makika
The Hawaiian word for mosquito is makika.
makika is a noun used to refer to the small flying insect of the family Culicidae, which is known for biting and sucking blood.
Meaning: small flying insect of the family Culicidae, known for biting and sucking blood (noun)
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture there is no single ancient word for 'insect' because the language often categorizes animals by their specific behavior or appearance rather than biological groups.
- The word makika is a loanword from the English 'mosquito'. It was adapted to fit the phonetic rules of the Hawaiian language which lacks many consonants found in English.
- In many parts of the world, mosquitoes are indigenous, but in Hawaii, they were introduced by humans and are considered an invasive species.
Example sentences for Hawaiian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Leilani are hiking in the forest.
- IkaikaHe makika kēlā ma kou lima!There is a mosquito on your arm!
- LeilaniE kōkua mai, e hāmau iā ia.Help me, kill it.
- IkaikaUa hāmau ʻia ka makika.The mosquito is dead.
- LeilaniMahalo nui, Ikaika.Thank you very much, Ikaika.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mosquito” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
