Café & Drinks

1. Makemake au i wai

   Ma-ke-ma-ke au i wai

   I want water

   Usage

   Basic phrase to order or ask for water

   Grammar Note

   "makemake" = "to want/desire"; "wai" broadly means water or any liquid

2. Makemake au i kope

   Ma-ke-ma-ke au i ko-pe

   I want coffee

   Usage

   Order coffee in a café or restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "kope" is borrowed from English "coffee"; Hawaiian has many loanwords

3. ʻO ka wai maʻemaʻe kaʻu mea inu punahele

   ʻO ka wai maʻe-maʻe ka-ʻu me-a i-nu pu-na-he-le

   My favorite is fresh water

   Usage

   Express preference for a particular drink

   Grammar Note

   The "ʻO A B" pattern states "A is B"; "punahele" means "favorite"

4. E hāʻawi mai i ka wai niu

   E hā-ʻa-wi mai i ka wai ni-u

   Please give me coconut water

   Usage

   Order coconut water — a classic Hawaiian drink

   Grammar Note

   "hāʻawi" = "to give"; "mai" is the directional particle indicating movement toward the speaker

5. Makemake au i wai huaʻai

   Ma-ke-ma-ke au i wai hua-ʻai

   I want fruit juice

   Usage

   Order fresh fruit juice

   Grammar Note

   Note that huawaina means "grape", not fruit in general, so it cannot carry the sense "fruit juice"

6. He pia kēia

   He pi-a kē-ia

   This is beer

   Usage

   Identify or introduce a drink as beer

   Grammar Note

   "pia" is borrowed from English "beer"; "he" is the indefinite predicative particle

7. ʻAʻole au makemake i ka wai ona

   ʻA-ʻo-le au ma-ke-ma-ke i ka wai o-na

   I do not want alcohol

   Usage

   Decline alcohol politely

   Grammar Note

   "ʻaʻole" is the Hawaiian negation word; "wai ona" = "intoxicating liquid" (alcoholic drink)

8. Makemake au i kī wela

   Ma-ke-ma-ke au i kī we-la

   I want hot tea

   Usage

   Order hot tea at a café or restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "kī" means tea; "wela" = "hot/warm" — adjectives follow nouns in Hawaiian

9. He aha kāu mea inu?

   He a-ha kā-u me-a i-nu

   What is your drink?

   Usage

   Ask someone what they would like to drink

   Grammar Note

   "mea inu" = "thing to drink/beverage"; "mea" is a general noun meaning "thing/something"

10. Mahalo no ka mea inu

    Ma-ha-lo no ka me-a i-nu

    Thank you for the drink

    Usage

    Express gratitude after receiving a drink

    Grammar Note

    "mahalo no" = "thank you for"; "no" is a preposition meaning "for/concerning/because of"

11. Ka wai wela

    Hot water

    Usage

    To ask for hot water

12. Ka hau

    Ice

    Usage

    To ask for ice

13. Ka wai ʻōmole

    Bottled water

    Usage

    To ask for sealed bottled water

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