hauʻoli lā piha makahiki
hauʻoli lā piha makahiki is the Hawaiian way to say happy anniversary.
This phrase is a greeting used to congratulate someone on the yearly return of a past event, such as a wedding date.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means 'happy day of a full year' and is composed of hauʻoli (happy), lā (day), piha (full/complete) and makahiki (year).
How does it change in a sentence?
In a celebratory context, this phrase is used as a complete greeting and does not require a subject or a verb to be grammatically correct.
Did you know?
- The word makahiki is a cognate of the Māori word Matariki, which refers to the Pleiades star cluster that signals the start of the New Year.
- In ancient Hawaii, the concept of a 'year' associated with makahiki was tied to the return of the sun to the solstice, rather than a fixed date on a Gregorian calendar.
- The word piha, used here to mean 'full', is also used in Hawaiian to describe something that is 'plump' or 'filled to the brim' like a bowl of food.
Examples in context
- Hauʻoli lā piha makahiki iā ʻoe!Happy anniversary to you!
- Hauʻoli lā piha makahiki iā ʻoukou.Happy anniversary to you both.
Example conversation
Koa and Leilani are celebrating their wedding anniversary at a restaurant.
- KoaHauʻoli lā piha makahiki iā ʻoe, e Leilani.Happy anniversary to you, Leilani.
- LeilaniMahalo, e Koa! Hauʻoli lā piha makahiki iā ʻoe.Thank you, Koa! Happy anniversary to you.
- KoaHe lā nani kēia.This is a beautiful day.
- LeilaniʻAe, he lā kūpono kēia.Yes, this is a perfect day.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hauʻoli, lā, makahiki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
