HAWAIIAN GOODNESS
Even for the Mainlander
HIKI
The Hawaiian verb hiki proves difficult for beginners. It has a regular meaning and form, and another, separate, confusing translation and construction. Let's see how to correctly use all of these!
Hiki - to arrive
As a regular verb, Hiki translates to "To arrive" or "To reach [a place]." This is used only for people coming to a place, not for packages arriving at your door!
Hiki au mai Hawai'i. (I arrive from Hawai'i).
Because this structure is regular, we'll only do one la'ana and one Dialogue here.
Dialogue
Noelani: E Lilinoe, ua hiki mai kou kupuna wahine mai Honolulu mai?
Lilinoe: 'A'ole. E hele mai ana ʻo ia i ka lā 'apōpō.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 70]
The following are actually all the same formula, each having one slight variation depending on what type of noun is used as the Subject!
Hiki - to be able, "can"
Hiki is commonly translated to "Can" or "To be able (to [verb])." The latter definition is usually more helpful in translation, since people often think the "to [verb]" (in parantheses above) resembles the "ke [verb]" used in the below formula. Another defintion of hiki is "To be possible (for [noun]) (to [verb])" - this can also be a convenient translation, since instead of the Noun being the Subject (like we use for "Can" and "To be able"), it's used in a way similar to the Hawaiian form. Use whatever's most helpful for you!
Formula: Hiki i [general noun] ke [verb]
* The Subject that we use in English is treated as a Direct Object of hiki in Hawaiian
* The verb coming after ke can also take Direct Objects
Translation: (Noun) can (verb) OR (Noun) is able to (verb) OR It's possible for (Noun) to (verb)
Laʻana mua:
Hiki i ka wahine ke ʻike. (= The woman is able to see / The woman can see / It is possible for the woman to see)
Hiki i ka wahine ke lohe. (= The woman is able to hear / The woman can hear / It is possible for the woman to hear)
Laʻana hou:
Hiki i ka makua ke ʻai. (= The parent is able to eat)
Hiki i ka makua ke ʻai i ka poi. (= The parent is able to eat poi)
Hiki i ke keiki ke heluhelu. (= The child can read)
Hiki i ke keiki ke heluhelu i ka puke. (= The child can read the book)
Hiki i nā kānaka ke nānā. (= The person can watch)
Hiki i nā kānaka ke nānā i ke kīwī. (= The person can watch TV)
Hiki i koʻu hoa aloha ke hele aku i ka pāka. (= My friend can go to the park)
Hiki i kaʻu mau moʻopuna ke lawe aku i nā noho i ka pāʻina i ke ahiahi.
(= My grandchild can take the chairs to the party in the evening)
Hiki i ko mākou mau kūpuna ke hoʻomākaukau i nā mea ʻono momona i nā Pōʻaono apau.
(= Our grandparents can prepare sweet cakes every Saturday)
Formula: Hiki iā [Name or Pronoun] ke [verb]
* iā is used instead of i for Names and Pronouns
Translation:
(Name/Pronoun) can (verb) OR (Name/Pronoun) is able to (verb) OR It's possible for (Noun/Pronoun) to (verb)
Laʻana mua:
Hiki iā Maria ke ʻike. (= Maria is able to see / Maria can see / It is possible for Maria to see)
Hiki iā ʻoe ke lohe. (= You are able to hear / You can hear / It is possible for you to hear)
Laʻana hou:
Hiki iā Luika ke ʻai. (= Luika is able to eat)
Hiki iā Luika ke ʻai i ka poi. (= Luika is able to eat poi)
Hiki iā Māmā ke heluhelu. (= Mom can read)
Hiki iā Māmā ke heluhelu i ka puke i ke keiki. (= Mom can read the book to the child)
Hiki iā ʻoe ke nānā i ke kīwī. (= You can watch TV)
Hiki iā ʻoe ke nānā i ke kīwī i kou lumi moe i ke ahiahi. (= You can watch TV in your room in the evening)
Hiki iā ia ke hele wāwae aku i ka pāka ma hope iho. (= He can go by foot to the park later)
Hiki iā mākou ke lawe aku i nā noho nui i ka pāʻina leʻaleʻa i ka Pōʻalima.
(= We can take the big chairs to the fun party on Friday)
Hiki iā ʻoukou ke hoʻomākaukau i nā mea ʻono momona i nā Pōʻaono apau.
