Food & Drinks

1. E ʻai kākou!

   E ʻai kā-kou

   Let's all eat!

   Usage

   Call to start eating together, common at luau and family gatherings

   Grammar Note

   kākou is inclusive "we" — it includes both speaker and all listeners

2. He poi kēia?

   He poi kē-ia

   Is this poi?

   Usage

   Used to identify poi, the traditional Hawaiian taro paste staple

   Grammar Note

   Hawaiian uses VSO word order — predicate comes before subject

3. Makemake au i ka iʻa.

   Ma-ke-ma-ke au i ka i-ʻa

   I want fish.

   Usage

   Used at a restaurant or market to express what you want to eat

   Grammar Note

   makemake expresses both desire and preference; i marks the object

4. ʻEhia ke kumukūʻai?

   ʻE-hia ke ku-mu-kū-ʻai

   How much does it cost?

   Usage

   General phrase to ask the price of food items

   Grammar Note

   ʻEhia asks about quantity or price; versatile question word

5. Mahalo, ʻono loa!

   Ma-ha-lo, ʻo-no lo-a

   Thank you, very delicious!

   Usage

   Express gratitude and compliment after a meal

   Grammar Note

   loa is an intensifier placed after adjectives meaning "very"

6. He meaʻai ʻiʻo ʻole kēia?

   He me-a-ʻai ʻi-ʻo ʻo-le kē-ia

   Is this vegetarian food?

   Usage

   Ask whether a dish contains no meat at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   ʻole is a Hawaiian negator meaning "without" or "not"

7. E hoʻouna mai i ka papa meaʻai.

   E ho-ʻo-u-na mai i ka pa-pa me-a-ʻai

   Please bring the menu.

   Usage

   Ask the waiter to bring the menu

   Grammar Note

   papa meaʻai literally means "food board" — the Hawaiian word for menu

8. He kope, e ʻoluʻolu.

   He ko-pe, e ʻo-lu-ʻo-lu

   Coffee, please.

   Usage

   Order coffee at a café or hotel breakfast

   Grammar Note

   kope is borrowed from English "coffee"; Kona coffee is world-famous

9. He lūʻau ʻaina kēia pō?

   He lū-ʻau ʻai-na kē-ia pō

   Is there a luau feast tonight?

   Usage

   Ask about a traditional Hawaiian luau feast event

   Grammar Note

   lūʻau originally means taro leaves but now refers to the whole feast; in Hawaiian spelling the kahakō and ʻokina are kept (the bare "luau" is the English borrowing)

10. E noi aku au i ka pila.

    E no-i a-ku au i ka pi-la

    I would like to ask for the bill.

    Usage

    Ask the waiter for the check at the end of a meal

    Grammar Note

    pila is borrowed from English "bill"; Hawaiian has no /b/, so it is rendered with p. aku indicates action directed away from the speaker

11. Ka laiki

    Rice (cooked)

    Usage

    To order or check for cooked rice

12. Ka paʻakai

    Salt

    Usage

    To ask for salt or check salt content

13. Ke kōpaʻa

    Sugar

    Usage

    To ask for sugar or check for it

14. Ka ʻaila

    Oil

    Usage

    To check whether oil is used

15. Ka waiūpaka

    Butter

    Usage

    To check whether butter is used

16. Ka waiūpaʻa

    Cheese

    Usage

    To check whether cheese is used

17. Ka meli

    Honey

    Usage

    To ask for or check for honey

18. Ke kupa

    Soup

    Usage

    To order soup; kupa is borrowed from English "soup"

19. Ka hua ʻai

    Fruit

    Usage

    To order or buy fruit

20. Momona

    Sweet

    Usage

    To ask about or describe sweetness

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