hōkū
/hoːˈkuː/
The Hawaiian word for star is hōkū.
hōkū is used in an astronomical sense to refer to a luminous celestial body made of plasma.
Meaning: (astronomy) a luminous celestial body made of plasma (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/hoːˈkuː/
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian mythology, some hōkū are viewed as the eyes of ancestors watching over their descendants from the heavens.
- The word hōkū is a descendant of the Proto-Polynesian word *fetuqu, which is related to the Tongan and Samoan words for star.
- Traditional Hawaiian wayfinding relies on the movement of hōkū to navigate the open ocean, treating the stars as a living map rather than just distant objects.
Examples in context
- ʻO wau ka hōkū hoʻoheno o kou naʻau.I am the shining star in your heart.
- Nānā i ka hōkū.Look at the star.
Example conversation
Koa and Noelani are looking at the night sky.
- KoaHe hōkū nani kēlā, ʻē Noelani?That is a beautiful star, isn't it, Noelani?
- NoelaniʻAe, he hōkū maikaʻi kēlā.Yes, that is a wonderful star.
- KoaHiki pū ana ke ʻike i nā hōkū ʻē aʻe.Other stars can be seen too.
- NoelaniHe nani loa ka lani tonight.The sky is very beautiful tonight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “star” translations and entries hōkū, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hōkū, CC BY-SA 4.0.
