Aloha mai kakou i keia pule,

Do common mispronunciations of Hawaiian sounds really matter? Well, it depends on your language goals. If you want to sound like a native, then yes.

Pronunciation may not be the first thing you focus on when learning the language, but developing good...

Anoai kakou,

I’m pretty good at imitating facial expressions and accents. It has everything to do with my childhood. We used to watch a lot of movies and someone always had a video camera. Most of my siblings can quote movies spot-on and recreate popular character voices we saw on...

Aloha,

I just want to say that I’m glad you’re here. You’re in the right place to learn. Whether you’re going to be giving names, or asked to help give names, you’re definitely going to be around a lot of Hawaiian names as you continue to learn the...

Aloha mai e ka poe hoihoi i ka olelo,

To understand how Hawaiian names were traditionally given, I encourage you to read pages 94-98 of Nana i ke kumu Vol 1. It’s fascinating and worth your time. 

“The inoa of a new child must be chosen only after careful thought,...

Aloha e kuu poe heluhelu,

We don’t know what we don’t know. But once we learn, we can do better. 

This could be a really long email, and there are definitely more conversations to be had around this topic, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. 

Here...

Aloha e ka poe makee i ka olelo Hawaii,

WHY do you want a Hawaiian name?

This is a good question to ask others as well, when the conversation arises. Identifying your intentions for wanting a Hawaiian name, most likely for a child, will help you navigate where to go from...

Aloha e ko'u poe heluhelu,

Do you have a Hawaiian name?

I get a lot of people reaching out to me about Hawaiian names… names for their children, their animals, their tattoos… so I wanted to talk a little more about this. 

When it comes to obtaining a...

Aloha e ko'u poe heluhelu,

Let’s jump into translating the last English phrase for the month. (I’m glad you guys have really liked these). 

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

Yes, yes, I know… you would think people could say this simple...

Aloha,

Each language has its own way of expression. The way you express yourself in English won’t always make sense in Hawaiian if you use direct translation. You will quickly learn to express yourself in Hawaiian when you understand that translating the idea/concept is the right way...

Anoai kakou,

We’re focusing on translating English phrases into Hawaiian… so let’s jump right into it.

“Have a nice day.” First of all, we would never say this in Hawaiian. It’s just not a thing. The reason you hear this phrase translated into...

Aloha,

How would you translate “have a nice day” into Hawaiian? Would you literally translate each word? (No). Or would you translate the idea? (Yes). 

In this month’s emails, we’ll talk more about translation. And I don’t mean literally...

Aloha,

Last week, you mimicked the speakers in the recordings I sent. Good job!

Now, what in the world did you hear in these recordings?

Let’s dive into the same resources a little deeper. 

• For the kane, listen to John E. Broad. 
• For the wahine, listen...