e ahiahi maikaʻi
The Hawaiian phrase for "have a good evening" is e ahiahi maikaʻi.
e ahiahi maikaʻi is a polite greeting or farewell used to wish someone a pleasant evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the particle e (often used for imperatives or vocatives), ahiahi (evening) and maikaʻi (good).
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle e at the beginning functions to turn the noun phrase into a wish or a command, similar to "have a…"
Did you know?
- While e ahiahi maikaʻi is polite, Hawaiians often use the universal greeting aloha for both arrival and departure regardless of the time of day.
- The word ahiahi is a cognate of the Māori word ahiahi and the Samoan word afiafi, showing the deep ancestral links between these Pacific languages.
- In Hawaiian, the word maikaʻi can describe not just a 'good' evening, but also something that is 'beautiful', 'fine' or 'healthy'.
Examples in context
- E ahiahi maikaʻi iā ʻoukou.Have a good evening to you all.
Example conversation
Malia and Ikaika are saying goodbye after dinner.
- MaliaUa holo pū mākou. E ahiahi maikaʻi, Ikaika.We are leaving. Have a good evening, Ikaika.
- IkaikaMahalo, Malia. E ahiahi maikaʻi iā ʻoe.Thank you, Malia. Have a good evening too.
- MaliaA hui hou!Until next time!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ahiahi, maikaʻi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
