There are many land animal names in Hawaiian. Do you want to learn how to say “cat” in Hawaiian? Or maybe you want to learn how to say “dog” in Hawaiian? This article covers common land animal names and features some fun facts. I’ve been doing a lot of research for some upcoming books, as well as learning Hawaiian to be able to read and write it fluently. Some of these words have come up and I thought it’d be fun to share them with you!
If you’re wanting to learn some common animal names, this is your list! I hope you enjoy it, as well as some history behind each animal!
Dog
‘Īlio is the Hawaiian word for “dog.” It is pronounced ee-lee-oh. Did Hawaiians have dogs? In my research, I’ve discovered something called a “poi dog.”
The poi dog looks much like the white Target dog (White English Bull Terrier). The dog didn’t have much of a bridge in its nose because the Hawaiians would only feed it poi. Thus the dog’s snout adjusted to eat poi, instead of other things.
I’m not sure when these dogs were introduced, but it was much later in Hawaiian history. It’s hard to find research on poi dogs, and I only learned about them through some books I read, but maybe we’ll discover more about these dogs as we dive deeper into our Hawaiian history! (If you know anything about poi dogs, let us know in the comments. Mahalo!)
Cat – Pōpoki
Here’s one more of the most common land animal names in Hawaiian. The word for cat in Hawaiian is “popoki.” It is pronounced poh-poh-kee. There aren’t many “stray” animals in Hawaii besides cats. When I lived with my grandma in Laie on the North Shore of O’ahu, I remember many nights of hearing the cats screaming and clawing at each other. I hated these “cat fights” and wished to take care of the cats.
One time, there was a little gray kitten that was a stray. My cousins and I fed it, which kept it coming back to us. My uncle didn’t like that, so one night he threw the kitten over the fence and we never saw it again. 🙁
There are some cat shelters in Hawaii to help take care of the “stray cat” problem, as well as find homes for cats. There’s one on Lanai where you can visit the cat sanctuary and play with them!
The Hawaiian word for “chicken” is moa, pronounced moh-ah. If you’ve ever lived in the more rural parts of the islands, you’ll hear roosters doodling their heads off every morning.
The stray chickens and roosters used to be a problem in various parts of the islands, including the North Shore of O’ahu. However, the residents got together to take care of them. Whenever I’ve gone back to the North Shore, I hardly ever hear those roosters anymore.
When you visited Hawaii, did you hear the roosters in the morning?
Horse
This is one of my favorite land animal names in Hawaiian. The Hawaiian word for “horse” is lio, pronounced lee-oh. Horses have a wonderful history in Hawaii. Being from the Big Island, I was delighted to learn about the Paniolo culture found in Waimea, Hawaii. Paniolo is the Hawaiian cowboy, and the culture is still prominent in Waimea today!
Another neat story about the history of horses in Hawaii is that when Queen Liliuokalani rallied the support of her people, she rode on a horse to do so. After arriving on the various islands, she rode her horse to places and spoke to the people. I believe her connecting one-on-one with her people is a reason she was so loved. She fought against the annexation and tried to keep her people aware.
Many of Hawaii’s monarchy learned to ride horses and in the queen’s book, she talked about parades and festivals, where she and others rode their horses through the streets and waved to the citizens of Hawaii. You can get a glimpse of what this must have looked like by attending the Merrie Monarch parade! It features beautifully dressed men and women on horses that represent the islands and monarchs.
The Hawaiian word for “cow” is pipi, pronounced pee-pee. Technically, the word for “cow” is pipi wahine, which is a female cattle. However, using just the word “pipi” is common and acceptable.
Cows have long had a history in Hawaii. When they were introduced, they were allowed to roam freely, which caused problems for the natural habitations and environments. This is a huge reason that the Hawaiians hired ranchers from the mainland to come down and teach them how to herd and take care of the cows. And from that connection, the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) culture was born.
There are cows all over Hawaii now, but are maintained by ranchers. Just be careful if you’re going on hikes where there are loose cows around. My husband and I went on a hike in Maui where the cows were not being watched by a rancher and one of the cows butted us with its head! It was quite scary so just be careful!
What other animals do you want to learn about?
I have enjoyed writing about these animals but would love to know if there are Hawaiian words you’d like to learn. The Hawaiian language is changing and evolving as more people learn it. It’s always fun to learn new words that were recently created (for everyday objects like a phone, computer, etc) but also old words that are still used. Let me know in the comments if there’s something you’d love to learn about the Hawaiian language. I love hearing from you. Mahalo!
