HAWAIIAN GOODNESS
Even for the Mainlander
Loaʻa and Maopopo
Sentences involving Loaʻa and Maopopo are all-around confusing due to our instinct to translate them into what sounds most natural in English. It's particularly stressful because they are both heavily used words, but if we understand them, it'll makes our life in Hawaiian so much easier.
There's a little more to these two than what we've previously seen, so we'll start with a brief explanation before seeing la'ana!
The following are actually all the same formula, each having one slight variation depending on what type of noun is used as the "getter"!
Loaʻa
Loaʻa matches English's "got" in versatility - it has almost as many meanings: "gained, obtained, purchased, received, found, earned." To understand how Loaʻa sentences are formed, it's better to think of Loaʻa like an Adjective such as these, when forming sentences, instead of our usual English translations of it as a Verb ("gotten," instead of "To get," "To gain," "To receive," etc.). For example:
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I got the milk → The milk was gotten by me
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I got/received the payment → The payment was gotten/received by me
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I got/received the letter → A new assignment was gotten/received by me
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We got a new assignment → A new assignment was gotten by us
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We got some new clothes → Some new clothes were gotten by us
In these English examples, we see that the Subject ("I") in Hawaiian will not actually be the person who gets the object ("milk"), but it itself is the object and "milk" is the Subject. Understand this first and why the formulas are constructed this way before translating into what sounds normal in English.
Loaʻa and "got" both can also mean "have" in the sense that something is "available" at a place: "Do you have any milk?" Or, a more colloquial example: "You guys got any soda?" (It might be clearer if you imagine this person asking if this restaurant or store "got/received" these items earlier in the day, and so is now available).
In this light, it can also be used to indicate a person's possession: "Wait, does Becka have a cat?" (or, another way to phrase it: "Wait, Becka got a cat?"). You can see that the speaker is questioning if Becka received or gained a watch - did she not have a cat, but has one now/did she do something to obtain a cat? This is different from a previous La'ana where we're just wondering if Becka owns a cat or has a cat on her person (among other possessive situations).
Formula: Loaʻa [object] i [person]
* The Subject that we use in English is grammatically treated as a Direct Object of Loaʻa in Hawaiian (it's actually more like a "Causative")
Translation: (Person) got (object) OR (Person) received (object) [among others]
Literally: (Object) gotten by (person) OR (Object) received by (person)
The English here sounds Passive,
but it is not formed that way in Hawaiian
Laʻana mua:
Loaʻa ka waiū i ka wahine.
→ The woman got the milk
→ The woman received the milk
→ The woman found the milk
→ The woman earned the milk
All of these translations are valid -
which one is most correct depends on context
Laʻana hou:
Loaʻa ka waiū i ke kāne.
Loaʻa ka waiū i ke keiki kāne.
Loaʻa nā koloaka i ke keiki kāne.
Loaʻa nā koloaka i nā keiki kāne.
Loaʻa ke kope i ka hale ʻaina.
Loaʻa ke kope i ka hale kūʻai.
Formula: Loaʻa iā [Name or Pronoun] [object]
* iā is used instead of i for Names and Pronouns
* Names and Pronouns tend to jump to the front
* Names and Pronouns can be in the same position as the last formula (at the end of the sentence) if you wish to emphasize the object gotten
Translation: (Name/Pronoun) got (object) OR (Name/Pronoun) received (object) [among others]
Literally: (Object) gotten by (Name/Pronoun) OR (Object) received by (Name/Pronoun)
Laʻana mua:
Loaʻa iā Maria ka uku.
Laʻana hou:
Loaʻa iā Becka ka uku.
Loaʻa iā Maria a me Becka ke kālā.
Loaʻa iā Maria a me Becka ke kālā a me ke keneka.
Loaʻa iā ʻoe ke kālā.
Loaʻa iā ʻoe ke keneka.
Loaʻa iā ia ka uku.
Loaʻa iā ia ka haʻawina.
Loaʻā iā mākou ka mea ʻai.
Loaʻa iā lākou ka mea ʻai.
Loaʻa iā ʻoukou ka mea inu.
Loaʻa iā ʻolua ka mea inu.
