HAWAIIAN GOODNESS
Even for the Mainlander
ʻANA
What is that pesky article ʻana doing in all those advanced passages that we read? It's actually quite the useful word and helps you express more complex thoughts - and it's not too difficult to wrap your head around!
We'll start with a very brief review of Locatives, since they often play a role in this grammar concept.
FIRST: LOCATIVES
Locatives ("LAH-cuh-tives" not "Loh-CAY-tives") are small phrases in a Hawaiian sentence that give a description of where objects are positioned. In English, these are words like: inside, outside, before, after, etc.
Locatives are explained in detail in Duolingo Category #15: Directions.
Even if you're not active on Duolingo, you can visit that page and benefit
from the Guide if you're having problems here.
Because the function of ʻana is often used with certain Locatives, make sure you understand them before you continue. Below is a Dialogue focused on Locatives - if you can't comprehend the grammar, go back to the aforementioned Duolingo Guide and familiarize yourself with the concept before seeing how ʻana works!
Dialogues
Lilinoe: E Kimo, e komo mai ʻoe i loko o ka hale ʻaina. Nui ka ua i kēia kakahiaka.
Kimo: Ke kali nei au iā Lopaka.
Lilinoe: ʻAʻole pilikia. E hele mai ana ʻo ia i loko e ʻimi iā ʻoe.
Kimo: Mahalo. E inu au i ke kope a heluhelu i ka nūpepa ma mua o ka ʻaina kakahiaka.
Lilinoe: ʻAe, maikaʻi. Aia ka nūpepa ma luna o ke pākaukau. Ke hoʻomākaukau nei au i ka mea ʻai, akā ʻaʻole moʻa ka laiki. ʻUmi minuke paha a moʻa.
Kimo: Pehea? Ua mākaukau ke kope?
Lilinoe: ʻAe, mākaukau. Aia ma ʻō, ma luna o ke kapuahi. Aia ka waiū i loko o ka pahu hau.
Kimo: Mahalo. Auē, ʻaʻohe kōpaʻa i loko o kēia ipu.
Lilinoe: Aia ke ʻeke hou ma lalo o ke pākaukau.
Kimo: E, loaʻa. E hoʻopiha au i nā ipu apau.
Lilinoe: Mahalo. A, eia aʻe ʻo Lopaka. E ʻai pū kākou!
Kimo: ʻAʻole hiki. E hele ana māua e kiʻi i koʻu kaʻa hou. Ma hope iho, e hoʻi mai ana nō māua e ʻai.
Lilinoe: Hiki nō. A hui hou.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 130]
*The following laʻana are taken from the textbook ʻŌlelo ʻŌiwi, as the exercises there function similarly to our laʻana format;
this particular chapter of the book (Mokuna 6, Māhele 3) focuses on camping and outdoor vocab - if this is unfamiliar to you, you can search these terms on wehewehe.org . But don't let this vocab take away from your learning the grammar!
ʻANA - NOMINALIZER
The Hawaiian word ʻana comes after a verb in order to make it a noun. The English translation is usually the verb plus "-ing" at the end (also called a Gerund in grammar). This is useful if you wanted to talk about an action as an idea. For example: "Running is fun." We took the verb "run" and made it into a noun ("running") so we can describe it as a noun.
Formula: [verb] ʻana
Translation: [verb]-ing
* Sometimes we can translate this formula into a more common noun. For example, ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana could be "The preparing" or "The preparation." This is not always the case, however, so we'll stick with the simple Gerund ("-ing") for translation.
* This word ʻana is not the same as the word ana that is used in the Future tense (E [verb] ana) - don't confuse these two!
-
Now that the verb counts as a noun, it can be the Subject or the Direct Object in a sentence, and must be preceded by a Definite Article (ka/ke).
-
Even though the verb includes ʻana now, it can still take a Direct Object.
-
For Compound Verbs, ʻana goes after both words, not just after the action word
[ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ʻana]; if there is a Directional, it will go after ʻana [ka hoʻi ʻana mai]
Laʻana mua:
Nui koʻu makemake i ka hoʻomoana ʻana i kahakai.
