hāpai
/haːˈpai̯/
The Hawaiian word for pregnant is hāpai.
The word hāpai is an adjective used to describe the state of carrying developing offspring within the body.
Meaning: carrying developing offspring within the body (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, hāpai means to lift, carry or support, which reflects the physical act of carrying a child.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone is currently pregnant, place the particle ua before the verb hāpai to form ua hāpai.
How do you pronounce it?
/haːˈpai̯/
Did you know?
- Because hāpai relates to 'supporting', it carries a subtle connotation of 'nurturing' or 'sustaining' a weight. This adds a layer of care to the word that 'pregnant' lacks in English.
- Because hāpai means 'to carry', it can be used in a metaphorical sense to describe someone carrying a responsibility or a heavy task. A pregnant woman is seen as someone literally carrying a precious weight.
- The word hāpai bridges the gap between a physical burden and a biological blessing by using the same root for lifting weights and carrying offspring.
Examples in context
- Hāpai kēia e.She is pregnant.
- He wahine hāpai ia.She is a pregnant woman.
Example conversation
Keanu and Leilani are talking about a friend.
- KeanuUa hāpai ʻo Mele?Is Mele pregnant?
- LeilaniʻAe, ua hāpai ʻo ia.Yes, she is pregnant.
- KeanuHauʻoli loa ia!She is very happy!
- LeilaniʻAe, hauʻoli ka ʻohana.Yes, the family is happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pregnant” translations and entries hāpai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
