aloha pō
/aˈlo.ha ˈpoː/word by word
The English phrase "good night" is translated into Hawaiian as aloha pō.
aloha pō is used as a farewell when parting ways at night or before going to sleep.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of aloha, which means love, affection or greeting and pō, which means night.
Which one should you use?
While aloha can mean hello, in the context of aloha pō, it functions as a parting salutation rather than a greeting upon arrival.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /aˈlo.ha ˈpoː/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word aloha originally meant 'to beckon' or 'to wave' rather than its modern meaning of 'love'.
Examples in context
- Aloha pō, e kaikamahine.Good night, young lady.
Example conversation
Keanu and Noelani are saying goodbye before going to sleep.
- KeanuUa pōʻalani ka lani.The sky has turned dark.
- NoelaniŌʻae, ua pōʻalani.Yes, it is night.
- KeanuAloha pō, e Noelani.Good night, Noelani.
- NoelaniAloha pō, e Keanu.Good night, Keanu.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (aloha, pō) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aloha, pō, CC BY-SA 4.0.