(= I really like camping on the beach. [lit. Great is my like for the camping on the beach.])
Nui koʻu makemake i ka hele ʻana i ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni.
Nui koʻu makemake i ka nānā kīwī ʻana ma koʻu hale.
Nui koʻu makemake i ka hoʻolohe i ka lekiō.
Nui koʻu makemake i ke kui ʻana i ka lei.
Nui koʻu makemake i ke kipa ʻana iā Kaina mā i Molokaʻi.
-
If Makemake is followed by a Hawaiian Gerund
(verb + ʻana), it means "To like."
(ex. I like running.) -
If Makemake is followed by a Hawaiian infinitive
(e + verb), it means "To want."
(ex. I want to run.)
[Adapted from ʻŌlelo ʻŌiwi, Haʻawina 1, p. 305]
Laʻana hou:
Ua hoʻāʻo mua ʻoe i ka ʻai kūlolo ʻana?
ʻAʻole. E hoʻāʻo kāua i ka ʻai ʻana i ke kūlolo.
(= Have you ever tried eating kūlolo?
No. Let's both try eating kūlolo.)
Ua hoʻāʻo mua ʻoe i ka wili lei ʻana?
ʻAʻole. E hoʻāʻo kāua i ka wili ʻana i ka lei.
Ua hoʻāʻo mua ʻoe i ka ʻai kūawa ʻana?
ʻAʻole. E hoʻāʻo kāua i ka ʻai ʻana i ke kūawa.
Ua hoʻāʻo mua ʻoe i ke kau lio ʻana?
ʻAʻole. E hoʻāʻo kāua i ke kau ʻana i ka lio.
Ua hoʻāʻo mua ʻoe i ke kālua puaʻa ʻana?
ʻAʻole. E hoʻāʻo kāua i ke kālua ʻana i ka puaʻa.
Ua hoʻāʻo mua ʻoe i ka hoʻolei ʻupena ʻana?
ʻAʻole. E hoʻāʻo kāua i ka hoʻolei ʻana i ka ʻupena.
-
Hoʻāʻo is followed by a Hawaiian Gerund (verb + ʻana) if the Subject is trying an activity for the first time ever
(ex. I tried baking for the first time, and it was fun!) -
Hoʻāʻo is followed by a Hawaiian infinitive (e + verb) if the Subject attempted an activity and either succeeded or failed in doing so
(ex. I tried baking yesterday, but the oven broke.)
[Adapted from ʻŌlelo ʻŌiwi, Haʻawina 1, p. 305]
Laʻana hou:
Kūpono ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ʻana ma Hawaiʻi nei.
Paʻakikī ka hoʻopau ʻana i nā haʻawina apau.
Ua hoihoi ka heluhelu ʻana i kēia moʻolelo.
Keola is going camping this weekend for the first time, and since he isn't sure just what activities are considered proper or ok for him to do when going camping, he asks his friend Kapono. Here are Kapono's answers to him.
Kūpono ka lawe ʻana i kekahi pahukula (= cooler).
Kūpono ka hele ʻana i ke kahua hoʻomoana i ka Pōʻalima.
Kūpono ke kūkulu ʻana i ka halepeʻa (= tent) kokoke i nā kumulāʻau.
Kūpono ka hoʻokomo ʻana i ka nānahu (= charcoal) i loko o ka lua.
Kūpono ka mālama ʻana i ka iʻa i loko o ka pahukula.
Kūpono ka hoʻopio ʻana i ke ahi i ka pō.
ʻAʻole kūpono ke kelepona ʻana aʻe i koʻu mau hoaaloha.
ʻAʻole kūpono ke kūʻai ʻana i mōkoi (= bait) me ka makau (= fishhook) hou.
ʻAʻole kūpono ke kalaiwa ʻana i ke kalaka ma luna o ke one.
ʻAʻole kūpono ka ʻeli ʻana i ka lua no ke ahi kokoke i ka halepeʻa.
ʻAʻole kūpono ka hoʻolei ʻana i ka ʻupena (= net) i ka pō.
ʻAʻole kūpono ka hoʻi ʻana i ka hale ma mua o ke ahiahi Lāpule.
