ʻalani
The Hawaiian word for the fruit orange is ʻalani.
ʻalani is the term used specifically for the fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ʻalani refers to the fruit, the word palaʻula is used to primarily refer to the color orange.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use palaʻula when you are referring to the fruit, as this term primarily refers to the color orange.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian culture, certain shades of palaʻula are associated with royalty, as red and orange hues were historically reserved for the aliʻi or chiefs.
- The glottal stop, represented by the symbol ʻ at the start of ʻalani, is a full consonant in Hawaiian and changes the meaning of words.
- The word ʻalani is an example of how Hawaiian adapted foreign words to fit the strict consonant-vowel structure of its own phonetic system.
Examples in context
- He ʻalani kēia.This is an orange.
Example conversation
Malia and Ikaika are sharing fruit in the kitchen.
- MaliaHe ʻalani kou?Do you have an orange?
- IkaikaʻAe, aia ma ka pāpahu.Yes, it is on the counter.
- MaliaMahalo, e hāʻawi mai i ka ʻalani.Thanks, give me the orange.
- IkaikaʻAe, eia ia.Yes, here it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “orange” translations and entries ʻalani, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
