hauʻoli
/hau̯ˈʔo.li/
The word for happiness in Hawaiian is hauʻoli.
hauʻoli names the feeling of being happy. It is also often used to describe a state of being, as in being happy.
Meaning: emotion of being happy (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
hauʻoli works both as the noun happiness and as the adjective happy, and the sentence shows which one is meant. Adding nui after it intensifies the feeling, giving great happiness.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /hau̯ˈʔo.li/. It has three syllables with the stress on the second, and there is a glottal stop before the oli part.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian culture, the concept of hauʻoli is often linked to the feeling of contentment found in nature and connection with the land.
- While hauʻoli describes a state of joy, the Hawaiian language has various other words for happiness depending on whether the feeling is quiet and content or exuberant and loud.
- The glottal stop in hauʻoli, written as an okina, is a full consonant in Hawaiian. If it is omitted, the word's meaning and rhythm change completely.
Examples in context
- Ke hau'oli nei wau.I am happy/joyful
- Hau'oliHappiness
- He kanaka hau'oli 'o iaHe is a happy person
- E loaʻa iā ʻoe ka hauʻoli.May you find happiness.
Example conversation
Kai and Malia are talking about their family.
- KaiAloha Malia, he hauʻoli kou maka.Hello Malia, your face shows happiness.
- MaliaʻAe, hauʻoli au i kēia lā.Yes, I am happy today.
- KaiHe aha ka mea i hāʻawi mai i kēlā hauʻoli?What brought that happiness?
- MaliaʻO koʻu ʻohana kēlā.It is my family.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happiness” translations and entries hauʻoli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
