More Hawaiian Pidgin Slang Words and Phrases ‘Ohana (OH-hah-nah) – ‘Ohana means family and like most cultures plays a major role in Hawaiian life so you’ll likely hear this Hawaii Pidgin Phrase! Kapu (KAH-poo) – Forbidden, taboo, keep out.
Kahuna (kah-HOO-nah) – A priest or expert. Howzit – A greeting, equivalent to “How are you?” or “How is it going?” Someone of mixed racial or ethnic heritage, especially involving Asian or Pacific Islander heritage. Hapa (HAH-pah) – Part, half (for example, hapa haole). Modern meaning: Caucasian (not deragatory). Haole (HOW-leh) – Traditional meaning: Foreigner. A casual, friendly way of addressing a male: Eh, brah - you wanna go surf?ĭa kine – A catch-all phrase that is often used to fill in a mental blank when talking, similar to “whatchamacallit”: Let’s go to da kine place we grind at last week. You’ll here these words daily and will understand a lot more if you know these words!Īloha – Absolutely the most popular Hawaiian word that any foreigner is bound to have heard before! It means both hello AND goodbye.īrah – Short for braddah or bruddah (“brother”).
This is a short list of those words that are a MUST-HAVE if you are planning to visit or move to Hawaii. In this post, we’ll go highlight the most useful Hawaiian Pidgin Slang words and phrases so when you arrive you’re fully prepared to meet some kanaka’s (kah-NAH-kah) or Hawaiian People and jump right into Hawaiian culture.
Are you planning a visit to Hawaii, or are you just interested in learning about the local culture? Either way, understanding Hawaii Pidgin Slang can be helpful.