kāne
/ˈkaː.ne/
The Hawaiian word for man is kāne.
kāne refers to an adult male human.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hawaiian, the word for man (kāne) can also function as an adjective meaning 'male'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. It is pronounced /ˈkaː.ne/.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian mythology, Kāne is the name of the primary creator god and the deity of procreation, fresh water and the forests.
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concepts of kāne (male) and wahine (female) were often viewed as complementary forces of balance rather than opposing binaries.
- Because kāne can function as an adjective, you can use it to specify the sex of an animal or a plant, not just humans.
Examples in context
- Look at that keiki kāne playing soccer on the beach!Look at that boy playing soccer on the beach!
- He kāne kupaʻa ia.He is a steadfast man.
- He kāne ʻo ia.He is a man.
- He kāne maikaʻi ia.He is a good man.
Example conversation
Keanu and Leilani are talking about a new neighbor.
- KeanuHe kāne hou ka mea e noho ana anei.A new man is living here.
- LeilaniHe kanaka pono anei ʻo ia?Is he a decent person?
- KeanuʻAe, he kāne hoʻomālaʻala ʻo ia.Yes, he is a respectful man.
- LeilaniMaikaʻi kēlā.That is good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries kāne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
