The

Language of Hawai‘i

The two official languages of Hawai‘i are‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language) and English. The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian dialect with only 13 letters in its alphabet: A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, U, W and the ‘okina (‘). The ‘okina is a glottal stop, like the sound between the ohs in oh-oh and is a consonant. The ‘okina and kahakō ( ¯ ), or macron, change the pronunciation and meaning of a word. The Hawaiian language has 18 sounds: • a like a in above • ā like a in far • e like e in bet • ē like ay in pay • i like y in city • ī like ee in see • o like o in low • ō like o in sole • u like oo in hoot • ū like oo in moon

• Plus, he, ke, la, mu, nu, pi, we and w with a v sound. Some vowels are diphthongs, forming a single sound as in ai in Waimea. In general, the consonants are pronounced as in English with the exception of w. W can be either a v or w sound.

We’d recommend keeping the following in your word bank: aloha: a reciprocal greeting of affection; hello, good-bye and so much more kāne: man keiki: child kuleana: responsibility; privilege lei: a garland given for any occasion; traditionally flower, seed, shell, nut, feathers and various forms of foliage mahalo: thank you; respect mālama: to take care of; to protect; to preserve

‘ohana: family pau: finished wahine: woman

Kaua‘i’s Festivals

Join Residents and Visitors in Seasonal Celebrations of Kaua‘i’s Culture and Abundance.

You’ll have fun and learn how to take some of the Kaua‘i spirit home with you. From crafts to coconuts, Kaua‘i celebrations are colorful, entertaining and amusing for all ages. For a list of annual and ongoing events including farmers markets, community markets and other fun activities visit kauaifestivals.com