Hāʻauʻoli lā hānau
Hāʻauʻoli lā hānau is the Hawaiian way to say happy birthday.
This phrase is used to offer good wishes to someone on the anniversary of their birth.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
Which one should you use?
The most common way to say happy birthday in Hawaiian is Hau'oli lā hānau.
Did you know?
- While Hāʻauʻoli lā hānau is used today, the word for 'day' in some ancient contexts was displaced by pō, which actually means 'night'.
- In Hawaiian culture, celebrations often involve a lūʻau, where the focus is on community and shared food rather than just the individual celebrating the birthday.
- The phrase Hāʻauʻoli lā hānau uses a glottal stop, indicated by the ‘okina symbol ʻ, which is a full consonant in Hawaiian.
Examples in context
- Hau'oli lā hānau nuiHappy big birthday!
- Mahalo nui!Thank you very much!
Example conversation
Leilani gives Koa a gift at a party.
- LeilaniHāʻauʻoli lā hānau, Koa!Happy birthday, Koa!
- KoaMahalo nui, Leilani!Thank you very much, Leilani!
- LeilaniHe mea kēia no ʻoe.This is something for you.
- KoaHāʻauʻoli loa au!I am very happy!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hānau, lā, CC BY-SA 4.0.