[Adapted from ʻŌlelo ʻŌiwi, Haʻawina 2, p. 306]
Laʻana hope:
Ua hele au i Hāna no ka hui ʻana me koʻu ʻohana.
(= I went to Hāna for [the purpose of] meeting with my family.)
E kūʻai ana ʻo Kapua i ka lopi no ke kui lei ʻana.
(= Kapua is going to buy the string for stringing leis.)
Ua komo kēlā keiki i kona lole ʻauʻau kai no ka hele ʻana i kahakai.
Ua hele koʻu hoaaloha i ka hale kūʻai no ke kūʻai ʻana i mau lola.
Ua lawe mai ko kāua hoahānau i kona papa heʻenalu no ka heʻenalu ʻana ma Kauaʻi nei.
Ua hele ke kumu kula i ka lolo uila no ka hana ʻana i ka haʻawina.
Ua wehe ʻo Waiʻoli i ka puke no ka hoʻopau ʻana i kāna mau haʻawina.
Ua komo ʻo Noʻeau i lole hou no ka hele ʻana i ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni.
Ua hōloi ʻo Kamanu a me Leialoha i nā pā no ke kōkua ʻana i ko lāua makuahine.
Ua kūʻai au i wai niu no ka hana ʻana i ka haupia.
Ua komo ʻo ia i loko o ka lumi moe no ka hiamoe liʻiliʻi ʻana.
Ua hele lākou i ka hale waihona puke no ka nānā ʻana i nā makakina.
Ua noho māua ma ka hale no ka hoʻolohe ʻana i ka lekiō.
[Adapted from ʻŌlelo ʻŌiwi, Haʻawina 5, p. 310]
This last laʻana will help you listen to some old radio programs (such as Ka Leo Hawaiʻi aired in the 1990s - audio files found here) - when people call in and the conversation ends, the hosts will frequently thank them with the phrase: Mahalo no kou kelepona ʻana mai! (= Thank you for your calling here / Thank you for calling!). This will also help you remember that word order, of Directionals coming after ʻana!
"When..." statements
There are several ways to say "when" in Hawaiian. This one, that utilizes ʻana, pertains to statements (not questions) that occurred in the Past, or habitually in the Present (not Present Progressive).
Formula: I [K-Possessive] [verb] ʻana, ... OR I ka/ke [verb] ʻana [K-Less Possessive]
Translation: When (Subject) (verbed), ... ; When (Subject) (verbs), ...
* The Possessive tells who the Subject is in the English translation
I koʻu hiki ʻana mai i ke kula, ...
(= When I arrived at school, ...)
[lit. At my arriving at school, ...]
I ka hele ʻana o koʻu ʻohana i Molokaʻi, ...
(= When my family goes to Molokaʻi, ...)
[lit. At the going of my family to Molokaʻi, ...]
I ko Kalei hoʻopau ʻana i ka haʻawina, ...
(= When Kalei finishes the lesson, ...)
[lit. At Kalei's finishing the lesson, ...]
Laʻana mua:
Laʻana hou:
Iokepa and his friend are arriving at the beach where their families will be camping this weekend, and right now he is telling his friend what different people will do when they arrive.
I ka hiki ʻana mai o koʻu ʻanakē, e hōloi ʻo ia i nā pā.
(= When my aunt arrives, she'll wash the dishes.)
I ka hiki ʻana mai o koʻu makua kāne, e hoʻomaʻemaʻe ʻo ia i ke kahua hoʻomoana.
I ka hiki ʻana mai o nā kamaliʻi, e pāʻani lākou ma kahakai.
I ka hiki ʻana mai o kou mau mākua, e kūkulu lāua i ka halepeʻa.
I ka hiki ʻana mai o koʻu hoahānau, e ʻeli ʻo ia i ka lua.
I ka hiki ʻana mai o Pilialoha mā, e hoʻomākaukau lāua i nā ʻupena.
I ko Hoʻokipa hiki ʻana mai, e nākiʻi (= tie) ʻo ia i nā kaula.
I ko Keliʻi me Luka hiki ʻana mai, e lawe mai lāua i ka nānahu mai ke kalaka mai.
