puaʻa
/puˈa.ʔa/
The Hawaiian word for pork is puaʻa.
puaʻa is a noun used to refer to the meat of a pig.
Meaning: meat of a pig (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /puˈa.ʔa/.
Did you know?
- The Tahitian word for 'cow' or 'bull' is puaʻatoro, which literally translates to 'astretch pig'.
- In ancient Hawaii, the puaʻa was a highly sacred animal and its consumption was often restricted to the 'aliʻi' or nobility during specific rituals.
- Traditional Hawaiian feasts, known as 'lūʻau', center around a pit oven called an 'imu' where the puaʻa is slow-cooked for many hours.
Examples in context
- E lawe i ka puaʻa no ka pāʻina.Bring the pork for the party.
- Ua ʻai au i ka mea ʻono loa i ka puaʻa.I ate the delicious thing made of pork.
- He puaʻa kēia.This is pork.
- Makemake au i ka puaʻa.I want pork.
- Ua ʻai ʻia ka puaʻa.The pork was eaten.
Example conversation
Kai and Noelani are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- KaiHe aha kākou e ʻai ai?What are we eating?
- NoelaniHiki iā kakou ke ʻai i ka puaʻa.We can eat pork.
- KaiMaikaʻi kēlā, Noelani.That is good, Noelani.
- NoelaniE kōkua mai naʻu i ka puaʻa.Help me with the pork.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pork” translations and entries puaʻa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries puaʻa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
