ʻo … koʻu inoa
The Hawaiian phrase for "my name is" is ʻo … koʻu inoa.
This phrase is used to identify oneself by stating one's name.
Meaning: a way to identify oneself (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "is … my name".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle ʻo is used to introduce the name itself, which follows it immediately. In this construction, koʻu serves as the possessive form of "my" used specifically for nouns starting with a consonant.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, some names were considered so sacred that people used a different 'public' name to protect their true identity from spiritual harm.
- The possessive koʻu used in this phrase is part of a complex system called 'A and 'O classifications, which distinguish between things you have control over and things you do not.
- The word inoa has distant cousins in many parts of the Pacific, such as the Māori word ingoa in New Zealand and the Tahitian iʻoa.
Examples in context
- ʻo Keanu koʻu inoaMy name is Keanu
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my name is” translations and entries ʻo … koʻu inoa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries inoa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
