ʻuhane
ʻuhane is the Hawaiian word for spirit, soul or ghost.
The term ʻuhane is used to refer to both the living essence or soul of a person and the spirit of a deceased person (a ghost).
Did you know?
- While ʻuhane usually refers to people, it is applied to land and artifacts to describe their unique 'living character' or spirit.
- In traditional Hawaiian thought, the ʻuhane can physically leave the body while a person sleeps to travel or gather information.
- The concept of ʻuhane is closely linked to mana, the spiritual energy that flows through all things, meaning a spirit's power depends on its remaining 'mana'.
Examples in context
- Hiki ke ʻike ʻia ka ʻuhane.The spirit can be seen.
- He ʻuhane maikaʻi kona.He has a good spirit.
- Ua ʻike ʻia ka ʻuhane ma ka pō.A ghost was seen in the night.
Example conversation
Two men are discussing a local legend.
- MaliaHe ʻuhane paha kēlā?Was that perhaps a ghost?
- KeanuʻAe, ua ʻike au iā ia.Yes, I saw it.
- MaliaHe ʻuhane pono paha ia.Maybe it is a good spirit.
- KeanuʻO ia paha, e Malia.Perhaps so, Malia.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ʻuhane, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