If you liked this article, you might enjoy these ones too!
I wrote mostly about domestic animals in this article, but I also love supporting and being aware of wildlife.
I am a proud ambassador for Fahlo, which is a non-profit organization that sells bracelets to support wildlife conservation efforts for honu (turtles), mano (sharks), and more. Use my code LEIALOHA20 to get 20% off your next Fahlo purchase!
Do you want to learn some Hawaiian introductory phrases, like “my name is” or “how are you?” This list will get you started on the journey to learning simple Hawaiian. While you don’t have to learn the Hawaiian language to be able to communicate on the islands, it is helpful to know a few of the most common Hawaiian introductory phrases, especially for introductions. Let’s dive in!
Aloha
Hello, goodbye, I love you.
Pehea ‘oe?
How are you?
‘O wai kou inoa?
What is your name?
‘O ____(name) ko’u inoa.
My name is ____.
Nohea mai ‘oe?
Where are you from?
No ____ au.
I am from ____
‘Ehia ou makahiki?
How old are you?
He ___ (number) au makahiki.
I am ___ years old.
Pololi ‘oe?
Are you hungry?
‘Ae.
Yes.
A’ole.
No.
Makemake ‘oe i ka ___ (activity)?
Do you like to ____?
E kala mai!
Excuse me, forgive me, I’m sorry.
A hui hou.
Goodbye.
Iesu pu.
Jesus be with you.
Akua pu.
God be with you.
I hope this list helps you as you introduce yourself to someone who speaks fluent Hawaiian. It’s always good to practice the words aloud. If you want to know what kind of resource are out there to learn the Hawaiian language, I suggest checking out my article below:
If you are interested in reading books set in ancient Hawaiian culture and islands, check out my books on Amazon or at other stores here.
The more you practice Hawaiian, the easier it is to recognize and differentiate words. Historians have said that the Hawaiian language often sounds and looks like a lot of vowel sounds. I encourage you to listen to music in the Hawaiian language, chants, or even audiobooks because it will help you make out distinct words and phrases. There are plenty of options out there for you to learn, listen, and read Hawaiian.
Mahalo for learning some introductory Hawaiian phrases with me. I hope you will also check out the following articles about Hawaiian words:
Which Hawaiian sea animal is your favorite? After all, what is a visit to Hawaii without seeing some of the ocean wildlife? Seeing turtles, sharks, dolphins, fish, and more are amazing memories. They’re unforgettable moments where we connect with nature and God’s creations. I can’t even say how many people tell me about how they saw turtles, fish, or dolphins on their trip to Hawaii and their entire soul lights up.
Seeing (and possibly getting close—if circumstances are safe and permit) marine animals in Hawaii inspires us. It ignites a part of us deep within, perhaps the inner child, the one we’ve tucked away for so long.
I hope this list of ocean animals in Hawaii will inspire you. Maybe it will jog your memories of Hawaii. Maybe you’ll learn something new. Or, just maybe, you’ll remember how much you love nature, God’s creations, and let out that inner child in you once more. 🙂
Read more about Hawaii’s value of protecting and caring for the ‘aina here: Mālama
Manta Ray
Yes, the manta ray is a Hawaiian sea animal too! I’m from the Big Island so I was actually shocked to learn—after I moved—that there are tons of manta rays on Kona side and you can go on a tour to swim with them! If you’ve done this, please let me know in the comments. I’m fascinated and would love to do it in the future.
Manta rays are different from sting rays, but I won’t go into detail on it. The nice thing is that the Hawaiians also distinguished them differently. The word for manta ray is hāhālua (pronounced hah-hah-loo-ah).
If you’ve read “Aloha State of Mind” you’ll remember my little discussion on hā, which is breath. But hā can also mean mouth, and manta ray literally means “two mouths.” Side note: If you know Hawaiian numbers, ‘elua is two, so that’s why “lua” is the last part of this word.
The Hawaiians called manta ray “two mouths” because of the two flaps sticking out either side of their mouths, so it makes sense.
Both the manta ray and sting ray can also be called “lupe.”
