HAWAIIAN GOODNESS
Even for the Mainlander
Equational vs He Sentences
Hawaiian doesn't have the linking verb "is," but Equational Sentences and He Sentences are two types of structures that find their way around it. However, their translations are so similar in English, it's common to confuse the two. Let's introduce the pattern and then focus on la'ana to distinguish them.
HE SENTENCES
He Sentences are identified by the Hawaiian sentence starting with He. The rest identifies an object as "a" noun.
Formula: He [Noun 1] [Noun 2]
* "Noun 1" is only a general noun, introduced only by the article He right before it.
* "Noun 2" can be a 1) general noun introduced by a Definite Article (e.g. ka wahine) or a Demonstrative (kēia/kēnā/kēlā) or a Possessive (koʻu/kaʻu, ko mākou, etc.), 2) a Pronoun (au, ʻoe, lāua, etc.), 3) or a Name (ʻo Becka).
Translation: [Noun 2] is a [Noun 1]
Laʻana mua:
He kīwī kēlā. (= That is a TV)
He wahine au. (= I am a woman)
Laʻana hou:
He aha? can be asking for the identity of an object, one's profession, or even one's race - just like English, it depends on context!
He aha kēlā? (= That is a what? / What is that?)
He hale kēlā. (= That is a house)
He pua kēlā. (= That is a flower)
He pepa kēlā. (= That is a paper)
He aha kēia? (= This is a what? / What is this?)
He kiʻi kēia. (= This is a picture)
He keiki kēia. (= This is a child)
He pōpoki kēia. (= This is a cat)
He aha ʻoe? (= What are you?)
He kāne au. (= I am a man)
He wahine au. (= I am a woman)
He kauka au. (= I am a doctor)
He aha ʻo Maria? (= What is Maria?)
He makuahine ʻo Maria. (= Maria is a mother)
He kumu ʻo ia. (= She is a teacher)
He Pākē ʻo ia. (= She is a Chinese [person])
Laʻana hou:
He mau pōpoki kēia. (= These are some cats)
He mau ʻīlio kēia. (= These are some dogs)
He mau manu kēlā. (= Those are some birds)
He mau kumu kēia mau kānaka. (= These people are teachers)
He mau Hawaiʻi kēia mau kānaka. (= These people are Hawaiians)
He mau wāhine kēlā mau kānaka. (= Those people are women)
He mau mākua māua. (= We are parents)
He mau kaikamāhine lākou. (= They are girls)
He mau haumāna ʻoukou. (= You all are students)
Mau can often translate to "some" when used with He. It makes the noun plural.
Laʻana hou:
He wilikī mākaukau loa ʻo Fred.
He mea leʻaleʻa nō kaʻu pāʻani wikiō punahele.
He kanaka nāwaliwali koʻu keiki kāne hanauna.
He wahine uʻi kaʻu wahine.
He lolouila pohō kēia!
He mea hoʻomāka'u kēia moʻolelo.
He polokalamu hoihoi ʻo Kulāiwi.
He mea nui ke kula.
Dialogue
Kimo: He aha kēia?
Kalae: He pua kēnā.
Kimo: He pua nani kēia.
Kalae: He mau pua nani kēnā.
Kimo: He moʻo kēlā?
Kalae: ʻAe, he moʻo nui kēlā.
Kimo: He wahine akamai ʻoe?
Kalae: ʻAe, he wahine akamai loa au.
Kimo: E Kalae, he kāne kolohe ʻoe?
Kalae: ʻAʻole, he kanaka pono au.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 6]
EQUATIONAL SENTENCES
Equational Sentences are identified by the Hawaiian sentence starting with ʻO. The rest that follows are two parts that "equal" each other.
Formula: ʻO [Noun 1] [Noun 2]
* Because this is an "Equational" Sentence, "Noun 1" and "Noun 2" can switch places and the translation will essentially be the same! Just remember to keep the ʻO at the beginning.
* "Noun 1" and "Noun 2" can be a 1) general noun introduced by a Definite Article (e.g. ka wahine) or a Demonstrative (kēia/kēnā/kēlā) or a Possessive (koʻu/kaʻu, ko mākou, etc.), 2) a Pronoun (au, ʻoe, lāua, etc.), 3) or a Name (ʻo Becka). (This is unlike He Sentences, where only "Noun 2" encompasses this list)
Translation: [Noun 1] is [Noun 2]
Laʻana mua:
-He Sentences only translate to "a [noun]."
