laiki
The Hawaiian word for rice is laiki.
The term refers to the seeds used as a food source.
Meaning: seeds used as food (noun)
Did you know?
- The Hawaiian word laiki is a loanword borrowed directly from the English word 'rice'.
- The sound system of the Hawaiian language adapted the English 'r' in 'rice' into the l sound found in laiki.
Examples in context
- Makemake au i ka laiki i kēia pō.I want rice tonight.
- Ua ʻai ʻia ka laiki a pau.All the rice was eaten.
Example conversation
Leilani and Kai are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- LeilaniHe aha kāu e makemake ai?What would you like?
- KaiMakemake au i ka laiki.I want some rice.
- LeilaniHe laiki wale nō?Just rice?
- KaiʻAe, a me ka iʻa.Yes, and some fish.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rice” translations and entries laiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries laiki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
