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Essential Hawaiian phrases
for travellers (printable)
how to say hello in hawaiian
Aloha — ah-LOH-hah — is how you say hello in Hawaiian. It works at any hour, anywhere the language is spoken, with anyone. Pair it with Mahalo (mah-HAH-loh) for thank you and you already have the two words you will use most.
Below are 36 phrases worth knowing before you land, grouped by the situation you will need them in. Every one has a plain-English respelling — stressed syllable in capitals; ʻ is a glottal stop, a real consonant — because IPA is no use to anyone standing at a pharmacy counter. Hawaiʻi, alongside English — an official state language with around 24,000 speakers after a revival from near-extinction in the 1980s. Also searched as Hawaii, Hawaiʻi.
take it with you
The whole card, on one page
All 36 phrases on a single sheet — print it, fold it into a passport, or keep it on your phone. Free, no signup, no watermark.
The essentials
The six words that carry most of a trip.
| English | Hawaiian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Alohaah-LOH-hahAlso goodbye, love, compassion. Aloha kakahiaka is good morning. |
| Goodbye | A hui houah HOO-ee hohLiterally "until we meet again". Aloha works too. |
| Please | E ʻoluʻolueh oh-loo-OH-loo |
| Thank you | Mahalomah-HAH-lohMahalo nui loa is thank you very much. |
| Yes / No | ʻAe / ʻAʻoleAH-eh / ah-OH-leh |
| Excuse me / Sorry | E kala maieh KAH-lah my |
Getting by
What to say when the conversation outruns you.
| English | Hawaiian |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | ʻŌlelo ʻoe i ka ʻōlelo Pelekania?OH-leh-loh oy ee kah OH-leh-loh peh-leh-KAH-nee-ahEveryone does. This is a courtesy, not a need. |
| I don't understand | ʻAʻole au maopopoah-OH-leh ow mow-POH-poh |
| Could you repeat that? | E ʻōlelo hou maieh OH-leh-loh hoh my |
| Please speak slowly | E ʻōlelo mālieeh OH-leh-loh MAH-lee-eh |
| My name is… | ʻO … koʻu inoaoh … KOH-oo ee-NOH-ah |
| Nice to meet you | Hauʻoli i ka hui ʻanahow-OH-lee ee kah HOO-ee AH-nah |
Getting around
Streets, stations and the one question everyone needs.
| English | Hawaiian |
|---|---|
| Where is…? | Aia i hea…?EYE-ah ee HEH-ah |
| How do I get to…? | Pehea e hele ai i…?peh-HEH-ah eh HEH-leh eye ee |
| Where is the toilet? | Aia i hea ka lua?EYE-ah ee HEH-ah kah LOO-ah |
| Left / Right | Hema / ʻĀkauHEH-mah / AH-kowLocals give directions as mauka (toward the mountains) and makai (toward the sea). |
| Straight ahead | Pololei i muapoh-loh-LAY ee MOO-ah |
| Is it far? | He mamao anei?heh mah-MAH-oh ah-NAY |
Food and drink
Ordering, allergies, and asking for the bill.
| English | Hawaiian |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | He pākaukau no ʻeluaheh PAH-kow-kow noh eh-LOO-ah |
| The menu, please | Ka papa kuhikuhikah PAH-pah KOO-hee-KOO-hee |
| I would like… | Makemake au i…mah-keh-MAH-keh ow ee |
| Water, please | He waiheh vyeWai is fresh water; kai is the sea. Hawaiʻi distinguishes them everywhere. |
| I am allergic to… | Hiki ʻole iaʻu ke ʻai i…HEE-kee OH-leh ee-AH-oo keh eye eeLiterally "I cannot eat…". Say allergies in English too — it matters more than courtesy. |
| The bill, please | Ka bila, e ʻoluʻolukah BEE-lah eh oh-loo-OH-loo |
Shopping and money
Prices, cards, and politely not buying anything.
| English | Hawaiian |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ʻEhia kālā?eh-HEE-ah KAH-lah |
| That's too expensive | Pipiʻi loapee-PEE-ee LOH-ah |
| Do you take cards? | Ua ʻae ʻoe i ke kāleka?oo-ah AH-eh oy ee keh KAH-leh-kah |
| I am just looking | Ke nānā wale nei aukeh NAH-nah VAH-leh nay ow |
| Do you have…? | He … kāu?heh … kow |
| A receipt, please | He palapala hōʻoiaheh pah-lah-PAH-lah hoh-OY-ah |
Emergencies
Worth reading once before you need them.
| English | Hawaiian |
|---|---|
| Help! | Kōkua!koh-KOO-ahYou will see this word on signs everywhere, meaning help or cooperation. |
| Call the police | E kāhea i nā mākaʻieh KAH-heh-ah ee nah mah-KAH-ee |
| Call an ambulance | E kāhea i ke kaʻa lapaʻaueh KAH-heh-ah ee keh KAH-ah lah-pah-OW |
| I need a doctor | Pono au i ke kaukaPOH-noh ow ee keh KOW-kah |
| I am lost | Ua nalowale auoo-ah nah-loh-VAH-leh ow |
| Where is the hospital? | Aia i hea ka haukapila?EYE-ah ee HEH-ah kah how-kah-PEE-lah |
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Four things that fix
most of the accent
The ʻokina is a letter, not an apostrophe
That mark is the glottal stop — the catch in the middle of "uh-oh". Hawaiʻi is "hah-VYE-ee", with a stop before the last syllable. Leaving it out changes words: kou (your) and koʻu (my) are not the same.
W often sounds like V
After i or e it is usually "v", after u or o usually "w", and after a it goes either way. This is why Hawaiʻi sounds like "hah-VYE-ee" to visitors expecting a w.
Thirteen letters, and every syllable ends in a vowel
Five vowels and eight consonants: h, k, l, m, n, p, w and the ʻokina. No consonant ever follows another, which is why long words break up so evenly.
The macron lengthens the vowel
The line over ā, ē, ī, ō, ū holds the sound longer, and it matters: kane is a kind of skin disease, kāne is a man.
Spotted a mistake in the Hawaiian? Tell us and we will fix it.
You will not remember
all 36
Nobody does. OmniTalk speaks Hawaiian for you in real time — point the camera at a menu, or put the phone between you and let it translate both sides of the conversation as you talk. It works offline once you download the language, so it keeps going when your roaming does not.