HAWAIIAN GOODNESS
Even for the Mainlander
Duolingo Category #4: Polite Expressions
For the "Polite Expressions" category, there is a [very small] Tips section. Take a peek at that, and/or my explanation below.
Lessons Taught
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Vocab
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Vocab Explanation
Vocabulary
- Auē! = Oh!
- E kala mai (ia'u) = Sorry, Forgive me, Excuse me, Pardon me
- Huiʻana / Hui ʻana = Meeting, gathering
- Mahalo ka/kēia hui ʻana = I appreciate our meeting / Good seeing you
- Akua = God
- Iesū = Jesus
- Ke Akua pū = God be with you
- Iesū pū = Jesus be with you
This Duolingo category is rather small, as the focus is on the few listed expressions. I'll list and explain them more thoroughly below!
Vocabulary Explanation
Auē! = Oh!
E kala mai (ia'u) = Sorry, Forgive me, Excuse me, Pardon me
Huiʻana / Hui ʻana = Meeting, gathering
Mahalo ka/kēia hui ʻana = I appreciate our meeting / Good seeing you
→ Can be a positive or negative interjection
→ VERY common, on Duolingo and in spoken Hawaiian
→ Used to apologize in general, including when you accidentally bump into someone
→ Literally: "Forgive me" - recognize that " E "? How is it functioning in this phrase? If you're not sure, revisit the explanation here.
→ Can be one or two words
(pronounced the same); Duolingo prefers the latter
→ This means "meeting" as in a get-together, NOT as a workplace appointment
→ Literally: "Thank you for the/this meeting"
→ Which word means "the," and which means "this" in the literal translation of this phrase? Why do we use "ka" instead of "ke"? If you're not sure, revisit the explanation here.
* This one proves to be frustrating, since these are not literal translations, so watch out when practicing on Duolingo!
* Not tested on Duolingo beyond this category.
These phrases are not tested on Duolingo after this category.
Akua = God
Iesū = Jesus
Ke Akua pū = God be with you
Iesū pū = Jesus be with you
→ Christian or otherwise
→ Uppercase "i," NOT lower case "L"
→ Used when leaving, not greeting
→ "Pū" means "together," so this is wishing that God be "together" (implied, "with you")
→ Used when leaving, not greeting
Auē! E kala mai!
Ke Akua pū / Iesū pū
Several people in the Duolingo comments sections have complained about the specific religious affiliation of these two phrases. Some people from Hawaiʻi have commented that they had never heard these expressions before. However, the mod (also from Hawaiʻi) has noted that these are quite common on the island of Niʻihau specifically, and perhaps among older people. Do what you want with this information - The good news is that, again, you won't see these phrases on Duolingo again after this category. It's mainly important to see how "pū" works in these sentences, since this is very common to see in normal sentences!
This is the end of the basics/beginnings of Hawaiian.
Starting with the next Duolingo category, grammar will begin to grow a little more complex.
I recommend reviewing and practicing what you've learned up to this point (Categories 1-4) before continuing to the next section! This quiz will test you on vocab learned in this phase.
Try it out, see how you do!
Maika‘i for reaching this point! Keep reviewing your vocab and grammar :)
PRACTICE!
Practice what you learned by translating these sentences copied/pasted from this category of Duolingo. The English translations are below. When you feel confident enough, try translating the English into Hawaiian!
Then: try it on Duolingo!
Hawaiian Sentences:
Auē!
E kala mai!
Auē, e kala mai.
Mahalo kēia hui ʻana.
Ke Akua pū!
Aloha, Iesū pū.
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Translations:
Oh!
Sorry! / Forgive me!
Oh, sorry. / Oh, excuse me.
Good seeing you. / I appreciate our meeting.
God be with you!
Farewell, Jesus be with you.
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