ʻaʻole mahalo
/ʔaˈʔo.le maˈha.lo/word by word
The Hawaiian phrase for "no thank you" is ʻaʻole mahalo.
ʻaʻole mahalo is used as a polite way to say no.
Meaning: polite way of saying no (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ʻaʻole (no/none) and mahalo (thanks/gratitude).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʔaˈʔo.le maˈha.lo/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word mahalo originally shared a root with words meaning 'delicious' or 'tasty' in other Austronesian languages, such as the Tagalog word 'masarap'.
- When refusing food in a traditional Hawaiian setting, it is often considered more polite to accept a small amount rather than using a firm 'no thank you'.
- The glottal stop in ʻaʻole, represented by the symbol ʻ, is a full consonant that requires a brief closure of the vocal cords.
Examples in context
- ʻAʻole mahalo, ua ʻai au.No thank you, I have eaten.
Example conversation
Kai offers Noelani a snack.
- KaiMakemake ʻoe i kʻa puaʻaʻike?Do you want some cookies?
- Noelaniʻaʻole mahalo, e Kai.No thank you, Kai.
- KaiAre you sure?Are you sure?
- NoelaniʻAe, ʻaʻole mahalo.Yes, no thank you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ʻaʻole, mahalo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mahalo, ʻaʻole, CC BY-SA 4.0.
