E male paha kāua?
The phrase "will you marry me?" in Hawaiian is expressed as E male paha kāua?
This phrase is used as a direct question to propose marriage to another person.
What does it mean word for word?
The literal translation of E male paha kāua? is "Will we perhaps marry?", where kāua specifically refers to "you and I" in an inclusive sense.
Did you know?
- While male means 'marry' in this context, the same spelling in a different context can refer to a 'cough' in Proto-Polynesian history.
- The phrase uses the word paha, which literally means 'perhaps' or 'maybe', making the proposal sound somewhat softer or more tentative than the English 'will you'.
- Hawaiian distinguishes between 'we' meaning 'you and I' (kāua) and 'we' meaning 'everyone' (kākou).
Example conversation
Kai is proposing to Malia on a beach.
- MaliaMalia, e male paha kāua?Malia, will you marry me?
- KaiʻAe, e male au iā ʻoe!Yes, I will marry you!
- MaliaHauʻoli loa au!I am so happy!
- KaiHauʻoli nō auI am happy too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kāua, male, CC BY-SA 4.0.
