he aha kāu e hana nei?
The English phrase "what are you doing?" is translated into Hawaiian as he aha kāu e hana nei?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about the activity they are performing at the present moment.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "what is your [thing] doing now?", where kāu refers to "your" and nei indicates the present moment.
How does it change in a sentence?
Replacing the particle nei with ana changes the focus from an action happening right at this instant to a more general continuous action, resulting in he aha kāu e hana ana?
Did you know?
- The word hana can mean both 'work' and 'to do' but it also refers to 'heat' or 'warmth' in some contexts.
- The word hana belongs to a group of words that changed from an 's' sound to an 'h' sound in the evolution of the Hawaiian language.
- The word hana can also refer to 'to build' or 'to make' in many Polynesian languages, meaning the question 'what are you doing?' can sometimes overlap with 'what are you making?'
Examples in context
- Eia, he aha kāu e hana nei?Hey, what are you doing?
Example conversation
Leilani finds Keanu in the kitchen.
- LeilaniKeanu, he aha kāu e hana nei?Keanu, what are you doing?
- KeanuKelekehele ana au i ka pāpala.I am folding the paper.
- LeilaniHe nani kēlā!That is beautiful!
- KeanuMahalo, Leilani.Thank you, Leilani.
