moʻopuna kāne
/mo.ʔoˈpu.na ˈkaː.ne/word by word
The Hawaiian word for grandson is moʻopuna kāne.
moʻopuna kāne is used to refer to the son of one's child. You can use possessive markers with it, such as kaʻu moʻopuna kāne for "my grandson" or kona moʻopuna kāne for "his grandson". Additionally, the term keiki (child) can be used to address a grandson if it is followed by his name.
Meaning: son of one's child (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of moʻopuna, meaning grandchild or descendant and kāne, meaning male.
Which one should you use?
While moʻopuna can be used on its own to mean any grandchild without specifying gender, moʻopuna kāne specifically identifies a male. To specify a granddaughter, you would use moʻopuna wahine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word moʻopuna functions as a general term for grandchild and does not require a gender marker if the sex of the descendant is not being specified.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /mo.ʔoˈpu.na ˈkaː.ne/. It has 6 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word kāne refers to both the gender 'male' and is also the name of the Hawaiian god of creation and the forest.
- The word moʻopuna is shared with the Māori language as mokopuna.
- In Hawaiian culture, the relationship between a grandparent and moʻopuna is often seen as a primary bond for passing down ancestral knowledge.
Examples in context
- ʻO ia kaʻu moʻopuna kāne.He is my grandson.
- E nā pōhaku o ke ola, ke aloha nei au i kuʻu moʻopuna kāne, Kaimana.Oh stones of life, I love my grandson, Kaimana.
- He ʻole iaʻu moʻopuna kāne.I do not have a grandson.
- He ʻoluʻolu kona moʻopuna kāne.Her grandson is lovely.
- ʻO ia kona moʻopuna kāne.He is her grandson.
Example conversation
Kiana and Koa are looking at a family photo.
- KianaʻO wai kēia moʻopuna kāne?Who is this grandson?
- KoaʻO ia ka haipule o kaʻu keiki.He is my child's son.
- KianaHe mea nani kou moʻopuna kāne.Your grandson is beautiful.
- KoaMahalo nui, Kiana.Thank you very much, Kiana.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (moʻopuna, kāne) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kāne, moʻopuna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
