hambeka
The Hawaiian word for hamburger is hambeka.
hambeka is used to refer to the sandwich known as a hamburger.
Meaning: sandwich (noun)
Did you know?
- A learner might be surprised to see that the 'g' from the English 'hamburger' is dropped entirely in hambeka because the 'g' sound does not exist in the standard Hawaiian alphabet.
- The word hambeka is a loanword that follows the traditional rules of the Hawaiian alphabet, which only has 12 letters.
- If you see hambeka in a traditional text, it is a sign of the late 19th or 20th century influence, as it would not appear in ancient Hawaiian chants.
Examples in context
- He hambeka kēia.This is a hamburger.
- Makemake au i ka hambeka.I want a hamburger.
Example conversation
Keanu and Malia are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- KeanuHe aha kāu e makemake ai?What do you want?
- MaliaMakemake au i kahi hambeka, Keanu.I want a hamburger, Keanu.
- KeanuMaikaʻi kēlā.That is good.
- MaliaE hele kākou i ka hale ʻaina.Let's go to the restaurant.
