically evokes a sense of luxury or spending time without a care for the clock.
- Because nanea emphasizes leisure, using it to describe a fast-paced or intense activity would sound contradictory to a native speaker.
Example conversation
Koa and Kiana are sitting on the beach.
- KoaNanea i ka lā, Kiana.Enjoy the day, Kiana.
- KianaMahalo, Koa. He lā maikaʻi kēia.Thank you, Koa. This is a great day.
- KoaHe nanea ka wā.The time is enjoyable.
- KianaʻAe, he nanea loa.Yes, it is very enjoyable.
