mahalo nui loa
/maˈha.lo ˈnu.i ˈlo.a/
In Hawaiian, 'many thanks' is said as mahalo nui loa.
Mahalo nui loa is a way to say 'thank you very much'. It is used to express deep gratitude, building upon the basic word mahalo, which means 'thank you'.
Meaning: many thanks (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mahalo (thanks), nui (big/great) and loa (very/extremely).
Which one should you use?
While mahalo means 'thanks', adding nui loa intensifies the expression to mean 'many thanks' or 'thank you very much'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /maˈha.lo ˈnu.i ˈlo.a/. It has 7 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word mahalo is a distant relative of the Tagalog word masarap, which means 'delicious'.
- In Hawaiian culture, the spirit of mahalo extends beyond a simple 'thank you' to encompass a deeper state of gratitude and respect for the interconnectedness of all things.
- The word mahalo can also be used as a noun to describe a prayer or a hymn of praise.
Examples in context
- Mahalo nui loa iā ʻoe.Many thanks to you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “many thanks” translations and entries mahalo nui loa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries loa, mahalo, mahalo nui loa, nui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
