ʻohana kākou
/ʔoˈha.na kaːˈkou̯/word by word
The English phrase "we are family" is translated into Hawaiian as ʻohana kākou.
The phrase ʻohana kākou is used to emphasize a sense of unity, shared identity or communal belonging among a group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
ʻohana means family and kākou is the inclusive "we" (including the speaker, the listener and others).
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun kākou is used specifically when the speaker is part of the group and the listeners are also part of the group.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /ʔoˈha.na kaːˈkou̯/.
Did you know?
- The word ʻohana can be seen as a description of how a taro plant grows, specifically referring to a corm growing from an older root.
- While kākou is inclusive, Hawaiian has a separate word kāua for 'we' when only two people are involved. Using kākou when speaking to only one other person would be a grammatical error.
- In Hawaiian culture, ʻohana extends far beyond blood relatives to include adopted members and close friends. This makes the phrase ʻohana kākou applicable to chosen families and community bonds.
Examples in context
- ʻOhana kākou.We are family.
- He ʻohana kākou ma kēia hale.We are family in this house.
Example conversation
Kai and Malia are gathering with their relatives for a meal.
- KaiHiki mai, ʻohana kākou.Come here, we are family.
- MaliaʻAe, ʻohana kākou.Yes, we are family.
- KaiE ai kākou.Let us eat.
- MaliaMaikaĥ!Wonderful!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ʻohana, kākou) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kākou, ʻohana, CC BY-SA 4.0.
