Pidgin phrase that typically means “or else.” “Hey aunty how are you doing? Is unko Silva still working at Pearl Harbor?” You donʻt have to be blood related at all to be-or call someone-an aunty or unko. Itʻs not uncommon for kamaʻāina to call men and women older than them “aunty” or “unko”-a local version of uncle that omits the “le” sound. “Please pick up your trash to care for our ʻāina.”Ī local way of saying “alright,” residents of Hawaiʻi use aurite as a more excited way of agreeing with something or for confirmation. The Hawaiian word for land, locals will often refer to the island youʻre on as the “ʻāina.”

Itʻs also what we call the spirit of generosity and giving found here in Hawaiʻi, hence the term “aloha spirit.” So donʻt fret, and check out the collection of words and terms weʻve put together that will get you through your trip without anything important being missed in translation.Īloha is a funny one since it has so many definitions-it can mean hello and goodbye. “Shoots,” “slippahs” and “kapu” probably arenʻt in your day-to-day vernacular, and it can all seem like a lot when you first arrive in Hawaiʻi. If itʻs your first time to the Islands, you may be a little thrown off by all of the local slang. From “shoots” to “ʻono” and “hanabata days,” here are the pidgin phrases and words you should know before you next trip to Hawaiʻi.

How to speak hawaiian pidgin