(= You guys can prepare sweet cakes every Saturday)
Formula: Hiki ia'u ke [verb]
* iaʻu (NOT iā au) is used here for "I"
Translation: I can (verb) OR I am able to (verb) OR It's possible for me to (verb)
Laʻana mua:
Hiki iaʻu ke ʻike. (= I am able to see / I can see / It is possible for me to see)
Hiki iaʻu ke lohe. (= I am able to hear / I can hear / It is possible for me to hear)
Laʻana hou:
Hiki iaʻu ke ʻai. (= I am able to eat)
Hiki iaʻu ke ʻai i ka poi. (= I am able to eat poi)
Hiki iaʻu ke heluhelu i ka puke ʻo Tom Sawyer i nā kaikamāhine i nā ahiahi.
(= I can read the book Tom Sawyer to the girls in the evenings)
Hiki iaʻu ke nānā i ke kiʻiʻoniʻoni ʻo Star Wars i koʻu lumi moe i kēia pō.
(= I can watch the movie Star Wars in my room tonight)
Hiki iaʻu ke holoholo ma ka pāka ma mua. (= I can run in the park first)
Hiki iaʻu ke lawe aku i ka wai huaʻai momona i ka hālāwai manakā i ka Pōʻakolu.
(= I can take the sweet juice to the boring appointment on Wednesday)
Hiki iaʻu ke hana i ka ʻaina awakea i ka lā ʻapōpō. (= I can make lunch tomorrow)
Hiki (nō) - ok
In the same vein that hiki means "(To be) possible," "To be able," "Can," it is often used as a shortened way to say "ok," "can do," "sure thing." This is worded simply as hiki or hiki nō!
E Kunāne, hiki iā ʻoe ke kōkua? (= Hey Kunāne, can you help?)
ʻAe, hiki nō! (= I can indeed! / Ok! / It's indeed possible! / Can do!)
Likewise, ʻAʻole hiki is said for "impossible," "can't," "no can do":
E hele pū kāua! (Let's both go together!)
ʻAʻole hiki. Hoʻoponopono au i ka hale. (Can't. I'm straightening up the house).
Other phrases
Hiki wawe (= Easily/quickly done; literally, "Quickly possible/Quickly doable")
* Wawe means "Quickly; suddenly; hastily; soon"
Hiki iaʻu ke hoʻoluhi iā ʻoe? (= May I trouble you?)
* Hoʻoluhi means "To bother, trouble, disturb"
ʻAʻole hiki ke ʻalo aʻe. (= It can't be helped/avoided)
* ʻAlo means "To dodge, avoid, evade"
Dialogue [comprehensive]
Pua: Aloha, e Tuti. Hiki paha iaʻu ke hoʻoluhi iā ʻoe?
Tuti: ʻAe, hiki. He aha kou makemake?
Pua: Ua noi mai koʻu kaikuaʻana iaʻu e hele i Hilo akā, he mau papa kaʻu i ka lā ʻapōpō. *noi = request;
kaikuaʻana = older sister
Tuti: ʻAʻole pilikia. Hiki nō iaʻu ke aʻo aku i nā papa. He hana nanea naʻu. * naʻu = for me
Pua: E kala mai iaʻu.
Tuti: ʻAʻohe mea nui. ʻAʻole hiki ke ʻalo aʻe. E hele aku ʻoe e kōkua i ka ʻohana.
Pua: Mahalo nui, e Tuti. He hoa aloha lokomaikaʻi nō ʻoe.
Tuti: ʻAʻole, noʻu ka hauʻoli.
[Dialogue adapted from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 168]
Piʻilani: E Tuti, ʻaʻole hiki iā mākou ke hana i ka hōʻike i kēia Pōʻakahi aʻe. *hōʻike = test
Tuti: No ke aha? ʻO ka Pōʻalima wale nō kēia. Hiki nō iā ʻoukou ke hoʻopaʻa haʻawina
i ka hopena pule apau.
Piʻilani: ʻAʻole, ʻaʻole. Eia ka pilikia. He mau nīnau kā mākou e pili ana i ka haʻawina akā, *e pili ana = about
ʻaʻole i hele mai ʻo Pua. No laila, ʻaʻole hiki iā mākou ke nīnau aku iā ia.
Tuti: ʻAʻole hiki ke ʻalo aʻe. Hiki iā ʻoukou ke nīnau mai iaʻu i kēia lā.
Piʻilani: Auē, e Tuti! Pīhoihoi loa mākou i kēia hōʻike i kēia papa. *Pīhoihoi = worried, anxious
Tuti: Tsā! He hana maʻa mau ka hōʻike i kēia papa. ʻAʻohe mea nui! *maʻa mau = regular
E hoʻomaka kākou i ka papa.
Piʻilani: ʻAʻole; e hele kākou e ʻai pū i ka hale ʻaina a hoʻomaʻamaʻa i ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
Tuti: ʻAe, he hana maikaʻi kēlā. Ma hope o ka papa, hiki iā kākou ke hele.
[Dialogue directly taken from Ka Lei Haʻaheo, p. 168]