māmā a me pāpā
The English phrase "mom and dad" is translated into Hawaiian as māmā a me pāpā.
This phrase is used to refer to the parents of a person.
What does it mean word for word?
The part a me means "and" and is used to connect the two nouns māmā and pāpā.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hawaiian, the conjunction a me is placed between the two nouns to connect them.
Did you know?
- The word māmā shares a distant ancestor with words in the Malayo-Polynesian language family, reaching as far back as Proto-Malayo-Polynesian.
- In Hawaiian, the word makua can be used to refer to an ancestor or an elder, not just a biological parent.
- While māmā is the standard term, many Hawaiian families also use the term makuakane for father and makuahine for mother in formal or traditional contexts.
Examples in context
- Ke ʻimi nei au i māmā a me pāpā.I am looking for mom and dad.
- Nui ka ʻaloha o māmā a me pāpā.Mom and dad's love is great.
Example conversation
Keanu and Noelani are talking about their family.
- KeanuAia māmā a me pāpā?Are mom and dad here?
- NoelaniʻAe, aia lākou.Yes, they are.
- KeanuE kōkua au i māmā a me pāpā.I will help mom and dad.
- NoelaniMaikaʻi kēlā, Keanu.That is good, Keanu.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, māmā, CC BY-SA 4.0.
