kaʻu kāne
/ˈka.ʔu ˈkaː.ne/word by word
The English phrase "my husband" is translated into Hawaiian as kaʻu kāne.
kaʻu kāne is a standard way to refer to one's husband. While kāne literally means 'man', in the context of a relationship, it functions to identify a spouse.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the possessive pronoun kaʻu (my) and the noun kāne (man/male).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hawaiian, the possessive pronoun kaʻu is used for first-person singular possession (my) and is placed before the noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈka.ʔu ˈkaː.ne/. It consists of 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian mythology, Kāne is the name of the supreme creator god and the deity of procreation and the sky.
- The 'okina in kaʻu is a glottal stop, a consonant sound created by restricting airflow in the throat.
- In many Polynesian languages, the structural ancestors of kaʻu and kāne share almost identical phonetic roots, linking Hawaiian to a vast linguistic family across the Pacific.
Examples in context
- E ʻimi ana au i kaʻu kāne.I am looking for my husband.
Example conversation
Malia is introducing her husband to Keanu.
- MaliaE Keanu, e ʻike mai i kaʻu kāne.Keanu, meet my husband.
- KeanuAloha! He hauʻoli koʻu e ʻike iā ʻoe.Hello! I am happy to meet you.
- MaliaHe kanaka maikaʻi kaʻu kāne.My husband is a good man.
- KeanuHe mea maikaʻi kēlā.That is a good thing.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kaʻu, kāne) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kaʻu, kāne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
