ʻEhia ka hola?
In Hawaiian, "what time is it?" is translated as ʻEhia ka hola?
ʻEhia ka hola? is a question used to ask for the current time of day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ʻehia (how much), ka (the) and hola (hour).
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the word ʻehia is used to ask "how much" or "how many", serving as the interrogative for the amount of time.
Did you know?
- The word hola has a double meaning, as it can refer to both an 'hour' and the physical act of spreading out a mat.
- Traditional Hawaiian culture tracked time through biological markers like the blooming of specific plants rather than using a clock.
- The word hola in ʻEhia ka hola? is a loanword adapted from the English 'hour'.
Examples in context
- ʻEhia ka hola?What time is it?
- E ʻoluʻolu, ʻehia ka hola?Please, what time is it?
Example conversation
Malia and Keanu are waiting for a bus.
- MaliaKeanu, ʻehia ka hola?Keanu, what time is it?
- KeanuʻO ka hola ʻumiIt is ten o'clock.
- MaliaHe hola kikoʻikoThat is a late hour.
- KeanuʻAe, e hele mai ka pūʻaiYes, the bus is coming.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, ka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