-Equationals translate to "the [noun]," "that [noun]," "my [noun]," etc.
ʻO A = B
ʻO B = A
ʻO ke kīwī = kēlā. (= That is the TV)
ʻO kēlā = ke kīwī. (= That is the TV)
The only difference in meaning is that whichever "Part" comes first is emphasized more than the second "Part."
The meanings are essentially the same, so both sides of the "=" can be switched interchangeably!
Laʻana hou:
ʻO kēlā ka hale. (= That is the house)
ʻO kēlā ka pua. (= That is the flower)
ʻO kēlā ka pepa. (= That is the paper)
ʻO ka hale kēlā.
ʻO ka pua kēlā.
ʻO ka pepa kēlā.
ʻO kēia koʻu kiʻi. (= This is my picture)
ʻO kēia kaʻu keiki. (= This is my child)
ʻO kēia kou mo'opuna. (= This is your grandchild)
ʻO kēia kāu pōpoki. (= This is your cat)
ʻO koʻu kiʻi kēia.
ʻO kaʻu keiki kēia.
ʻO kou moʻopuna kēia.
ʻO kāu pōpoki kēia.
← Part A starts with a Demonstrative (kēlā) and Part B starts with a Definite Article (ka)
← Part A starts with a Definite Article (ka) and Part B starts with a Demonstrative (kēlā)
← Part A starts with a Demonstrative (kēia) and Part B starts with a Possessive
← Part A starts with a Possessive and Part B starts with a Demonstrative (kēia)
Laʻana hou:
ʻO ʻoe ke kumu. (= You are the teacher)
ʻO ʻoe ka haumana.
ʻO ʻoe ka makua.
ʻO au ka mea kuke. (= I am the cook)
ʻO au ka mea kokua.
ʻO au ka luna.
ʻO ia ke kāne.
ʻO ia ke keiki.
ʻO ia ka wahine.
ʻO Becka ka wahine.
ʻO Becka ka makuahine.
ʻO ke kumu ʻoe.
ʻO ka haumana ʻoe.
ʻO ka makua ʻoe.
ʻO ka mea kuke au.
ʻO ka mea kokua au.
ʻO ka luna au.
ʻO ke kāne ʻo ia.
ʻO ke keiki ʻo ia.
ʻO ka wahine ʻo ia.
ʻO ka wahine ʻo Becka.
ʻO ka makuahine ʻo Becka.
Laʻana hou:
← Part A starts with a Pronoun and Part B starts with a Definite Article (ka/ke)
← Part A starts with a Definite Article (ka/ke) and Part B starts with a Pronoun
The 'O in 'o ia and 'o [name] is enough for the beginning of an Equational Sentence - 'O is never repeated in the front ("'O 'o ia"). However, when
'o ia and 'o [name] are used at the end, we still have an extra 'O at the beginning!
ʻO kēia kanaka kaʻu wahine.
ʻO kēlā hale ke kula nui.
ʻO kēnā ʻāpala ka mea ʻai momona.
ʻO kaʻu pōpoki kēia holoholona.
ʻO UHM kāna kula nui.
ʻO ke kanakē koʻu makemake.
ʻO Star Wars kaʻu kiʻiʻoniʻoni punahele.
ʻO kaʻu pāʻani wikiō punahele ʻo Sims.
ʻO ʻoe koʻu hoa aloha.
ʻO kou hoa aloha au.
ʻO wai kou inoa? - What is your name?
This question is one of the initial phrases commonly learned on the first day of learning Hawaiian. Did you realize that it's also an Equational Sentence?
ʻO wai kou inoa? = ʻO kou inoa ʻo wai?
* Wai here is considered a Pronoun; it needs an ʻO because, in the reply, we replace wai with a Name
ʻO Becka koʻu inoa. = ʻO koʻu inoa ʻo Becka.
TOGETHER!
Spot the differences of translation between the following He and Equational sentences.
Laʻana:
He hale kēia. (= This is a house)
ʻO ka hale kēia. (= This is the house)
He kaʻa kēlā. (= That is a car)
ʻO koʻu kaʻa kēlā. (= That is my car)
He mea ʻai maikaʻi ka ʻāpala. (= The apple is a good food item)
ʻO ka ʻāpala kaʻu mea ʻai punahele. (= The apple is my favorite food item)
He aha kēlā wahine? He kumu ʻo ia.