Sting Ray
The sting ray is known to be around Hawaii, though I’ve never heard of anyone encountering them. They’re called hīhīmanu in Hawaiian. Hihi could mean several things, like “to creep, spread, or intertwine” or “a large meshed fish net.” Manu means “bird” so what I infer from this is that the Hawaiians must have seen the sting ray as a large fish bird, because sting rays do have large wings on either side of their bodies, or a spread-out, creeping bird.
Turtle
My favorite sea animal of all time, the honu (pronounced hO-noo) can be found all over the Hawaiian islands. When I looked in the Hawaiian dictionary, I actually found out the the hawksbill turtle has its own name, which is ‘ea.
People are so afraid of sharks, but I think they’re beautiful and majestic! The Hawaiian word for shark is manō. Many ancient Hawaiian legends and proverbs tell of the niuhi, which is a man-eating shark, but most Hawaiians regarded the shark as sacred ‘aumakua, family ancestors.
The generic name for fish is i’a but most fish have specific names according to their type. The old Hawaiian superstition is to not let anyone know when you’re going fishing or the fish will hear and leave the area!
Here are some notable fish names (let’s see if you can say these!) 😉
‘Ahi
Mahimahi
Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
A’awa
Moi
Opelu
Manini
Dolphin
If you’ve been lucky enough to spot dolphins swimming and resting in the bay areas, then you know how playful and fun they can be. The Hawaiian word for dolphin is “nai’a,” pronounced nae-ah.
Whale
Maui is the best place to see whales when they migrate towards warmer waters. The Hawaiian word for humpback whale is koholā, pronounced kO-hO-lah, and the word for sperm whale is palaoa.
My dad used to catch squid in the reefy areas of the North Shore. While I have seen a good amount of squid in my life (and the black ink they shoot out too), I haven’t seen an octopus. The Hawaiian word for octopus is he’e, and the word for squid is similar, mūhe’e.
Sea urchin – Yes, it’s a Hawaiian sea animal (even though it might not look like it hehe)
Watch out for this lovely yet dangerous invertebrate animal. Especially on the Big Island, where the only way to get into the water is by way of walking on lava rocks, or sandy shores with rocks, keep an eye out for the long black spindles of the sea urchin. The Hawaiian word for sea urchin is wana, pronounced vah-nah.
Jellyfish
I used to get stung a lot by the Portuguese Man-of-War at Hukilau beach or other beaches along the North Shore of Oahu. While it’s not very common for people to get stung by jellyfish in Hawaii, it does happen. The Hawaiian word for jelly fish is pololia.
What is your favorite marine animal?
Is there a sea animal I missed? Do you know the Hawaiian word for it? Let us know in the comments below!
Congratulations on your choice to learn the Hawaiian language! Over the years, interest has sparked in the Hawaiian language and now there are some fun apps, websites, videos, and books to help people learn the Hawaiian language. As someone from Hawaii, I’ve finally made the decision to officially learn the Hawaiian Language and speak it more fluently (I’ve always understood more of it than I could speak it). I took two years of Hawaiian language in high school and one semester in college, so I was able to evaluate these resources based on my own knowledge and personal preference.
Most of these resources I use (or have used in the past), meaning that I wouldn’t recommend something that doesn’t work! One or more of these should help you, especially if you are only beginning your Hawaiian language journey. Even better, some of them are free! I also added some ideas for intermediate and advanced Hawaiian language speakers.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to purchase any of these resources, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read more about it here.
Hawaiian Language Apps
Duolingo – Hawaiian Language
This FREE app has always been an amazing language learning tool. With the friendly face of the owl and only 15 minutes a day, Duolingo is a fantastic resource. As someone who is a little more advanced, it’s nice to be able to “test out” of some of the courses on Duolingo and skip ahead. There are ads after each lesson with the option of upgrading to Premium for a fee. I love the community page too, where I connect with my family to keep accountable and challenge one another.
Another FREE app, Drop allows 5 minutes sessions of language learning a day. You can get extra time by upgrading to Premium. I’ve only used this app for a short time but I really enjoy dragging and dropping things. It sort of relaxes my brain, like I’m playing a game instead of “learning a language.” I also loved the wide range of vocabulary and selection of scenarios (health, finance, travel, animals, time, etc).
My Hawaiian language teacher in college used these very videos to teach us! They are super informative, easy to watch, and they go at a really comfortable pace. For beginners, it’s nice to learn grammar structure and words. For intermediate and advanced, it’s nice to use these videos to review.
What better way to learn Hawaiian from the locals themselves? Lokelani and Ka’analike are so fun, warm, and quick as they teach the Hawaiian language. Though they have few videos up, so I hope they keep going!
