i
The Hawaiian word for "to" is i.
The preposition i is used to express movement in the direction of a place and the act of arriving at a destination.
Meaning: in the direction of, and arriving at (prep)
Which one should you use?
While i indicates movement toward and arrival at a destination, the word ma is used to indicate a static location or being "at" a place.
Related words
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ma when they mean "to" (direction). Remember that ma indicates a static location, while i indicates movement toward a destination.
Did you know?
- The word i is a linguistic chameleon. Depending on the context, it can function as a preposition for 'to', a marker for the object of a sentence, or even a way to indicate the instrument used to perform an action.
- In Hawaiian, i can be used to express a desire or a wish. When placed in certain sentence structures, it transforms from a direction of movement into a marker of longing or intention.
- The word i is an example of the extreme economy of the Hawaiian language, which has one of the smallest phonemic inventories in the world. This means a single vowel sound must carry a huge amount of grammatical weight.
Examples in context
- I hele au ma ka panakō.I went to the bank.Tatoeba #3154911 by Objectivesea, translation #3154910 by CK
- Makemake au e hele i Kioko.I want to go to Kyoto.Tatoeba #3084149 by Objectivesea, translation #378543 by saeb
- Makemake au e hele i ʻAukekulelia me koʻu ʻohana.I want to go to Australia with my family.Tatoeba #3084167 by Objectivesea, translation #498452 by adjusting
- E heleTo go
- I ka haleTo the house
- I ke kulaTo the school
- E hoʻolohe maiTo listen (to the speaker)
- Komo maiTo enter (towards the speaker's location)
Example conversation
Ikaika and Kiana are discussing their plans for the day.
- IkaikaHele mākou i ka puʻu.Let's go to the hill.
- KianaHele mākou i ka moana.Let's go to the ocean.
- IkaikaHele mākou i ka moana i kēia lā.Let's go to the ocean today.
- KianaʻAe, hele mākou!Yes, let's go!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “to” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
