hau
/ˈhau̯/
The Hawaiian word for ice is hau.
The word hau refers to water in its frozen form.
Meaning: water in frozen form (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈhau̯/.
Did you know?
- The word hau is a homonym in Hawaiian and can also mean 'breath' or 'mist' depending on the context.
- The word hau is also the name of the Hibiscus tiliaceus, a native tree.
- Because Hawaii is a tropical climate, the word hau was historically used to describe rare phenomena like frost or hail rather than common everyday ice.
Examples in context
- Hau kēia.This is ice.
Example conversation
Malia and Koa are preparing drinks in the kitchen.
- MaliaKoa, aia ka hau?Koa, is there any ice?
- KoaʻAʻole, ua pau ka hau.No, the ice is gone.
- MaliaE hana hou i ka hau.Make more ice.
- KoaʻAe, e hana au.Yes, I will do it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice” translations and entries hau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
