ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi
/ʔoːˈle.lo haˈwai̯.ʔi/word by word
The English phrase "Hawaiian" refers to the Hawaiian language in Hawaiian as ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
If you wish to refer to a native Hawaiian person, you may use the term Kānaka ōiwi.
Meaning: Hawaiian language (name)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase for the Hawaiian language is constructed by placing the noun ʻōlelo before the proper noun Hawaiʻi.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables with the stress on the second syllable. The IPA is /ʔoːˈle.lo haˈwai̯.ʔi/.
Did you know?
- The word ʻōlelo is a linguistic relative of the Tagalog word dila and the Malay word lidah, both of which mean 'tongue'.
- Because ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is a revitalized language, many speakers use it alongside 'Hawaiian Pidgin', which is a distinct creole and not a dialect of the native language.
- The Hawaiian language uses the ʻokina, a glottal stop represented by the symbol ʻ, which acts as a full consonant in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Examples in context
- Aʻo i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.Learn the Hawaiian language.
- He ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi kēia.This is the Hawaiian language.
- E hoʻomaikaʻi i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.Celebrate the Hawaiian language.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a language class.
- LeilaniKeanu, e aʻo ana ʻoe i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi?Keanu, are you learning the Hawaiian language?
- KeanuʻAe, Leilani, he mea nui ia.Yes, Leilani, it is important.
- LeilaniHe ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi nō kēia?Is this the Hawaiian language?
- KeanuʻAe, ʻo ia ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.Yes, that is the Hawaiian language.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hawaiian” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ʻōlelo, Hawaiʻi) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Hawaiʻi, ʻōlelo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
