Hawaiian Numbers
Although most books start of with actual numbers, I prefer to learn the 'root' of the numbers, that way you learn both numbers and days of the week at the same time. This way you add the prefix for a number (ʻe) or a day (pōʻa) to the root and have two words learned for the price of one! For example, the root of one is kahi, the number is ʻekahi and Monday is pōʻakahi.
A note on the use of the kahakō in the spelling of the days of the week. Aha Punana Leo wrote : Aloha. I'm not sure when, but both textbooks "Nā Kai ʻEwalu" and "ʻōlelo ʻōiwi" do not use the kahakō for Pō in the spelling of the days of the week. In fact, it is not usually pronounced with the long ō sound, even though the derivation of the word is from the word pō. However, some speakers still prefer to write the days of the week with the kahakō in Pō, and that is fine as well.
| English | Root | Number | Day of week |
| one | kahi | ʻekahi | pōʻakahi (pō = night. Literally night 1) |
| two | lua | ʻelua | pōʻalua |
| three | kolu | ʻekolu | pōʻakolu |
| four | hā | ʻehā | pōʻahā |
| five | lima | ʻelima | pōʻalima |
| six | ono | ʻeono | pōʻaono |
| seven | hiku | ʻehiku | lā pule (lā =day, pule=prayer) |
| eight | walu | ʻewalu | |
| nine | iwa | ʻeiwa | |
| ten | umi | ʻumi | |
| eleven | ʻumikūmākahi | (literally 10 and 1) | |
| twelve | ʻumikūmālua | ||
| 13-19 | as above, 10+? | ||
| 20 | iwakālua | ||
| 21 | iwakāluakūmākahi (20 and 1) | ||
| 22-29 | as above 20 and ? | ||
| 30 | kanakolu | ||
| 40 | kanahā | ||
| 50-90 | As above. |
More useful words based on numbers
| Hawaiian | English |
|---|---|
| Hapalua | Half (also Half Hour) |
| Hapahā | Quarter |