uahi
The Hawaiian word for smoke is uahi.
uahi refers to the visible particles and vapour given off by burning material. Depending on the context, this word can mean both smoke and fire.
Meaning: visible particles and vapour given off by burning material (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of smoking something, such as preserving or preparing it with smoke, the causative prefix hoʻo- is added to the noun to create the verb hoʻouahi.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the presence of uahi from a fire could be used as a signal across long distances between valleys.
- The word uahi is actually a contraction of two words, auahi and afi, which literally combine to mean 'smoke' and 'fire'.
- The prefix hoʻo- used in hoʻouahi is a powerful tool in Hawaiian grammar that can turn almost any noun into a causative verb.
Examples in context
- ʻIke i ka mapu e lele ana mai ma ka lua o Haleakalā.Observe the smoke rising from the crater of Haleakalā.
- Uahi kēia.This is smoke.
Example conversation
Koa and Kiana are looking at a distant fire.
- KoaKiana, nānā i ke uahi!Kiana, look at the smoke!
- KianaAia kahi ahi?Is there a fire there?
- KoaʻAe, he uahi ʻeleʻele ia.Yes, that is black smoke.
- KianaE kīkī kākou i ke kōkua.Let's call for help.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smoke” translations and entries uahi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries uahi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