ʻO wai kēlā wahine? ʻO ke kumu ʻo ia.
He kanaka ʻoluʻolu loa ʻoe.
ʻO koʻu hoa pili ʻoe.
ʻO wai kēlā? He mau haumāna wale nō.
ʻO wai kēlā? ʻO kaʻu mau haumāna.
Dialogue [comprehensive]
Pōhaku: E Kalau, ʻo wai kēlā?
Kalau: ʻO ke kumu ʻōlelo Hawai'i kēlā.
Pōhaku: He kumu maikaʻi ʻo ia?
Kalau: ʻAe, he kumu ʻoluʻolu ʻo ia.
Pōhaku: ʻO wai kona inoa?
Kalau: ʻO Pua kona inoa.
Pōhaku: He haumana ʻōlelo Hawai'i ʻoe?
Kalau: ʻAe, he haumana hauʻoli loa au.
Pōhaku: ʻAe, a he keiki kāne ʻoluʻolu ʻoe. Mahalo, a hui hou.
Kalau: A hui hou aku nō.
[Dialogue directly taken from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 18]
Ke kumu: Aloha e Kaleo.
Kaleo: Aloha nō, e ke kumu.
Ke kumu: He aha kēlā?
Kaleo: ʻO koʻu kaʻa hou kēlā.
Ke kumu: He kaʻa nani loa. A hui hou!
Kaleo: A hui hou aku nō.
Later, at Kaleo's house
Kaleo: Aloha, e ke kumu.
Ke kumu: Aloha, e Kaleo. He hale ʻoluʻolu kēia.
Kaleo: Mai e ʻai! *Mai e ʻai = Come and eat
Ke kumu: Mahalo. He iʻa ʻono loa kēia. E ʻoluʻolu ʻoe, e hāʻawi mai i ka paʻakai.
Kaleo: Eia ka paʻakai.
Ke kumu: He haumana maikaʻi loa ʻoe. Mahalo nui loa.
Kaleo: ʻAʻole pilikia. He kumu maikaʻi ʻoe. A hui hou.
Ke kumu: A hui hou aku nō.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 26]
Haunani: E ʻAlapaki, e aha ana ʻoe? *E aha ana ʻoe? = What are you doing?
'Alapaki: E nānā ana au i kēia mau kiʻi.
Haunani: Auē ka nani! ʻO wai kēia wahine?
'Alapaki: ʻO koʻu kaikuahine, ʻo Pua. *kaikuahine = sister
Haunani: Noho ʻo ia ma Hilo nei?
'Alapaki: ʻAʻole. E noho ana ʻo ia ma Honolulu.
Haunani: E aha ana ʻo ia i laila? *i laila = there
'Alapaki: He kumu ʻōlelo Hawai'i ʻo ia ma ke kula nui i Mānoa.
Haunani: ʻO ia ka muli loa? *muli loa = youngest
'Alapaki: ʻAe, a ʻo Lilinoe ka hiapo. E hele kāua e ʻai i ka ʻaina awakea i kona hale ʻaina.
Haunani: Hiki nō! E hele aku nō kāua!
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 69]
BONUS TIP
Instead of saying He haumana au for "I am a student," you might also phrase it as ʻO au he haumana. Notice how it looks like a combination of an Equational sentence (ʻO at the beginning) and a He structure. This is frequently seen in conversational Hawaiian and not often taught in textbooks.
- He aha kēlā wahine? He kumu ʻo ia?
- ʻAʻole, ʻo ia he kauka.
Other phrases
If you've ever heard conversational Hawaiian, you might've heard the exclamation "ʻO ia!" (often spelled as one word). This is actually a very short Equational Sentence that literally translates to "[That's] it!" and used most commonly to be synonymous with "Pololei!" (= Correct!).
Below are variations of this small Equational Sentence, with their literal translations.
ʻO ia (nō)! = That's it (indeed])! Right! Correct!
ʻO ia? = Is that it? Really?
ʻO ia ʻiʻo (nō)? = Is that (really) right? Is there (really) meat/truth to that? (ʻiʻo = meat)
ʻO ia kā? = Same as ʻO ia? but suggests that the speaker heard something genuinely unexpected, thinking that he may have heard incorrectly, and is negatively surprised.
ʻO ia paha = That might be it, Perhaps it's that way