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Say Hello in the Hawaiian Language

Hawai’i

A popular tourist attraction, Hawai’i is home to relaxing beaches, active volcanoes, and mountains – truly the best of all words.

It is the only state in the U.S. with two official languages – Hawaiian and English. While Hawaiian has been known to be severely endangered for the longest time, it has been reintroduced over the last few decades through Hawaiian immersion schools where children and adults alike can gain exposure to the lost language. According to a 2016 report by the state government, at least 18,000 people in Hawai’i speak both Hawaiian and English in their homes today.

So, if you’re looking to make a trip there, you could do your part to keep the language alive by familiarizing yourself with some commonly used Hawaiian greetings and phrases. To help, we answer a few common questions like:

• How do you say hi in Hawaii?
• How do you say hello in Hawaiian and introduce yourself?
• What are the Hawaiian words for “thank you” and “you’re welcome”?

English:	Hello	My name is
Hawaiian:	Aloha	‘O-(your name), ko’u inoa
Pronunciation:	Ah-loh-hah	OH-(your name), KOH-oo EE-noh-ah

While aloha literally means love, it is commonly how you say hello in Hawaiian. In fact, it’s quite popular as a greeting across the world as it expresses peace, respect, and compassion. And much like in most languages, there are variations of aloha to greet people at different times of the day:

• Aloha kakahiaka (pronounced a-loh-ha kah-kah-hee-yah-kah) – used to wish someone a good morning
• Aloha ‘auinalā (pronounced a-loh-ha ah-wee-na-lah) – used while wishing someone a good afternoon
• Aloha ahiahi (pronounced a-loh-ha a-hee-yah-hee) – used to say good evening

If you want to express gratitude, mahalo (pronounced mah-hah-loh) is the Hawaiian word for “thank you.” The response to mahalo would be ’a’ ole palikir (pronounced ah-oh-leh pee-lee-kee-yah), which means “you’re welcome.”

Did You Know You Were Speaking Hawaiian?

Words in English from the Hawaiian language:

lei	lānai
lū’au	hula
aloha	‘ukulele

Hawaiian Alphabet

Learn the basics of the Hawaiian Alphabet here:

• Hawaiian Alphabet

Learning Hawaiian

Get acquainted with the basics of the Hawaiian language here:

• Native Tongue Hawaiian Glossary
• Hawaiian Dictionary
• Your Name In Hawaiian

Hawaiian Culture

Learn more about the Hawaiian culture from these diverse sources:

• Celebrating the Birth of the Hula
• Inside the Curl: Surfing’s Surprising History
• Hawaiian Recipes

Who Can You Talk To?

There are around 2,000 people in Hawai’i and California in the United States of America who speak Hawaiian.

Now, you can say hello in Hawaiian to at least 2,000 people!*

*Source: Ethnologue: Hawaiian – (Register for free to access.)

Say Hello to the World was created by Lorri Mon.