lapu
The English word ghost is translated into Hawaiian as lapu, akua or ʻuhane.
Meaning: spirit appearing after death (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian | IPA |
|---|---|
| lapu | |
| akua | /aˈku.a/ |
| ʻuhane |
This term refers to a spirit appearing after death.
Which one should you use?
lapu is the default form for ghost. akua and ʻuhane are also used to describe spirits.
Did you know?
- The word akua is used for both 'ghost' and 'god'. In Hawaiian culture, the boundary between a divine deity and a powerful ancestral spirit is often fluid.
- The concept of the ʻuhane is linked to the belief that the spirit can leave the body during deep sleep or trance, effectively becoming a ghost for a short time.
- The word akua shares a common ancestor with the Māori word atua, meaning it belongs to a vast linguistic family of words for the divine across the Pacific.
Example sentences for Hawaiian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Koa and Kiana are walking through an old building.
- KoaKiana, nānā i kēlā lapu!Kiana, look at that ghost!
- KianaʻAʻole kēlā he lapu, he pūlehu wale nō.That is not a ghost, it is just smoke.
- KoaManaʻo au he lapu maoli kēia.I think this is a real ghost.
- KianaE hele kāua mai epekema!Let us leave quickly!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ghost” translations and entries lapu, akua, ʻuhane, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries akua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
