e hoʻopōmaikaʻi mai ke Akua
The English phrase 'God bless' is translated into Hawaiian as e hoʻopōmaikaʻi mai ke Akua.
This phrase is used to wish someone divine favor or protection.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the particle e (indicating a command or wish), hoʻopōmaikaʻi (to bless), the directional particle mai (indicating the action comes toward the subject) and ke Akua (God).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb hoʻopōmaikaʻi is the causative form of pōmaikaʻi (blessed/fortunate), which literally means 'to cause to be blessed'.
Did you know?
- The word Akua is a calque of the English 'God', meaning it was adapted to mirror the specific concept of a single deity introduced by missionaries.
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concept of being pōmaikaʻi (blessed) is closely tied to the idea of having a 'fortunate' or 'lucky' disposition.
- While Akua is capitalized to refer to the Christian God, the lowercase akua can refer to gods or spirits in a more general sense.
Examples in context
- E hoʻopōmaikaʻi mai ke Akua i ko ʻoukou ʻohana.May God bless your family.
- E hoʻopōmaikaʻi mai ke Akua i kēia huina.May God bless this journey.
Example conversation
Koa and Kiana are saying goodbye after a long visit.
- KoaA hui hou, e hoʻopōmaikaʻi mai ke Akua iā ʻoe.Until we meet again, god bless you.
- KianaMahalo, e hoʻopōmaikaʻi mai ke Akua iā ʻoe pū.Thank you, god bless you too.
- KoaE hele pono ʻoe.Go safely.
- KianaMahalo loa.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Akua, akua, ke, mai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
