Learning Resources

Books and other Resources to learn Hawaiian.

Considering that it is estimated that only about 1% of the population of the Hawaiian Islands speak Hawaiian, it is perhaps surprising that there are many teach yourself Hawaiian books around, these range from the simple Visitor guides with just a few everyday words and phrases, to in depth instructional tutors and even a few audio CDs, many aimed at children and early learning.

Here, I list those I have bought over the years with, I hope, my helpful thoughts.

On your first visit you will probably buy a few of the Visitor guides.

Of these my first choice would be Jade Mapuana Riley's 'An easy guide to the Hawaiian Language'. At 64 pages it contains many useful words, and simple phrases, with pronunciation hints. Good value for $4.95

Another in a similar vein is Ray Helbig's 'Let's learn a little Hawaiian'. Unfortunately the author totally omits the kahako, and thus many of the words as printed have incorrect translations.  For example he consistently translates male/man as kane which actually means disease, the Hawaiian word for male/man is kāne with the kahako. For this reason alone I find the book hard to recommend, although at $3.95 I guess you get what you pay for!

You may find Scotty Guletz's 'Speak Hawaiian at a 2nd hand store, as the author says 'Please remember, this booklet was printed to give you a few laughs along with your Hawaiian education. What may seem a bit improper in English may not be so in Hawaiian!'  Published some time (20+) years ago, the cover price was 25 cents, I paid 10 for mine. Nothing so rude you wouldn't want your children to read it, but a few few phrases raise a smile!

Once you have grappled with a few words, and before you start amassing a vocabulary, you should consider getting at least one book & CD to listen to so that you correct your pronunciation before you perfect the wrong way of saying things. I know that when I finally got hold of one I was horrified that that I had perfected totally wrong pronunciations of most of the words I had learned, it is harder to 're-educate your brain' than to get it right the first time.

Here are a few of the book/CD combos I can recommend.

'The Hawaiian Word Book'  Illustrated by Robin Yoko Burningham, when this book was first published in 1983 by Bess Press it had a cassette tape, in 2004 this changed to a CD. It simply contains a drawing on each page with a few words relating to the scene, the audio track speaks the word(s) out loud. A simple idea, but a must to get your pronunciation started.  Pub: Bess Press Inc. Honolulu. HI.

'A day in the life at Tūtū and me'.  (E kuʻu Tūtū. Ua ao.) A Hawaiian language and resource book/CD set.
This book and 2 CD set was developed by by Partners in Development Foundation's Tūtū and me Traveling Preschool Program.  The 36 page book accompanies over 2 hours of spoken language lessons on the CDs, consisting of 7 lessons portraying a day in the life of a child attending preschool. Also included are sing along songs.  Great for anyone in your ōhana (family).  $21.95

'Learn Hawaiian at Home'. By Kahikāhealani Wight. This book and 2 CD set for adults is a substantial first grammar and vocabulary builder.  Hawaiian word order is not the same as English and each chapter builds slowly on the way Hawaiians construct their sentences, introducing new vocabulary and the way the words are used. Each chapter ends with a dialog about one of the Hawaiian Islands, and a song.  Pub: Bess Press. Honolulu.HI.  1992/2005. $25.95  Recommended as your first serious introduction to the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. (Language of Hawaiʻi)

Finally, Hawaiian Instant Immersion. From Topics Entertainment, this is a comprehensive 8 CD set, containing nearly 8 hours of lessons in the Hawaiian Language. Written by Kaliko Beamer-Trapp, the publishers insisted that the course would only be audio with no written text, since their feeling was that listeners would learn as children do: By listening and repeating.  Kaliko did however make a set of .PDF files to accompany the CDs, and has made the available for free from his own site, which you can download from:  oleloonline.com

Once you decide to invest your time and effort in learning Hawaiian seriously, you need these CDs and Kaliko's PDFs.  BTW, at oleoonloine you will also find many lessons on the Hawaiian language, and for a very modest sum you can subscribe to a downloadable archive of dozens of video lessons.

Dictionaries.

The 'Illustrated Hawaiian Dictionary'. By Kahikāhealani Wight, Illustrated by Robin Yoko Racoma. With some hints on grammar, this dictionary has over 5,000 entries in Hawaiian and English, including over 1,000 examples of sentences in both Hawaiian and English. Pub: Bess Press, Honolulu, HI.