A dictionary always comes in handy when learning a new language! This dictionary trumps all the rest, as it was compiled by two of Hawaii’s greatest historians and recorders, Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert. With this Hawaiian dictionary, there’s really no need to find or get any others. Of course it might not have updated terminology like kamipuela (computer), but it’s pretty complete.
I’m not impressed with the selection of Hawaiian language learning books
To be completely honest, there are Hawaiian grammar and language learning books out there but I’ve never really found one that was helpful for me. Many of them say “beginner,” but have vague concepts and usually share more vocab words than any grammar techniques. So I can’t really recommend any books, but if I do find some that are helpful, I’ll be sure to come back and update this! And if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments below for me and others to check out!
Books Translated into the Hawaiian Language
This is a brilliant idea for intermediate and advanced Hawaiian language speakers. Some popular titles have been translated into the Hawaiian language, and a side-by-side read of these books with the English versions can really help. Reading my scriptures in a different language has always helped me learn languages faster too(side note: I used to speak and read Japanese, and am fluent in Tagalog)!
Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone
What better way to learn Hawaiian than by reading Harry Potter? I was so excited to find out that this was translated into the Hawaiian language. I’m eager to get my hands on a copy! Get the Hawaiian version of the book here.
The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
This book was translated by the same person who translated Harry Potter. As not everything translates perfectly, he took some liberties in his version. I look forward to reading this! Get the Hawaiian version of the book here.
Other General Resources
I haven’t tried any of these, but I thought it might be worth mentioning, especially since we all learn differently than one another!
‘Olelo Online
I didn’t really dig into this website, but it does look like it has a lot of content along with downloadable PDFs, structured lessons, and more. Check out ‘Olelo Online here.
italki
The idea is that you can speak with a native speaker on this website. However, when I checked there weren’t any native Hawaiian speakers. So this might be a good resource for advanced and fluent Hawaiian speakers to use their skills to help others trying to learn. Check out italki here.
Fluent in 3 Months
I haven’t personally tried this but the idea does intrigue me. Someone can hold a 30 minute conversation in another language in only 3 months? Tell me more. 🙂 If I do take this course, I will come back and update this! Check out Fluent in 3 Months here.
That’s a wrap, for now! I hope one or more of these resources will help you get started on your Hawaiian language journey. If there are any resources that you’ve absolutely loved or found helpful on your Hawaiian language journey, please share by commenting below. We’d all be grateful for your kokua!
Aloha is probably one of the most popular Hawaiian words, meaning “hello,” “goodbye,” and “I love you.” But if we truly break it down and understand the etymology, the feeling, and the spirit of aloha, we learn to live on a deeper and more meaningful way.
“Alo” is the presence of, and “ha” is breath or life force. So, literally, aloha is the presence of life. It is recognizing the life in ourselves and others, and, more importantly, the love that flows through all things. Ancient Hawaiians had this concept of mana, or energy, that flows in everything. In Christian religion, this mana could be understood as spirit. The greater our love, the greater the mana.
Aloha is the constant giving and receiving of love. From the moment we were born, we have the desire to give and receive love. It is our natural state of spirit.
Through pain, heartache, trauma, and grief, our ego steps in to protect us. We form beliefs that block our flow of aloha, such as the belief that we can’t trust anyone, or that we can’t be truly happy. Aloha is loving ourselves, others, and God enough to return to that love.
It’s a lifelong journey, but it’s one that is totally worth it. When we truly recognize the life force in ourselves and others, and honor that, we create that flow of love with every person and living thing we encounter.
Aloha is like the flowing of a river
To better understand the constant flow of aloha, I imagine a beautiful, strong river. Some rivers are small, some large, some shallow, and some deep. This is like the flow of aloha in our lives. The better we get at practicing aloha, the deeper and stronger this river flows. People can feel the aloha spirit from just being around us.
Others have a harder time with the flow of love. Perhaps they suffered a deep trauma that makes it difficult to navigate the flow. Perhaps they experienced a grief, violence, or abuse that sucked them nearly dry.
Life is full of difficulties, but know this… there will always be a flow within you. Even if you feel that all love and light has dried out of you, it isn’t so. God created us with an abundance of love, and, because he loves us, we can reach out to him to quench any of our needs, especially that of love.
