ʻanakala
The word for uncle in Hawaiian is ʻanakala or makua kāne.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian | IPA |
|---|---|
| ʻanakala | |
| makua kāne | /maˈku.a ˈkaː.ne/ |
Both terms refer to the brother or brother-in-law of someone's parent.
Which one should you use?
ʻanakala is a loanword from English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ʻanakala is used in informal or colloquial contexts.
Did you know?
- The root of makua can be traced back to Proto-Austronesian, meaning the word for 'parent' shares a common ancestor with languages spoken across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
- In Hawaiian, kinship terms like makua kāne often emphasize the role and responsibility of the person rather than just a biological link.
- In Hawaiian, the word makua kāne literally translates to 'male parent'.
Example sentences for Hawaiian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Malia and Kai are looking at old family photos.
- MaliaO wai kēia ʻanakala?Who is this uncle?
- KaiʻO ia ka ʻanakala o kāu makuahine.He is your mother's brother.
- MaliaHe hoa hana ia?Is he a coworker?
- KaiʻAʻole, he kahu ʻāina ʻo ia.No, he is a land steward.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries ʻanakala, makua kāne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kāne, makua, makua kāne, ʻanakala, CC BY-SA 4.0.
