koʻu home
The Hawaiian phrase for "my home" is koʻu home.
koʻu home is used to refer to the place where a person lives.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word koʻu is the singular, intimate form of "my" and is used for things that are close to the speaker.
Did you know?
- A person might describe their 'home' by naming the specific wind or rain patterns of that area, as Hawaiian geography is traditionally defined by nature rather than street addresses.
- The word koʻu is part of a complex system called 'o and a possessives, where the word for 'my' changes based on whether the object is a plant, a body part or a prized possession.
- The okina, the glottal stop seen in koʻu, is a full consonant. If it is omitted, the word can change meaning entirely, making the 'pause' as important as the letters themselves.
Example conversation
Ikaika invites Leilani over for dinner.
- IkaikaHe ʻalu nei koʻu home.My home is nearby.
- LeilaniMa ʻalu no koʻu home?Is your home close?
- Ikaikaʻalu no.Yes, it is.
- LeilaniHe ʻalu ʻole koʻu home.Your home is small.
