mahalo nui loa
/maˈha.lo ˈnu.i ˈlo.a/
mahalo nui loa is the Hawaiian way to say thank you very much.
mahalo nui loa is used to express a greater degree of gratitude than the standard mahalo.
Meaning: greater gratitude than "thank you" (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mahalo (thanks/gratitude), nui (big/great) and loa (very/extremely/long).
Which one should you use?
While mahalo is the standard way to say thank you, mahalo nui loa is used to express a much higher level of gratitude. You may also use mahalo nui, which still means thank you very much but carries slightly less emphasis than mahalo nui loa.
How does it change in a sentence?
Removing the word loa results in mahalo nui, which remains a way to say thank you very much but with slightly less emphasis.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /maˈha.lo ˈnu.i ˈlo.a/. It has 7 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word mahalo originally referred to paying respect or praising a deity, rather than a simple social thank you.
- The root of mahalo is an unexpected relative of the Tagalog word masarap, which means 'delicious'.
- While English speakers use 'very' to modify adjectives, Hawaiian builds intensity by adding words that describe physical dimensions like 'big' and 'long'.
Examples in context
- Mahalo nui loa iā ʻoe.Thank you very much.
- Mahalo nui loa i ka mea i loaʻa.Thank you very much for what I received.
- Mahalo nui loa i kēia mea maikaʻi.Thank you very much for this good thing.
Example conversation
Malia gives Ikaika a handmade gift.
- MaliaHe meaʻono kēia no kou lā hālau.This is something special for your anniversary.
- IkaikaMahalo nui loa, Malia!Thank you very much, Malia!
- MaliaHe mea pomaikaʻi kēlā.That is a blessing.
- IkaikaAloha nui iā ʻoe.Much love to you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mahalo nui loa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries loa, mahalo, mahalo nui loa, nui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