Formula: Loaʻa iaʻu [object]
* iaʻu (NOT iā au) is used here for "I" (or "by me")
* Like the other pronouns, iaʻu jumps to the front
* It is much rarer to see iaʻu at the end of the sentence than it is for other pronouns
Translation: I got (object) OR I received (object) [among others]
Literally: (Object) gotten by me OR (Object) received by me
Laʻana mua:
Loaʻa iaʻu he mea pāʻani.
Loaʻa is one of the few words that allows he
in the middle of a sentence.
However, you can still use kekahi !
Laʻana hou:
Loaʻa iaʻu he leka ma ka hale leka i kēia kakahiaka.
Loaʻa iaʻu he pā sēdē na kaʻu lolouila.
Loaʻa iaʻu he mau puke ma ka hale waihona puke.
Loaʻa iaʻu he mau huaʻai na ka pāʻina ma hope.
Loaʻa iaʻu ka moena na ka lumi hoʻokipa.
Loaʻa iaʻu ka pua na ka lei.
Loaʻa iaʻu nā pua na ka lei.
Loaʻa iaʻu nā haukalima, e ʻai kākou!
La'ana hope loa
Loaʻa ka wikiō i nā keiki.
Loaʻa ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni i nā mākua.
Loaʻa ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni i ka hale kiʻiʻoniʻoni a me ka hale kūʻai wikiō.
Loaʻa ʻekolu lumi moe a me ʻelua lua i ka hale.
Loaʻa hoʻokahi kīwī ma nā lumi moe apau i ka hale o koʻu hoaaloha.
Loaʻa ka ʻiole i ka pōpoki ma ka pā hale.
Ua loaʻa iā ʻoe ka mea ʻai i nehinei?
Ua loaʻa iaʻu ka mea inu, ʻaʻole loaʻa ka mea ʻai i ka mākeke i nehinei.
Ua loaʻa ka mea ʻai i koʻu makuahine i ka pō nei.
E loaʻa ana ka mea ʻono i kou makua kāne i ka lā ʻapōpō.
E loaʻa ana ʻewalu noho ma ka lumi kuke i koʻu ʻanakē.
E loaʻa ana ka mea ʻai, ka mea inu, a me ka mea ʻono i ko kāua ʻohana.
E loaʻa ana iaʻu nā pāʻani apau.
Loaʻa iā kākou ka pila - naʻu e uku. (= I'll pay)
Loaʻa kā lāua uku hana, akā, ʻaʻole lawa no ke kīwī hou.
Loaʻa iā mākou hoʻokahi haneli kālā ma ka papahele!
Maopopo
Once you understand Loaʻa, it'll be easy to see how Maopopo functions.
Like Loaʻa, to understand how it's constructed, it's best to think of Maopopo as an Adjective, rather than a Verb: "understood, known, clear, plain" instead of "To understand," "To know," etc. The person who "understands" is not the Subject in Hawaiian, even though it is in English - the idea that is understood is the Subject. For example:
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I understand the problem → The problem is understood by me
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I understand Hawaiian → Hawaiian is understood/known by me
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I understand the idea → The idea is understood/clear/plain to me
Maopopo is formed the same way as Loaʻa, so we'll condense all the formulas here.
Formula: Maopopo [idea] i [person]
Translation: (Person) understands (idea) OR (Person) knows (idea)
Literally: (Idea) is understood by (person) OR (Idea) is known by (person)
Formula: Maopopo iā [Name or Pronoun] [idea]
Translation: (Name/Pronoun) understands (idea) OR (Name/Pronoun) knows (idea)
Literally: (Idea) is understood by (Name/Pronoun) OR (Idea) is known by (Name/Pronoun)
Formula: Maopopo iaʻu [idea]
Translation: I understand (idea) OR I know (idea)
Literally: (Idea) is understood by me OR (Idea) is known by me
Laʻana mua:
Maopopo ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i ka wahine.
→ Hawaiian is clear to the woman
→ Hawaiian is plain to the woman
→ The woman understands Hawaiian
→ The woman knows Hawaiian
Maopopo iā Maria ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Maopopo iā ʻoe ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Maopopo iaʻu ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Laʻana hou:
Maopopo ka ʻōlelo Pelekānia i ke kumu?
