maʻemaʻe
/ma.ʔeˈma.ʔe/
The Hawaiian word for pure is maʻemaʻe.
maʻemaʻe is used to describe something that is pure, meaning it is free of foreign material or pollutants. It is also the standard Hawaiian word for the English word clean.
Meaning: free of foreign material or pollutants (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /ma.ʔeˈma.ʔe/.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, being 'pure' or 'clean' often involves the concept of 'kapu', where certain states of purity are required to approach sacred objects.
- The word maʻemaʻe contains the 'okina, a glottal stop that acts as a true consonant in the Hawaiian alphabet.
- The repetition of the ma-e sound in maʻemaʻe is a linguistic pattern in Hawaiian called reduplication, which often intensifies the meaning of a word.
Examples in context
- He mea maʻemaʻe kēia ʻai.This food is pure.
Example conversation
Leilani and Koa are hiking near a stream.
- LeilaniHiki ke inu i kēia wai, Koa?Can we drink this water, Koa?
- KoaʻAe, maʻemaʻe loa ka wai.Yes, the water is very pure.
- LeilaniMahalo, Leilani e inu nei.Thank you, Leilani is drinking now.
- KoaʻOia mau ka mea maikaʻi.That is the best thing.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry maʻemaʻe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
