How to Say "How Are You Doing?" in Hawaiian

Pehea ʻoe?

Pehea ʻoe? is the Hawaiian way to say "how are you doing?"

This phrase is a common greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or state.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of pehea, which means "how" and ʻoe, which means "you" (singular).

Use Pehea ʻoe? when addressing one person. If you are addressing a group of people, use Pehea ʻoukou? instead.

To change the greeting from singular to plural, replace ʻoe with ʻoukou.

A common response to Pehea ʻoe? is Maikaʻi, which means "Good" or "Fine".

While English speakers often use 'how are you' as a hollow greeting, in many Hawaiian contexts, asking about one's state can imply a genuine interest in one's spiritual or physical mana.
The Hawaiian language uses a 'okina, the glottal stop mark seen in ʻoe, which functions as a full consonant.
If you were to use this phrase in New Zealand, you would hear the cognate pēhea instead of pehea.

Leilani and Kai meet at a park.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