The Hawaiian Islands are unique in more ways than anyone can count – and that includes our language, vocabulary, and local diction. While most people from Hawaii don’t have an accent, per se, there are a variety of words and phrases from the Hawaiian language that are still frequently used today, and that might leave visitors a little confused, to say the least. You might just be a local if you understand these 15 common Hawaii words.

1. Aloha. While ‘Aloha’ means hello and goodbye, it also is the embodiment of the Hawaiian lifestyle and spirit, conveying feelings of love, kindness, and anything good.
Kim/Flickr
2. Mahalo = Thank you.
Michael J/Flickr
3 & 4. Mauka and Makai. Forget directions like east and west, Hawaiians use the words mauka, meaning towards the mountain, and makai, meaning towards the ocean.
Ed Suominen/Flickr
5. Vog is the volcanic smog that periodically wafts from the active Kilauea volcano on the Big Islan. It can be a huge allergy problem for many.
Kundalini/Flickr
6. A Honu is a Hawaiian green sea turtle, and if you haven't had the pleasure of swimming with these creatures in the Pacific, you're missing out.
Steve Jurvetson
7. “Ohana means family. And family means no body gets left behind,” Lilo & Stitch, but also an accurate description of ohana in Hawaii.
Joe Penniston/Flickr
8. Keiki is the Hawaiian word for children.
Lance Shields/Flickr

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9. We don’t call them flip-flops in Hawaii. They are slippers or even better, slippahs.
Rosa Say/Flickr
10. Haole. Though this word used to be used to describe any foreigner, it is now typically used to describe white people. It can be seen as derogatory, but not always.
Bombtwinz/Flickr
11. Kama’aina translates to “child of the land,” but generally refers to Hawaii locals.
Nils Merker/Flickr
12. Ono Grinds: quite literally, “delicious food.”
Calamity_Sal/Flickr
13. Speaking of delicious, a malasada is a Portuguese donut, and everybody should love them.
Joy/Flickr
14. It is not a balcony or patio, it is a lanai.
Steve Isaacs/Flickr
15. A shaka is a hand gesture that embodies the aloha spirit. You will see this most commonly while driving, though it is also frequently seen in posed photos taken anywhere in Hawaii.
Kanaka Menehune/Flickr

I couldn’t possibly include all the common Hawaii words in this post, so tell us, what other Hawaiian words are only understood by locals? What would you add to this list? Sound off in the comments, then click here to discover 8 Things You Might Not Have Known About The Hawaiian Language.

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The Language Of Hawaii

Megan Shute | January 11, 2021

Is the Hawaiian language still spoken?

Though Hawaii is the only American state with two official languages — Hawaiian and English — the language is classified as critically endangered by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). From the 1830s to the 1950s, the number of native Hawaiian speakers gradually decreased and at one point, it was illegal to use the Hawaiian language in education and government. Since the 1950s, however, there has been a gradual increase in attention to and promotion of the language and we hope that someday soon, the language is no longer considered endangered.

What does the Hawaiian alphabet look like?

The Hawaiian alphabet consists of just 13 letters, half of the English alphabet, including five vowels — a, e, i, o, and u — and eight consonants — h, k, l, m, n, p, w, and the glottal stop, called an ‘okina. All Hawaiian words end in a vowel and consonants are always followed by a vowel.

What is Pidgin?

Today, many Hawaiian locals prefer to speak an English-Hawaiian hybrid language known as a Pidgin dialect when it comes to daily life. Not unlike slang used in American English, linguists agree that Hawaiian Pidgin features enough distinctions from its parent languages to be considered a unique form of speaking all its own.

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