Hawái
/xaˈwai/
The English phrase 'Hawaii' is translated into Spanish as Hawái.
Hawái is the proper name for the US state of Hawaii.
Meaning: state of the United States (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing being 'in' Hawaii, use the preposition en rather than en el because the name is used as a proper noun without a masculine article.
How do you pronounce it?
/xaˈwai/
Did you know?
- While Spanish treats Hawái as a proper noun, the Spanish word for 'island' is isla, which is feminine. This means an English speaker saying 'the island of Hawaii' would use the feminine article la in la isla de Hawái.
- Spanish speakers completely ignore the 'okina' (the glottal stop mark) found in the original Hawaiian spelling Hawaiʻi when writing the name in Spanish.
- The addition of the accent mark on the final 'í' in Hawái is a strategic way to force the word to follow Spanish stress rules, effectively 'Spanish-izing' the English-derived pronunciation.
Examples in context
- Pasamos la Navidad en Hawái.We stayed in Hawaii over Christmas.This sentence is useful for describing where you stayed during Christmas using Hawái.Tatoeba #2009242 by marcelostockle, translation #62803 by CK
- Él fue a Hawái de vacaciones.He has gone to Hawaii on vacation.This sentence is useful for describing a vacation to Hawái.Tatoeba #993481 by hayastan, translation #295189 by CK
- Cuéntame qué hiciste en Hawái.Tell me what you did in Hawaii.This sentence is useful for asking someone about their experiences in Hawái.Tatoeba #832035 by LugoIlmer, translation #34976 by CN
- Me encantaría visitar Hawái algún díaI would love to visit Hawaii someday
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are looking at travel photos on a laptop.
- Lucía¿Alguna vez has visitado Hawái?Have you ever visited Hawaii?
- JavierNo, pero me encantaría ir a Hawái.No, but I would love to go to Hawaii.
- LucíaLas playas de Hawái son hermosas.The beaches in Hawaii are beautiful.
- JavierSí, Lucía, parece un lugar increíble.Yes, Lucía, it looks like an amazing place.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hawaii” translations and entries Hawái, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
