mahalo no ka hele ʻana mai
In Hawaiian, "thank you for coming" is expressed as mahalo no ka hele ʻana mai.
This phrase is a polite expression used to show gratitude to someone for attending an event or visiting a place.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally breaks down to thanks for the coming hither, where mahalo is thanks, no ka is for the, hele ʻana is the act of coming and mai is a directional particle indicating movement toward the speaker.
Did you know?
- The word mahalo shares a distant ancestor with the Tagalog word masarap and the Malay word sedap, both of which refer to 'delicious' food.
- The word mahalo originally meant 'gratitude' or 'praise' in a spiritual sense, often used in prayers to royalty or gods before it became a general way to say 'thank you'.
- The word hele used here for 'coming' can also mean 'to go', making the direction particle mai the only thing that distinguishes arriving from departing.
Examples in context
- Mahalo no ka hele ʻana mai i kēia hale.Thank you for coming to this house.
Example conversation
Keanu is hosting a small gathering at his home and Kiana has just arrived.
- KeanuE komo mai, Kiana. Mahalo no ka hele ʻana mai.Please come in, Kiana. Thank you for coming.
- KianaHe mea hauʻoli kēia e ʻike ai iā ʻoe.It is a pleasure to see you.
- KeanuMahalo nui no ka hele ʻana mai i ka hale.Thank you very much for coming to the house.
- KianaʻOia mau nō, mahalo.Of course, thank you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hele, ka, mahalo, mai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
