How to Say “Welcome to Hawaii” in Hawaiian

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E komo mai i Hawaiʻi
The English phrase "welcome to hawaii" is translated into Hawaiian as E komo mai i Hawaiʻi.
This phrase is used to welcome someone who has just arrived in the islands. While the full phrase specifies the location, you can also use the shortened version E komo mai as a general welcome to express that someone is welcome without specifying a place.

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, the phrase means "Come in to Hawaii". The word komo means to enter, and mai is a particle that indicates the direction is toward the speaker. The word i functions as a preposition meaning "to" or "at" when placed before a location like Hawaiʻi.

How does it change in a sentence?

The word i acts as a preposition meaning "to" or "at" when used before a place name like Hawaiʻi.

Did you know?

  • The name Hawaiʻi descends from the Proto-Nuclear Polynesian word Sawaiki, which historically referred to a mythical or ancestral homeland.
  • While E komo mai is the standard welcome, it is often accompanied by a lei of flowers placed around the neck of the visitor.

Examples in context

  • E komo mai i Hawaiʻi.
    Welcome to Hawaii.
  • E komo mai i Hawaiʻi, e ka hoa.
    Welcome to Hawaii, friend.

Example conversation

Ikaika meets Malia at the airport.

  1. Ikaika

    E komo mai i Hawaiʻi, Malia!
    Welcome to Hawaii, Malia!
  2. Malia

    Mahalo, Ikaika.
    Thank you, Ikaika.
  3. Ikaika

    Pehea kou huakaʻi?
    How was your trip?
  4. Malia

    Maikaʻi loa.
    Very good.

Sources

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Donna Vivian
Donna VivianHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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