aloha kakahiaka e ka uʻi
/aˈlo.ha ˌka.ka.hiˈa.ka e ka ˈu.ʔi/word by word
The Hawaiian phrase for "good morning, beautiful" is aloha kakahiaka e ka uʻi.
This phrase is a romantic or affectionate greeting used to say good morning to someone the speaker finds beautiful.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of aloha (love/greeting), kakahiaka (morning), the vocative particle e and ka uʻi (the beautiful one).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In O'ahu, "good morning, beautiful" can be expressed as Aloha kakahiaka, e ku'u pua.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle e is used before a noun or noun phrase when addressing someone directly, such as in a greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈlo.ha ˌka.ka.hiˈa.ka e ka ˈu.ʔi/. The phrase has 10 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Hawaiian is a language with one of the smallest alphabets in the world, using only 12 to 13 letters to form words like kakahiaka.
- The word aloha did not originally mean 'love' or 'hello', but rather 'to beckon' or 'to wave' in its ancient Austronesian roots.
- The glottal stop in uʻi, represented by the symbol ʻ, is a full consonant and changing its presence can change the meaning of a word.
Example conversation
Kai greets Leilani as she wakes up in the morning.
- LeilaniAloha kakahiaka, Kai.Good morning, Kai.
- KaiAloha kakahiaka e ka uʻi.Good morning, beautiful.
- LeilaniMahalo, e kuʻu hoa.Thank you, my companion.
- KaiHe lā maikaʻi kēia.This is a good day.