I kou hiki ʻana mai, e hoʻomākaukau 'oe i nā mōkoi me nā makau.
I koʻu hiki ʻana mai, e hoʻokani au i kaʻu ʻukulele.
I ko kākou hiki ʻana mai, e hoʻonanea kākou.
[Adapted from ʻŌlelo ʻŌiwi, Haʻawina 3, p. 308]
ʻANA WITH LOCATIVES
Because the verbs "nominalized" by ʻana are now considered nouns, they can also be used with Locatives (largely with ma mua and ma hope)!
Laʻana mua:
Ma mua o kona hoʻi ʻana e hiamoe, e nānā ana ʻo ia i ke kīwī.
(= Before he goes to bed, he's going to watch TV.)
[lit. Before his going to sleep, he's going to watch TV.]
Ma hope o ka pāʻani ʻana o nā kamaliʻi, e hele ana lākou i ka mākeke.
(= After the children play, they are going to go to the market.)
Ua ʻai liʻiliʻi au ma mua o ka hele ʻana i kahakai.
(= I ate a little before going to the beach.)
E hōloi ʻo Kunāne i nā pā ma hope o kona ʻauʻau ʻana.
(= Kunāne will wash the dishes after he bathes.)
Laʻana hou:
Kamalani is talking to his friend Kahanu during lunch recess, and he's asking if different people do certain things before coming to school in the morning. But Kahanu tells him that they do these things after returning home in the afternoon.
Kelepona ʻoe i kou mau hoaaloha ma mua o kou hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Kelepona au i koʻu mau hoaaloha ma hope o koʻu hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
ʻAuʻau lākou ma mua o ko lākou hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. ʻAuʻau lākou ma hope o ko lākou hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
Inu ʻolua i ka wai ʻālani ma mua o ko ʻolua hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Inu māua i ka wai ʻālani ma hope o ko māua hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
Wehe kākou i ke kāmaʻa ma mua o ko kākou hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Wehe kākou i ke kāmaʻa ma hope o ko kākou hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
ʻOki kou kaikaina i ka lauoho ma mua o kona hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. ʻOki ʻo ia i ka lauoho ma hope o kona hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
Kākau kou hoahānau i mau leka ma mua o kona hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Kākau ʻo ia i mau leka ma hope o kona hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
Unuhi nā haumāna i nā moʻolelo ma mua o ko lākou hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Unuhi lākou ma hope o ko lākou hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
Pāʻani ʻo Kainoa me ka ʻīlio ma mua o kona hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Pāʻani ʻo ia me ka ʻīlio ma hope o kona hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
Hoʻomaka ʻo Kawohi mā i nā haʻawina ma mua o ko lāua hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Hoʻomaka lāua i nā haʻawina ma hope o ko lāua hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
ʻAi ʻo Kūpale i ke kanakē ma mua o kona hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. ʻAi ʻo ia i ke kanakē ma hope o kona hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
Kīloi ʻo Kuilima i ka ʻōpala ma mua o kona hele ʻana mai i ke kula?
ʻAʻole. Kīloi ʻo ia i ka ʻōpala ma hope o kona hoʻi ʻana aku i ka hale.
[Adapted from ʻŌlelo ʻŌiwi, Haʻawina 4, p. 309]
Dialogues [comprehensive]
[Adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 188-189]
Ma ka lumi papa
Hopoe: E Kala, he aha kou pilikia?
Kala: Auē nō hoʻi ē! Ua lilo koʻu ʻeke kua.
Hopoe: Aia paha i kēia lumi?
Kala: ʻAe, ua poina au ma hope o ka papa. I koʻu hoʻi ʻana mai, ua lilo.
Hopoe: Ua loaʻa paha i ke kumu.
Kala: ʻOia paha. E kelepona au iā ia.
Ma ke kelepona
Kala: E ke kumu, ʻo Kala kēia. Hiki paha iaʻu ke hoʻoluhi iā ʻoe?
Pua: Aloha, e Kala. He aha kou makemake?
Kala: Ua poina au i koʻu ʻeke kua i ka lumi papa, a ua lilo.