ʻAʻole maopopo iā ia ka ʻōlelo Pelekānia, akā maopopo ka ʻōlelo Kepanī.
Maopopo ke kumu (= the reason) o ka pilikia i koʻu makuahine - huhū ʻo ia!
Pōloli au, ʻaʻole maopopo iʻau ke kumu!
Maopopo iā ʻoe ka inoa o ka hoaaloha o Becka?
ʻAe, maopopo iaʻu ka inoa - ʻo Jason kona inoa.
E Jason, he aha ka pane (= answer)?
ʻAʻole maopopo, e kala mai. E wehewehe, ke ʻoluʻolu.
ʻAʻole maopopo ka pane iā Jason, akā maopopo iā Maria.
Aia ma hea ka hale kūʻai hou? Maopopo iā oʻe?
ʻAe, maopopo iaʻu. Aia ma ʻō.
Dialogue
Kanaʻi: E Pua, maopopo ka ʻōlelo Hawai'i i kou ʻohana apau?
Pua: ʻAʻole, no ka mea, ʻaʻole ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi koʻu māmā.
Kanaʻi: Akā, he wahine Hawaiʻi ʻo ia, ʻaʻole anei?
Pua: ʻAe, he Hawaiʻi ʻo ia ma ka ʻaoʻao makuahine.
Kanaʻi: A pehea kou pāpā? He Hawaiʻi piha ʻo ia?
Pua: ʻAʻole, he hapa Hawaiʻi, hapa Pākē ʻo ia. ʻŌlelo Pākē ʻo ia.
Kanaʻi: A maopopo paha iā ʻoe kēlā ʻano ʻōlelo?
Pua: ʻAʻole. ʻŌlelo Pelekānia wale nō mākou ma ka hale.
Kanaʻi: Akā, mākaukau nō ʻoe i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i kēia manawa.
Pua: ʻAe, ua aʻo mai au ma ke kula nui o Hawaiʻi.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 177]
Short answer
Instead of forming a long sentence with Nouns/Name/Pronouns, Maopopo (like all Adjectives/Stative Verbs) can simply be used by itself to express understanding:
Pono au e hele i ka hale kūʻai. Ke hoʻolohe nei ʻoe? (= I need to go to the store. Are you listening?)
ʻAe, maopopo. (= Yes, understood.)
Colloquially, you can even shorten Maopopo to just Maopo:
E hele i ka mākeke ma hope iho. (= Go to the market later.)
ʻAe, maopo. Ua haʻi mua mai. (= Yes, I know. You already told me.)
Dialogue [comprehensive]
Luika: Ua loaʻa ka lole hou iā kākou apau.
Makia: ʻAʻole maopopo iaʻu ke kumu no kēia mau makana apau.
Luika: Ua loaʻa nā lole nani loa ma Hilo, a kālā ʻemi nō hoʻi. No laila, kūʻai mai ʻo ʻAnakē Lilinoe a hāʻawi iā kākou.
Makia: Makemake au i kēia pāpale lauhala.
Luika: ʻAʻole, makemake ʻo Pāpā i kēnā.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 178]
Luika: Loaʻa ka heʻe i kēia kakahiaka?
Kanaka kokua: Aia ka heʻe i loko o kēlā pākini.
Luika: Auē, ʻaʻole ʻo ia i make!
Kanaka kokua: ʻAe, ʻo ka heʻe makamaka hou nō!
Luika: ʻAʻole au kuke i ka heʻe ola.
Kanaka kokua: ʻAʻole pilikia. E nahu ʻoe iā ia ma waena o ka maka, a make ʻo ia.
Luika: ʻAʻole loaʻa ka heʻe make?
Kanaka kokua: Ua loaʻa, akā ʻono ka heʻe ola.
Luika: Maopopo iā ʻoe kēia ʻano hana?
Kanaka kokua: ʻAe.
Luika: E nahu ʻoe iā ia, ke ʻoluʻolu.
Kanaka kokua: ʻAʻole. Inā maopopo i ka Papa Ola, nui loa ka pilikia.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 178]