lāpaki
/laːˈpa.ki/
The word for rabbit in Hawaiian is lāpaki.
lāpaki is a noun used to refer to the rabbit, a type of mammal.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables. The stress is on the second syllable: /laːˈpa.ki/.
Did you know?
- The word lāpaki is a loanword from the English 'rabbit'.
- Because Hawaiian phonology does not have a 'b' or 'r' sound, the 'r' and 'b' sounds in 'rabbit' were adapted to the available sounds l and p.
- In the Hawaiian language, many animal names are borrowed from English because those animals did not exist in the islands prior to Western contact.
Examples in context
- He lāpaki kēia.This is a rabbit.
- He lāpaki pōʻino kēia.This is a naughty rabbit.
Example conversation
Keanu and Kiana are looking at animals in a garden.
- KeanuHe lāpaki anei kēlā?Is that a rabbit?
- KianaʻAe, he lāpaki kēlā.Yes, that is a rabbit.
- KeanuUʻi loa ka lāpaki!The rabbit is very cute!
- KianaʻAe, he lāpaki uʻu ʻo ia.Yes, it is a white rabbit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rabbit” translations and entries lāpaki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lāpaki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
