Animals

1. Ka ʻīlio

   Dog

   Usage

   Handy when you meet a loose dog on a trail

2. Ka pōpoki

   Cat

   Usage

   Borrowed from English; feral cat colonies are common around harbours and parks

3. Ka manu

   Bird

   Usage

   Birds in general; you will hear it constantly on native-bird tours

4. Ka iʻa

   Fish

   Usage

   Fish in general; at the table it can also mean the main dish or relish

5. Ka puaʻa

   Pig

   Usage

   Feral pigs roam the uplands; you also hear it in "kālua puaʻa", the luau pit-roasted pork

6. Ka moa

   Chicken

   Usage

   Feral chickens are everywhere on Kauaʻi, right down to the car parks

7. Ke koloa

   Duck

   Usage

   The endemic Hawaiian duck is "koloa maoli", seen in wetland refuges

8. Ka nēnē

   Nene (Hawaiian goose)

   Usage

   The state bird, endangered and posted on road signs; never feed them

9. Ke kōlea

   Pacific golden plover

   Usage

   Migrates from Alaska; the familiar bird trotting across lawns

10. Ka ʻio

    Hawaiian hawk

    Usage

    Found only on Hawaiʻi Island and long regarded as a symbol of royalty

11. Ka lio

    Horse

    Usage

    Hawaiʻi has its paniolo cowboy culture; the word comes up on trail-riding tours

12. Ka pipi

    Cow

    Usage

    Borrowed from English "beef"; you will see herds across the ranchlands of Hawaiʻi Island

13. Ke kao

    Goat

    Usage

    Feral goats gather on dry cliffs and sometimes wander onto the road

14. Ka hipa

    Sheep

    Usage

    Borrowed from English; feral sheep live on the slopes of Mauna Kea

15. Ka moʻo

    Gecko / lizard

    Usage

    The gecko on your room wall; in tradition "moʻo" also names the water-guardian spirits

16. Ka ʻiole

    Rat / mouse

    Usage

    Covers rats and mice; the mongoose is "ʻiole manakuke"

17. Ka ʻōpeʻapeʻa

    Hawaiian hoary bat

    Usage

    Hawaiʻi's only native land mammal; it flies at dusk

18. Ka makika

    Mosquito

    Usage

    You will need this on the rainy-side trails; show it when buying repellent

19. Ka ʻelelū

    Cockroach

    Usage

    Use it when reporting one to the front desk

20. Ka naonao

    Ant

    Usage

    They find unattended food fast, so the word comes up in kitchens

21. Ka nalo meli

    Honeybee

    Usage

    "Nalo" (insect) plus "meli" (honey); local kiawe honey is a standard souvenir

22. Ka nalo

    Fly

    Usage

    Means the housefly, and insects generally

23. Ka nananana

    Spider

    Usage

    Also called "lanalana"; Hawaiʻi has almost no spiders dangerous to people

24. Ka pulelehua

    Butterfly

    Usage

    The endemic Kamehameha butterfly goes by the same name

25. Ka poloka

    Frog

    Usage

    Introduced coqui frogs call all night in some districts, which is worth asking about when booking a room

26. Ka honu

    Sea turtle

    Usage

    Protected by law: keep your distance and never touch one resting on the sand

27. Ka manō

    Shark

    Usage

    Appears on beach warning signs; some families revere the shark as an ʻaumakua guardian

28. Ke koholā

    Humpback whale

    Usage

    Humpbacks arrive roughly December to April; the word you need for whale watching

29. Ka naiʻa

    Dolphin

    Usage

    The marine mammal; the fish called mahimahi is a different animal entirely

30. Ka ʻīlio holo i ka uaua

    Hawaiian monk seal

    Usage

    Literally "the dog that runs in rough water"; critically endangered, so stay outside the cordon when one hauls out

31. Ka heʻe

    Octopus

    Usage

    Seen at markets; locals also use "tako", borrowed from Japanese

32. Ka pāpaʻi

    Crab

    Usage

    The general word; the black rock crab that scuttles over lava is "ʻaʻama"

33. Ka ula

    Lobster

    Usage

    Subject to a closed season for taking; you will also see it on menus

34. Ka wana

    Sea urchin

    Usage

    Step on one and the spines break off in your foot, which is why reef shoes are advised

35. Ka pololia

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    Box jellyfish arrive on leeward beaches eight to ten days after the full moon; watch the posted warnings

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