palupalu
The Hawaiian word for soft is palupalu. Wiktionary also lists waliwali.
Meaning: easily giving way under pressure (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian |
|---|
| palupalu |
| waliwali |
The word is used to describe something that is easily giving way under pressure.
Which one should you use?
Use palupalu to describe physical softness, such as a soft pillow or soft ground.
Did you know?
- Hawaiian terminology often distinguishes between the softness of a surface and the softness of a sound, requiring different descriptors to avoid confusion in spoken descriptions.
- In Hawaiian, the repetition of a word like palupalu often serves to intensify the quality of the adjective, making the 'softness' feel more profound than a single-use word.
- In Hawaiian, the concept of softness can overlap with the word mālie, which describes a 'soft' or calm breeze and a peaceful state of mind.
Example sentences for Hawaiian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Noelani and Kai are looking at a new pillow.
- NoelaniHe palupalu kēia pili, ʻē Kai?This pillow is soft, right Kai?
- KaiʻAe, palupalu loa ia.Yes, it is very soft.
- NoelaniMakemake au i kēia lāʻau.I like this material.
- KaiE kūʻai mai iā ia.Buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soft” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