No matter how small or large your flow of love, there will always be difficulties and challenges placed in your way. I think of limiting self beliefs, negative thoughts, feelings of worthlessness, and hopelessness as the pieces that make a dam.
A dam cuts off the flow, and, because we all experience heartache in life, we all have things we need to work to remove out of our thoughts and beliefs.
Self limiting beliefs block the flow
When I was a young adult, I recognized that I had this self limiting belief: “I can’t be truly happy because if I am, then something bad will happen.” I didn’t allow myself to be happy because I feared what would come next.
It always seemed like if I did experience some kind of joy, I had to shut it down quickly—stuff it inside—so that if someone said something rude or negative, or a bad event happened next, I’d know that I’d already stuffed the happiness down and I hadn’t really deserved it.
Or that it hadn’t actually been a true feeling.
This belief came from years of neglect, abuse, and manipulation. I would rejoice in other people’s successes, but I never felt secure or happy in my own.
When I recognized this belief, it took a long time to remove this block that had such a huge role in creating a dam to the flow of love. I would give love, but never truly receive it from others.
This is not aloha. Aloha flows between all things.
Let it flow. 🙂
Work to remove the blocks of self-limiting beliefs, negativity, selfishness, worthlessness, and hopelessness.
Here are some additional ways to help you do this, and more fully implement the value of aloha in your life.
Love and trust God first
God, the father of our spirits, is love. He is the God who can give you the love you need. Through his son, Jesus Christ, we can experience unlimited joy in this life. I’m so grateful for their support in my life—in fact, I don’t know where I’d be without knowing there is a God and a Savior for me. Trust that God loves and knows you, because he does.
Learn compassion
“Charity is the pure love of Christ.” Aloha is basically charity: withholding judgment and loving unconditionally.
It’s so easy to judge others.
I read a book, which I highly recommend, called “Judgment Detox,” (that’s an affiliate link, meaning if you click through and buy it, I receive a commission at no extra cost to you!) and it helped me recognize how often I judge people.
Don’t misunderstand me here… we need to judge situations and things for safety and responsible reasons, but how often do we find ourselves judging people for petty things, like lifestyle choices, things they say, or things they post on social media?
We all are different, and we all have a contribution to make.
Instead of judging, have compassion and grace for others. Try to truly understand what they’re saying when they talk to you. “Pa’a ka waha” and “lokahi” teach us how to strengthen our relationships and listen with love to others. This encourages the constant flow of aloha in our lives.
Have aloha for yourself too
For many of us, it’s easy to love and rejoice for and with others, and yet, we rarely rejoice in our own successes. Instead, we criticize and judge ourselves for not doing or being enough. Withholding love for ourselves is the very act of creating blocks to our flow of love. It’s like we’re building our own dams by withholding love for ourselves. We can’t have a continuous flow for others if we withhold love from ourselves.
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Have hope
The spirit of aloha may sometimes feel like a thing of the past, but it isn’t. You can create paradise right where you are by living the value of aloha. If you’ve been hurt in the past, it can feel difficult at first to allow the flow of aloha to run its course in your life. But know that there is hope. There is always hope. 🙂
I hope you will be able to live the spirit of aloha in your home and life. And remember, if you don’t think you can even feel love right now, reach up to a loving Heavenly Father. He will gently remind you of how loved, valued, and beautiful you are. When you reach up to him and do your part, your river flow of aloha will become strong and deep.
Follow my 3 steps to have mercy for people (because we’re all not perfect)
There are 3 things that go through my head when I feel annoyed, impatient, or angry at someone. These 3 keys help me have ALOHA for others all the time.
Every person is a child of God. We learned this in ‘ohana. We are all God’s children so deserve to be treated that way.
Every person has pain, challenges, trials, and heartaches.
People deal with their problems the best way they know how. Sometimes a person hasn’t experienced much. Maybe they’re not as mature as you are, and so they just don’t understand. I’ve come to realize that people usually do the best they can with the knowledge and experience they have.
I hope these tips will inspire you to live more aloha. It is truly possible!
With joy and aloha,
Lei
Your turn!
How do you live aloha? Let us know in the comments below!
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E komo mai! 🌺 I am the author of Aloha State of Mind, a self help book that teaches you how to create paradise wherever you are. My blog, Naturally Aloha, focuses on all things Hawaii: culture, values, food, lifestyle, and more. I hope my writing inspires you to carry aloha with you everywhere! Learn more…
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