pūʻiwa
The Hawaiian word for 'surprise' is pūʻiwa.
pūʻiwa is a noun used to describe the feeling that something unexpected has happened.
Meaning: feeling that something unexpected has happened (noun)
Did you know?
- While pūʻiwa describes the noun 'surprise', Hawaiians often express the act of being surprised using the word makaʻu, which can also mean 'fear' or 'awe'.
- The Hawaiian language often uses descriptive phrases to convey 'surprise' as an action, such as describing the heart jumping, rather than using the noun pūʻiwa.
- The word pūʻiwa uses an 'okina, which is a glottal stop. Failing to pronounce this small break in the sound can change the word's meaning entirely in a conversation.
Example conversation
Kai gives Kiana a gift for her birthday.
- KaiE nānā mai, Kiana!Look here, Kiana!
- KianaHe pūʻiwa kēia? Mahalo, Kai!Is this a surprise? Thank you, Kai!
- KaiʻAe, no kou lā hānau.Yes, for your birthday.
- KianaHauʻoli loa au!I am very happy!