Pua: Aloha ʻino! ʻAʻole i loaʻa iaʻu. Nui ke kālā i loko o ke ʻeke?
Kala: ʻAʻole, akā, aia kaʻu puke ʻōlelo Hawai'i i loko.
Pua: Tsā, he pilikia nui kēlā. E hāʻawi aku ʻoe i ka uku nui no ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana mai i ka puke.
Kala: ʻAʻole hiki iaʻu no ka mea, ʻaʻole loa'a iaʻu ke kālā.
Pua: E, e, e. Mai uē ʻoe; maopopo iaʻu. Hiki paha iaʻu ke hāʻawi aku i kekahi puke hou iā ʻoe.
Kala: Mahalo, e Pua; e hāʻawi aku au i ka uku iā ʻoe ma hope o koʻu puka ʻana mai ke kula nui.
Pua: ʻAʻole pilikia, e Kala. Noʻu nō ka hauʻoli e kōkua iā ʻoe.
Lopaka: Ua lohe ʻoe i ka nūhou maikaʻi? Ua hoʻihoʻi ʻia ko Kimo kalaka i nehinei. *Ua hoʻihoʻi ʻia = ...was returned
Lilinoe: Ua ʻaihue ʻia kēlā kalaka, ʻaʻole anei? *Ua ʻaihue ʻia kēlā kalaka = That truck was stolen
Lopaka: ʻAe, akā ua loaʻa ka ʻaihue i nā mākaʻi.
Lilinoe: Hō, laki nō! Pehea ka loaʻa ʻana o ka ʻaihue?
Lopaka: I kona hoʻāʻo ʻana e kūʻai aku i ke kalaka, ua lilo ʻo ia i ka mākaʻi.
Lilinoe: A pehea ke kalaka? Ua lilo paha kekahi mau mea?
Lopaka: ʻAʻole, ʻaʻole. Ua mālama pono ka ʻaihue i ke kalaka.
Lilinoe: Hauʻoli loa ʻo Kimo i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻia ʻana mai o ke kalaka?
Lopaka: ʻAe, no ka mea, ʻaʻohe o lākou kaʻa ʻē aʻe.
Pua: E Tuti, e nānā aku ʻoe i kaʻu papa kolohe. Ua lilo loa lākou i ka hana ʻana i ka hōʻike.
Tuti: ʻAe, a ma hope o ko lākou kākau ʻana, e nīnau pākahi aku ana au iā lākou.
Pua: ʻAe, pīhoihoi loa lākou i kēlā ʻano hana.
Tuti: ʻO ia ka hopena o ka hele ʻole ʻana e hoʻolohe lipine. *ʻole = Not
Pua: Pololei nō. I ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ke kau, hele pinepine lākou, akā ma hope iho, ʻaʻole loa lākou hele.
Tuti: ʻAʻole hiki ke ʻalo aʻe. Nui loa kā lākou mau haʻawina i nā papa ʻē aʻe.
Pua: Tsā, Tuti! He naʻau palupalu kou!
Tuti: No ka mea, ʻaʻole pau koʻu hele ʻana i ke kula nui, a maopopo iaʻu ko lākou pilikia.
BONUS TIP
Many of verbs in Hawaiian are so frequently "nominalized" with ʻana that the two words eventually morphed into each other to create one single word! Here are some such words you might recognize:
-
Laʻana = Example
→ [Laʻa + ʻana] -
Nohona = Lifestyle, way of life; Residence
→ [Noho + ʻana] -
ʻaina = Meal ; ʻāina = Land
→ [ʻai + ʻana] -
Waihona = Storage place
→ [Waiho + ʻana] -
Kiʻiona = Icon
→ [Kiʻi + ʻana] -
Paʻina = To click, press
→ [Paʻi + ʻana] -
Kikokikona = Text
→ [Kikokiko + ʻana]
*These last few are vocab items from the Computer System page
-
Mokuna = Island; Chapter; Division
→ [Moku + ʻana]
There are, of course, many more! If you ever notice a -na ending to a word, take some time to ponder if it's actually a construction deriving from the root word and ʻana.