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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.

Hawaiian Tenses

Present

Just use the action word. (Also known as the verb in English)

Hana ʻoe. You work.
Hana au i ka hale. I work at home.

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Future

To indicate that an action will take place in the future, wrap the 'action' word in e....ana, and then indicate who is doing the action.

E noho ana kākou. We are all going to sit.
E holoholo ana kākou. We are all going for a ride.

E ʻōlelo ana ke kanaka. The person will speak.
E holo ana ke kanaka. The person will run.

E pololei ana ka ʻōlelo. The word will be correct.
E pololei ana nā ʻōlelo. The words will be correct.

E hiamoe ana ka pēpe i ka mokulele. The baby will sleep on the airplane.
E himeni ana ʻo Pua. Pua is going to sing.

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Past

Replace the e....ana with ua before the action word

Ua hele ke kanaka. The person went.
Ua holo ka moku. The ship sailed.
Ua lawe aku ke kuene i ka ʻōpala. The waiter/waitress took away the garbage.
Ua hana au i ka hale. I worked at home.
Ua hana ʻoe. You worked.

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Action words. AKA Verbs.

ʻ  |   A  |   E  |   H  |   I  |   K  |   L  |   M  |   N  |   O  |   P  |   U  |   W

-ʻ-

ʻau= To swim. ʻauʻau= To bathe.
ʻŌlelo = To speak. E ʻōlelo ana ke kanaka. The person will speak.
ʻai = To eat.
ʻae = To agree, (yes).
ʻaihue = To steal.
ʻakaʻaka = To laugh.
ʻĀ = To burn.
ʻOno = To crave.

-A-

Ala = To wake up from sleep.
Alakaʻi= To lead (kaʻi = a noun anouncer/leader).
Aʻo = To teach / learn.

-H-

Hana = To work. Hana ʻoe. You work.
Heʻenalu = To surf.
Hele = To walk, go somewhere.
Helu = To count.
Heluhelu = To read.
Hiamoe = To sleep. E hiamoe ana ka pēpe i ka mokulele. The baby will sleep on the airplane.
Hiki = To arrive.
Himeni = To sing. E himeni ana ʻo Pua. Pua is going to sing.
Hoʻoholo = To decide (to do something)
Holo = To run. E holo ana ke kanaka. The person will run.
Holoholo = To travel about, go out (for fun).
Holoi = To wash, erase.
Holomua = To progress.
Honi = To kiss, smell.
Hōʻike = To show, teach.
Hoʻoholo = To decide (to do something)
Hoʻolohe = To to listen.
Hoʻomaka = To start, begin.
Huikala = To forgive.
Huli = To look for.
Humuhumu = To sew, stitch.

-I-

Ihi = To strip, peel bark or fruit.
Iʻke = To see, know.
Inu = To drink. (Inu lama = To drink alcohol).

-K-

Kalaiwa = To drive.
Kiʻi = To fetch something.
Kālai = To carve, cut, hew. (Nā kālai waʻa o Kauaʻi. = The canoe builders of Kauaʻi.
Kali = To wait.
Kani = To sound, make a sound.
Kaua = To fight.
Kipa = To visit.
Kiki = To spout (water from a hose) Eg: Waikiki = Spouting water.
Kiʻi = To fetch something.
Komo = To enter.
Kono = To invite.
Kūʻai = To shop (he hale Kūʻai = To a shop).
Kūʻai aku = To sell (literally "to shop away").
Kūʻai mai = To buy (literally "to shop towards").
Kū = To stand.
Kākau = To write.
Kōkua = To help.
Kū = To soak.
Kūkulu = To build

-L-

Lawe aku = To take.
Lawe mai = To bring.
Lele = To jump, fly.
Lohe = To hear.
Luʻu kai = To dive in the sea

-M-

Makemake = To wish for something, desire, want.
Mamake = Colloquial version of makemake.
Mālama = To take care of something.
Moe = To sleep, lie down, recline.

-N-

Napoʻo = To sink down, setting of sun.(Ka Napo‘o Ana o Ka Lā = Sunset)
Noho = To go, sit, stay. E noho ana kākou. We are all going to sit.

-O-

Ola = To live.

-P-

Pani = To close.
Poʻi = To break (as a wave).
Poke = To cut in small pieces, dice.
Pono = To must.

-U-

Uā = To cry.
Ui = To ask, question.
Ulu = To grow (as a plant grows).

-W-

Wehe = To open, remove, take off.
Walaʻau= To talk.

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