Pōʻakahi
/poː.ʔaˈka.hi/
Monday in Hawaiian is Pōʻakahi.
Pōʻakahi is a noun used to refer to the first day of the week.
Meaning: day of the week (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of pō, meaning day or night and kahi, meaning first, so it literally translates to first day.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a proper noun, Pōʻakahi is typically not preceded by an article such as 'the' when used in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable: /poː.ʔaˈka.hi/.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concept of a seven-day week was not used until the arrival of Western missionaries who introduced the Gregorian calendar.
- Despite its current use for Monday, the root pō is deeply tied to the Hawaiian creation chant, Kumulipo, which describes the emergence of the universe from a primordial night.
- The structure of Pōʻakahi is mirrored in other Polynesian languages. For example, the Māori word for Monday is Rātahi, which also combines a word for day and the number one.
Examples in context
- He Pōʻakahi kēia.Today is Monday.
- ʻAʻole au e hana i Pōʻakahi.I do not work on Monday.
Example conversation
Malia and Koa are talking about their work schedule.
- MaliaKoa, e hana ana ʻoe i ke Pōʻakahi?Koa, are you working on Monday?
- KoaʻAʻole, ua nōho nohou au.No, I am off.
- MaliaMaikaʻi, e hele kākou i ka lanai.Good, let's go to the porch.
- KoaʻAe, e hele kākou.Yes, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Monday” translations and entries Pōʻakahi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pōʻakahi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
