hoʻopakele
The Hawaiian word for 'rescue' is hoʻopakele. Wiktionary also lists hoʻopalekana.
Meaning: to save from any danger or violence (verb)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian |
|---|
| hoʻopakele |
| hoʻopalekana |
Both forms of this word are used as verbs to mean saving someone or something from danger or violence.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, a rescue effort was often viewed as a collective responsibility of the ohana or family, rather than the act of a single heroic individual.
- While hoʻopakele is the verb, Hawaiian often uses a separate word for 'savior' that carries a heavy religious weight, reflecting the deep influence of 19th-century missionary translations on the language.
- The prefix hoʻo- used in hoʻopakele functions as a causative marker, which changes the meaning of a root to 'to make something happen' or 'to cause'.
Example sentences for Hawaiian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Leilani and Ikaika are at the beach during a storm.
- LeilaniE nānā, pono e hoʻopakele ʻia kēlā keiki!Look, that child needs to be rescued!
- IkaikaʻAe, e kōkua au i kēia manawa.Yes, I will help right now.
- LeilaniE ʻano pono, e hoʻopakele pono iā ia.Be careful, rescue him safely.
- IkaikaUa loaʻa ia, ua palupalu ʻole ia.I got him, he is not hurt.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rescue” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