The 'Hawaiian Dictionary'. By Mark Kawena Pukui, and Samuel H. Elbert. Pub: University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI.

'Māmaka Kaiao (A Modern Hawaiian Vocabulary)'. While most Hawaiian based learning materials contains words that date to the first Christian Missionary's arrival, between 1987 and 2000 the Hawaiian Lexicon Committee has added a significant number of new, up to date, words relating to the modern world. If you want to be able to talk about computers, keyboards and even centrifugal force, this dictionary has the words you'll need! Pub: University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI.

'Place names of Hawaii'. By Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert, Esther T Mookini.  Some 4,000 place names from the islands, with location and description of how the name came to be.  Pub: University of Hawaii Press.

'The Hawaiian Name Book'. By Patrick Kaanoi and Robert Lokomaikaiokalani Snakenberg. In 1860, Kamehameha IV ordered that a Christian name be given to all children born in Hawaiʻi. The result was a many 'Hawaiianized' forms of Christian first names, often also used as Surnames.
The law remained in effect until 1967. This book lists many of these names, with a description of their origins, and the general 'way' that these names came about. Pub: Bess Press. Honolulu.HI.1988.

'Rainforest Puʻuhonua'. By Kahikāhealani Wight. A personal memoir 'that reads like a diary' with some spectacular colour plates of a life lived in Volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Kahikāhealani Wight is also the author of 'Learn Hawaiian at Home', the 'Illustrated Hawaiian Dictionary', and the 'Hawaiian Word-A-Day Calendar'. I enjoyed this book more than anything I have read this year. Pub: 2015, Ka Honu Press, Distributed by Bess Press. $24.95.

Dual language books.
English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi

Over the years I’ve found quite a few Dual Language English/Hawaiian books, mostly for children, most recent is Fishing day with Papa Ray, a book from a Kauaʻi born author Moana Adams. She was born in the Wailua Homesteads and while a childrens book with illustrations and text in both English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, it has a substantive story and vocabulary. My understanding is that for every book purchased, one is given to a school on the islands. It is also available to download as a .pdf.

Fishing day with Papa Ray. Written by Moana McAdams, Illustrated by Shiela Alejandro, Translated by Kamakaleihiwa Purdy-Avelino . Available from the author’s site moanamcadams.com

The next book in the series, 'Adventures of Nakoa and Nohea: Shadows of the Ancient' is also now available. Adventures of Nakoa and Nohea: Shadows of the Ancient

ʻAha Pūnana Leo Centers developed a series of dual language books for use in pre-school total immersion classes, the translations are in English, German and French in the back of each book. Some of these also have audio cassettes with them, no longer available but I have found a few on eBay.

Books in this series that I have are:
(*) indicates I have the 2 sides of the audio cassette as a pair of .wav files.

.WAV files from cassettes

Play E Hoʻopili Mai! - Side 1.wav
Play E Hoʻopili Mai! - Side 2.wav

Play He Mau Hana Kaʻu E Hana Ai - Side 1.wav
Play He Mau Hana Kaʻu E Hana Ai - Side 2.wav

Play Nā Koko O Kēia Keiki Hawaiʻi - Side 1.wav
Play Nā Koko O Kēia Keiki Hawaiʻi - Side 2.wav

Play Ka Holo Kaʻa me Tūtū - Side 1.wav
Play Ka Holo Kaʻa me Tūtū - Side 2.wav

Play Ka Nohona Kuaʻāina - Side 1.wav
Play Ka Nohona Kuaʻāina - Side 2.wav

In 2008 the Kauaʻi Forest bird recovery project, based in Hanapepe published a book on the the rare birds of Aalakaʻi and Kokeʻe, again with ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and English. Kauaiforestbirds.org
He mo ʻōlelo pōkole no ke Keiki Laeʻula a me nā Manu Lahaʻole ma Alakaʻi, Kōkeʻe, Kauaʻi. ISBN 9781986677677

A pair of extensive hardback books, from Honolulu based WCIT Architecture, one in English, the other in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, telling the story of ʻAʻama nui, Guardian Warrior chief of Lalakea. moostudio.com

Finally, Bess Press are publishing a variety of bilingual books, too many to list. They can be found at: besspress.com

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