lā
/ˈlaː/
The Hawaiian word for sun is lā.
lā refers to the star around which the Earth revolves. It is also used to describe the light and warmth received from the sun.
Meaning: the star around which the Earth revolves (name)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Hawaiian, the word for sun is the same as the word for day.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlaː/
Did you know?
- The word lā shares an ancient root with the Malay word layar and the Tagalog word layag, both of which mean 'sail'.
- Because the word lā refers to both the star and the light it emits, it is used in Hawaiian to describe a 'sunny day' without needing a separate adjective for 'sunny'.
Examples in context
- ka lāThe sun
- He mea koʻikoʻi ka lā.The sun is important.
- Hānai ka lā i ka ʻāina.The sun feeds the land.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Leilani are standing on the beach.
- IkaikaHe lā nani kēia lā.The sun is beautiful today.
- LeilaniʻAe, akā he wela loa ia.Yes, but it is very hot.
- IkaikaE hāmau i ka lā.Get out of the sun.
- LeilaniE hele kāua i ka leu.Let's go to the shade.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sun” translations and entries lā, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lā, CC BY-SA 4.0.
