he mea iki
In Hawaiian, 'you're welcome' can be expressed as he mea iki or he mea ʻole.
Meaning: reply to thanks (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian |
|---|
| he mea iki |
| he mea ʻole |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase he mea iki literally translates to 'it is a small thing', while he mea ʻole literally translates to 'it is nothing'.
Which one should you use?
While both phrases mean 'you're welcome', he mea iki is more akin to saying 'it's a small matter' and he mea ʻole is more akin to saying 'it's nothing'.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian culture, the spirit of aloha often makes a verbal 'you're welcome' unnecessary, as the act of helping is seen as a natural extension of kinship.
- Hawaiian is a member of the Austronesian language family, meaning the root of the word mea can be traced back thousands of years to Proto-Malayo-Polynesian.
- The word mea is a cognate with the Māori word mea and the Tongan word meʻa, all of which refer to a 'thing' or 'matter'.
Examples in context
- He mea iki.You're welcome.
- He mea iki wale nō.It was nothing at all.
- He mea iki kēia.This is a small thing.
Example conversation
Noelani helps Ikaika carry a heavy box.
- NoelaniEia ka pōpō.Here is the box.
- IkaikaMahalo nui, Noelani.Thank you very much, Noelani.
- NoelaniHe mea iki, Ikaika.You're welcome, Ikaika.
- IkaikaKūpono nō ʻoe.You are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you're welcome” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
