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The Hawaiian Alphabet

Unlike the English language with it's 26 letters, the Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 letters. (5 vowels and 8 consonants)

5 vowels, A E I O U

In addition the vowels can be long or short. The addition of the Kahakō (called a macron in other languages) causes the vowel sound to be drawn out/longer and stressed.
Vowels with their kahakō:

Ā   ā   Ē   ē   Ī   ī   Ō   ō   Ū   ū

8 consonants, H K L M N P W and the ʻokina. (ʻ)

The ʻokina, also called a 'glottal stop' is considered a consonant in it's own right, and causes a slight pause in the word, sounding similar to the pause in the English 'oh-oh'.

A popular example of how an ʻokina and a kahakō can change the meaning of a word is "pau":

• pau = finished, ended, all done
• paʻu = soot, smudge, ink powder
• paʻū = moist, damp
• pāʻū = skirt

(The letters of the Hawaiian alphabet were established in 1826 by a committee of missionaries who used letters to represent the sounds as they heard them. Thus the letters R, T and V were dropped and replaced by L,K and W. However T is still used in some words, such as Tūtū, and W is often pronounced V, depending on the accompanying words to 'sound best'.)

Hawaiian Natural Order
The natural order in Hawaiian, as in the Māmaka Kaiao, is this:

1. A, Ā (i.e. A comes before Ā which comes before E, etc.)
2. E, Ē
3. I, Ī
4. O,Ō
5. U, Ū
6. H, K, L, M, N, P, W
7. ‘ (‘okina)
8. Non-Hawaiian letters in roman-alphabet order.

A brief introduction to using the definite article 'the' in the Hawaiian language.

To use  Ke or to use  Ka? That is the question.  Ke ao, (the cloud) contains all 4 word start letters which require the word announcer Ke before them,  all other start letters require Ka. (As one might expect there are a few exceptions to this rule!)

NB. Ke and ka are known as Kaʻi. In Hawaiʻian a noun can not exist on it's own, and a Kaʻi such as Ke or Ka is needed to proceed the noun, literally saying 'here comes a noun'.

NB: Some of the rare exceptions to the 'Ke ao' rule:

Ke kūʻēlula (exceptions to the rule, (kūʻē means to defy, and lula means rule))

• Ke ʻakoʻakoʻa (Coral, coral head)
• Ke ʻa Lava (Rock) BUT Ka ʻa Fire, fiery)
• Ke ʻaki (top, tip, height) BUT Ka ʻaki (A fastening to ones hair to make a knot or braid)
• Keʻie (woven basket)
• Ke pākaukau (Table, Desk, Counter)
• Ke pailaka (Pilot)
• Ke penikala (Pencil)
• Ke ʻeke (Bag)
• Ke pahūpahū (Firecracker)
• Ke pā (Plate) Ka pā (Yard, fence)
• Ke pā ʻoma (Baking pan)
• Ke pā pahiolo (Saw blade)
• Ke pā pālahalaha (Platter)
• Ke pā palai (Frying pan)
• Ke pane (Rear part of the head, top or summit as of a mountain)
• Ke pili (Roof covering of grass, thatch) BUT Ka pili (A relative or close relation, thing belonging to)
• Ke ʻoki (Cut)
• Ke ʻō (Fork)
• Ke poʻo (Head)
• Ke pola (Bowl) BUT Ka pola (the flap of a malo (loincloth))
• Ke puna (Spoon)
• Ke mele (Song)
• Ke hoa (Friend)
• Ke CD (Compact Disk, pronounced sēdē )
• Ke pihi (Button, key on keyboard)
• ke pihipoho (Locket)
• ke pihi laka (Caps key)
• ke pihi hoʻoholo (Control key)
• ke pihi kāhoʻi (Return key)
• ke pihi kake (Shift key)
• ke pihi hoʻokōā (Space bar)
• ke pani (Lid, cap, (as of toothpaste tube etc))
• ke pani paipu laweʻino (Manhole/sewer cover)
• ke poho (Chalk)
• ke paʻi (Shot, as in photography, print from a computer) Ka paʻi (Bundle, package, especially of food)
• ke paʻi kokoke loa (Very close-up shot, (as in photography))
• ke paʻi kokoke (Close-up shot, (as in photography))
• ke paʻi lōpō (medium range shot, (as in photography))
• ke paʻi laulā (wide range shot, (as in photography))

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Singular or plural?

Unlike English where most nouns can be made plural, usually by simply adding an s. Eg: Singular: The car. Plural - the cars, in Hawaiian there is no plural version of a noun, (A few exceptions do exist, see below) so to indicate plural we change the ke or ka to nā no matter what letter the noun starts with.Nā is another example of a Kaʻi.

Eg: Singular: Ke Kāne - the man. Plural: Nā Kāne - the men.
Singular: Ka Pali - the cliff. Plural: Nā Pali - the cliffs.

In addition, although Nā normally means "the" for plural objects, Mau is used with the following group of words to make objects plural: - kēia / kēnā / kēlā ("this / that") - ko'u, kou, kona. For example: Maika'i kona mau hale.His houses are good.

 

Plural Exceptions

Note that these exceptions all relate to highly 'personal' words.

Hawaiian	English
Makua	Parent
Mākua	Parents
Kanaka	Person, human
Kanāka	Persons, humans
kahiko	Old person
kāhiko	Old people
ʻelemakule	Old man
ʻelemākule	Old men
kaikamahine	Girl, daughter
kaikamāhine	Girls, daughters
kupuna	Grandparent
kūpuna	Grandparents
wahine	Woman
wāhine	Women
luahine	Old woman
luāhine	Old women
akua	Family God
ʻaumākua	Family Gods
kahuna	Priest, sorcerer, expert
kāhuna	Priests, sorcerers, experts

 

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To indicate being an individual part of a group, the word kekahi is used. To indicate a larger number, mau is also added.

Examples

• Kekahi pipi (one of the cows)
• Kekahi mau pipi (some of the cows)

The English A or An (the indefinite article).

Both the English A or An are translated as he as in he kāne - a man. He is another example of a Kaʻi.

The English link word And.

There are 3 ways in ka ʻōlelo Hawai'i to link parts of sentences where we would use 'and' in English. When linking verbs and adjectives, use 'a', for nouns use ʻa me or just 'me'. A me and me are pretty much used interchangeably, me meaning more like "with" but basically has the same meaning.
Eg: "Makemake au i ka 'āpala a me ka hala kahiki, ka niu, me ka pī'ai."
It seems you use a when you've already said a me and it would be redundant to say it again.

As with so many things there are exceptions. I'm told that a can be used to connect two nouns if it's followed by 'o or i. Thus: "Hele 'o Māmā a 'o Pāpā i O'ahu a i Hawai'i."

Mahalo nui to Becka for this advice! ;-)

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