Amy is always gushing about how certain words in Spanish just sound really great – never mind the meaning – it’s the sound that counts.
She loves words like "maldita" and "vacilon."
The same thing happens to me with Hawaiian words and names. It’s a lovely melodious language and it’s fun to try to say things in Hawaiian.
Hawaiian Language Lesson #1 – There are 18 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.
Hawaiian Language Lesson # 2 – The 5 vowels are always pronounced AH, EH, EE, OH, OO. (Hey! Just like Spanish, but that’s not important right now…)
The words are pronounced just as they are written. For example:
Honolulu is pronounced "hoh noh loo loo."
And there are fun-to-say Hawaiian expressions like:
"Pa`a ka waha" -which means "shut the mouth."
So we’re on the North Shore of Oahu today and there is a swell and there are no lifeguards on the deserted beach. Of course, Eric decides to go swimming. . .
Me: "Get out now! I won’t save you!" (not that I could if I wanted to, but that’s not important right now. =D)
Eric: "Pa`a ka waha!"
Me: "Po’ poco te mato!"*
*okay, so actually that’s Spanish and it means "I could almost KILL you!"
But it sounds Hawaiian, and that’s what’s important right now. 😉
Marta and The Kahuna in Waikiki. =D
ALOHA!
“Keh Koh Mee Koh” LOL!!!It sure looks like you are having fun!!! Enjoy!
Aloha 🙂 Melek
“Happiness is like a cat. If you try to coax it or call it, it will avoid you. It will never come. But if you pay no attention to it and go about your business, you’ll find it rubbing up against your legs and jumping into your lap.” ~ William Bennett
Gorgeous! (sigh….) At least the sun came out yesterday here in England. Here it has been much more like Camp Sloggett on the top of Mount Waialiali (on Kauai and I probably spelled it wrong. So much for my Hawaiian!) than Waikiki. It was so nice to see the sun. Felt like a long-lost friend!
Aloha! I just found your blog and it just so happens that you are in my favorite state right now. I almost peed my pants when I read po’poco te mato!More than 1/2 the pictures of my husband & I on vacation are the same “at arm’s length shots!”
Have a nice shave ice for me at Matsumoto.
Definitely bookmarking your blog!
Off to explore some more.
Soooo green with envy! Go have some lunch at Duke’s at the Outrigger, right on the water!
Marta, if you have lunch at Duke’s, you have to have a “Lava Flow” drink for me! …and go shopping at the International Market Place across the street. I love Hawaii and became very good at pronouncing the names because i just “read” them in Spanish. Enjoy!
“Ohana”That’s all the Hawaiian I know, thanks to Lilo and Stitch.
Glad to see you are having such an awesome time! =)