ʻōhiʻa haole
The Hawaiian word for tomato is ʻōhiʻa haole. Wiktionary also lists ʻōhiʻa lomi and komako.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian |
|---|
| ʻōhiʻa haole |
| ʻōhiʻa lomi |
| komako |
The term refers to the tomato fruit. While ʻōhiʻa haole is the standard way to name the vegetable, the word komako serves as an alternative term for the same fruit.
Which one should you use?
ʻōhiʻa haole is the standard term for the tomato, whereas komako is an alternative way to say it.
Did you know?
- The word haole in ʻōhiʻa haole is usually used to describe foreigners or people of non-Hawaiian descent, effectively meaning 'foreign tomato'.
- A popular folk legend claims haole comes from hā meaning 'breath' and ʻole meaning 'not'. This refers to foreigners not knowing the honi greeting, which involves sharing breath through the nose.
- The name ʻōhiʻa haole likely refers to the plant as a 'foreign variety' of the native ʻōhiʻa tree, which is a different species entirely.
Examples in context
- ʻO ka ʻōhiʻa haole kēia.This is a tomato.
Example conversation
Malia and Koa are preparing a salad in the kitchen.
- MaliaAia ka ʻōhiʻa haole, e Koa.The tomato is there, Koa.
- KoaMahalo, Malia.Thank you, Malia.
- MaliaHiki iā ʻoe ke kōkua?Can you help?
- KoaʻAe, e huki mai ia.Yes, bring it here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tomato” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries haole, lomi, ʻōhiʻa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
