hoahānau
The Hawaiian word for siblings is hoahānau.
hoahānau is used to describe a group of brothers and sisters collectively.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of hoa, meaning companion or friend and hānau, meaning to be born.
Did you know?
- The term hoa allows for 'spiritual' siblings, meaning people who share a profound bond without sharing any blood relation.
- The word kaikaina specifically denotes a younger sibling, creating a linguistic distinction that English lacks in its common vocabulary.
- If you were to address an older sibling, you would use kaikua‘ana, a term that shifts the focus from the act of birth to the status of seniority.
Examples in context
- E komo mai nā hoahānau!Welcome, siblings!
- Pehea ʻoe, e ke kaikaina?How are you, younger sister/brother?
- He hoahānau lākou.They are siblings.
Example conversation
Koa and Malia are talking about their families.
- KoaHe nui kou ohana?Is your family big?
- MaliaʻAe, he nui koʻu hoahānau.Yes, I have many siblings.
- KoaHe wahine paha lākou?Are they perhaps women?
- MaliaHe kāne a me he wahine.Some are men and some are women.
