akua wahine
/aˈku.a waˈhi.ne/word by word
The Hawaiian word for goddess is akua wahine.
akua wahine is used to refer to a female deity. Specific goddesses can also be referred to by their own names, such as Pele for the volcano goddess or Hina for the goddess of the moon.
Meaning: female deity (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of akua, meaning deity or god and wahine, meaning woman or female.
Which one should you use?
While akua wahine refers to a female deity, akua kāne is used to refer to a male deity.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural goddesses, you typically add the particle nā before the phrase: nā akua wahine.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /aˈku.a waˈhi.ne/. It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Hawaiian culture utilizes 'genealogies' called moʻokūʻauhau to link humans directly to nā akua wahine and nā akua kāne.
- While akua now means 'god' or 'goddess', early translations of the word sometimes referred to 'spirits' or 'ancestors'.
- In Hawaiian culture, many specific goddesses like Pele are often treated as living presences in the natural landscape rather than just mythological figures.
Examples in context
- Nā Wahine Akua maikaʻi e malama mai ana i kākou.The benevolent goddesses are watching over us.
- He akua wahine ka Pele.Pele is a goddess.
- Hiki iā ʻoe ke ʻike i ka akua wahine?Can you see the goddess?
Example conversation
Ikaika and Kiana are visiting a cultural museum.
- IkaikaHe aha kēia kiʻi, Kiana?What is this image, Kiana?
- KianaʻO kēlā he kiʻi no ka akua wahine.That is an image of the goddess.
- IkaikaHe nani loa ʻo ia.She is very beautiful.
- KianaʻAe, he akua wahine koʻikoʻi ʻo ia.Yes, she is an important goddess.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goddess” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (akua, wahine) and can differ in connected speech.
