mahalo no nā mea a pau
The English phrase "thank you for everything" is translated into Hawaiian as mahalo no nā mea a pau.
mahalo no nā mea a pau is used to express gratitude for all the help or kindness someone has provided.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into mahalo (thanks), no (for), nā mea (the things) and a pau (all/everything).
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, nā serves as the plural marker for the noun phrase mea (thing/item).
Did you know?
- The word mahalo shares a distant ancestor with the Tagalog word masarap, which means 'delicious'.
- The word pau in this phrase specifically means 'finished' or 'ended'. Saying mahalo no nā mea a pau literally suggests that the list of things to be thankful for is now complete.
- The word pau is used in daily Hawaiian life to signal that a meal is finished or a work shift has ended, not just to mean 'all'.
Examples in context
- Mahalo no nā mea a pau.Thank you for everything.
- Mahalo i kēia manawa, mahalo no nā mea a pau.Thank you for this time, thank you for everything.
Example conversation
Ikaika is leaving Noelani's house after she helped him move.
- IkaikaMahalo no nā mea a pau, Noelani.Thank you for everything, Noelani.
- NoelaniʻAʻole he mea, Ikaika.It's nothing, Ikaika.
- IkaikaHe kōkua nui kou hana.Your help was a big deal.
- NoelaniHauʻoli au i kōkua au.I am happy that I helped.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mahalo, mea, nā, pau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
