ʻulaʻula
/ˌʔu.laˈʔu.la/
The Hawaiian word for the color red is ʻulaʻula.
ʻulaʻula is used as a noun to name the color red.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Which one should you use?
When using the word as an adjective to mean 'having red as its colour', you may use either 'ula or ʻulaʻula.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌʔu.laˈʔu.la/. The stress is on the 3rd of 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the color ʻula was often associated with royalty and high rank.
- The link between red and gold is so deep in the Austronesian language family that it even appears in Malagasy, where 'gold' is expressed as 'red silver'.
- The red feathers of the ʻiʻiwi bird were highly prized for making royal cloaks and helmets.
Examples in context
- ʻUlaʻula ka pua liʻiliʻi.The little flower is red.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a small flower using ʻulaʻula.Tatoeba #4855869 by nonong, translation #10161015 by ToxicFriu
Example conversation
Koa and Malia are looking at a painting.
- KoaHe nani ka lana ʻulaʻula.The red blanket is beautiful.
- MaliaʻAe, he lana nani kēlā.Yes, that is a beautiful blanket.
- KoaHe ʻulaʻula pono ka lana.The blanket is a deep red.
- MaliaHe lana maikaʻi kēlā.That is a good blanket.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red” translations and entries ʻulaʻula, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ʻulaʻula, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
