Pidgin here in Hawaii is a sort of Hawaiian Slang-lish and
not the Pidgin language spoken in the deep south Pacific
Islands. A culture lies behind Hawaiian Pidgin. It seems to
rub off on those who stay for any length of time. There are
many, especially in the country areas and outer islands that
only talk "da kine" true Hawaiian Pidgin. It is peppered
with Hawaiian words. For a mainlander it can be a real
challenge to understand, but for those who live here, it is
a part of island life. Reading the printed Hawaiian Pidgin,
there are many accents and a type of lilt or tone that are
applied to most words. The spelling is meant to capture the
pronunciation.
|
|
Pidgin
English |
Meaning
|
Example |
Example
Meaning |
ack
|
acting up, show off, acting stupid |
No ack k? |
Don't act stupid ok? |
|
Akamai |
Someone who is very smart
|
You know my Feezicks Professah, you know
da bolo head one? Some AKAMAI! |
You know my Physics Professor at the
University of Hawaii Manoa? The one with the shinny bald
head? He is the most intelligent man I have ever known! |
any kine
|
anything |
What kine you like? Any kine brah. |
Which one do you want?Anything is fine. |
an den?
|
and then? (usually an expression of
boredeom) |
Bob: Eh, I saw dis girl today. John
(bored): an den? |
Bob: I saw this girl today. John:
Annnnnnd? |
|
Auntie |
Aunt
|
Anybody see my glasses? Auntie, stay on
top you eyeballs. |
Has anyone seen my reading glasses? Aunt
CC, you are wearing them. |
|
Aznuts |
That is insane, ridiculous, out of your mind, that's nuts
|
Honey, Tutu wen bungie jump H3 dis
morn'in. Wat!?! AZNUTS!!! |
Honey, Grandmother bungie jumped off of
the new freeway this morning. Are you kidding? That is
insane!!! |
|
BO-DA-DEM |
Both of them
|
Which Keki you going take to da store?
Oh, I going take BO-DA-DEM. |
Have you decided which of our children
are going to get to accompany you to the mall? Well, I've
decided to take both of them |
boddah me/you
|
bothering me/you |
Eh, no boddah me k? |
Stop bothering me. |
|
Bumbye |
when we get around to it, after a while
|
When we going to da store? Ah, Bumbye! |
When are we going to the store? Oh After
a while! |
brah
|
brother |
Eh brah, we go shopping. |
Hey brother/friend, lets go shopping.
|
brok da mout
|
taste very good (broke the mouth)
|
Ho, da chicken taste so good, brok da
mout cuz. |
The chicken was delicious. |
braddah
|
same with brah (see above) |
|
|
buggah
|
a fellow |
Dat buggah went home already. |
The fellow has already went back home. |
|
bus |
broke
|
He wen bus his chair cuz he too fat. |
He broke his chair because he was too
fat. |
|
bussum |
out take it out What's in there?
|
Ho, What get in there? Bussum out. |
Take them out. |
|
choke |
a lot, large quantity
|
Da beach get choke chicks brah. |
The beach has a lot of chicks. |
|
cuz |
1. cousin/Friend
2.because
|
1. Eh, we go cuz. 2. I no like cuz my
feet soa. |
1. Lets go cousin/Friend.
2. I don't want to go because my feet hurts. |
|
da kine |
Could be Anything (used when you can't recall the name of a noun)
|
1. Where you going? I going da kine. 2.
What food you like eat? da kine. 3. Eh, I saw da kine today.
etc. |
Sorry, I don't know how to translate this
one... |
|
das why |
that's the reason
|
See when you eat choke, das why you fat
brah. |
See what happen when you eat a lot?
That's the reason why you are fat. |
|
eh |
hey
|
Eh, no be like dat! |
Hey, don't be like that. |
|
fo |
to
|
Eh, you know how fo do dis? |
Hey, do you know how to do this? |
|
fo realz? |
really?
|
Mike: Eh, I won 1 million dolla today!
Franky: Fo realz? Mike: Nah I only
joking. |
Mike: Hey I won a million dollars today.
Franky: Really? Mike: No I am just joking. |
|
fo what? |
why?, how come?
|
Cindy: I like borrow 5 dollas? Jennifer:
Fo what? |
Cindy: Can I borrow 5 dollars? Jennifer:
Why? |
|
Fut |
passing gas Hawaiian style
|
Ho, you wen fut? --- Not, I nevah!- |
Hey, did you pass gas? Of course not!
That is inconceivable. |
|
get um? |
1. have it? 2. Got it? (Understand)?
|
1. Eh you get um? 2. Gotta add 2, get um? |
1. Hey, do you have it? 2. You have to
add 2. You got it? |
|
givum |
give it (to me/him/etc)
|
Brah givum already! |
Hey just give it to me/him/her/them/etc.
|
|
grind |
to eat
|
Eh, we go grind at Zippy's. |
Hey, lets go eat at Zippy's. |
|
haole |
outsiders, Caucasians
|
Ho brah dat hoale dunno where he going
cuz. |
That guy (outsider) doesn't know where he
is going. |
|
Hana Hou |
Play it again. Do it again. One more time!
|
Thank you fo com'n to do Hawaiian Music
Jam---HANA HOU, HANA HOU... |
Thank you for coming to the Hawaiian
Music Jam--One more time, play it again... |
|
Hapai |
Pregnant
|
So I wen turn da corner, an dere she was
stand'in in da street, beeg as a house---Wat HAPAI? |
So right around the corner, there she
was, right in the middle of the street. She was as big as a
house. Is she pregnant? |
|
ho |
whoa
|
Ho, that was bad brah! |
Whoa, that was cool! |
|
howzit? |
How are you? How is it going?
|
What't up? Eh, howzit brah? Long time no
see. |
Hey what's up? Didn't see you for a
long time. |
|
Junk |
Not good, rotten, lousy
|
Ho honey, I wen drive out to do North
Shore fo noting. Why, do surf was JUNK? |
Honey, I went all the way out to the
North Shore to surf for nothing. Why didn't you surf? Was it
bad? |
|
k |
ok
|
Follow me k? |
Follow me ok? |
|
k den |
ok then, alright then
|
Ryan: You going home? Carlin: Yeah. Ryan: K den
|
Ryan: You going home? Carlin: Yeah. Ryan:
Alright then. |
|
like |
want, want to |
You like go now?
|
You want to go now? |
|
like beef? |
Wanna fight? |
Eh like beef? No ack k?
|
You want to fight? Don't act up ok?
|
|
like dis |
like this |
How you do dis? Like dis brah!
|
How do you do this? Like this. |
|
like dat |
like that |
Joe: How you do dis? Jerry: Like dat brah! Joe: Like what?
Jerry: Brah like dat!!!
|
Joe: How do you do this? Jerry (pointing
to something): Like that. Joe: How? Jerry (still pointing):
Like that!!! |
|
like how? |
how? |
Brad: Brah, just gotta loop em. Jason: Like how brah?
|
Brad: You just have to loop it. Jason:
How? |
|
lick'ns |
spanking/
Beat up |
You got lick'ns when you was small? All da time cuz.
|
Did you get spanked when you were a
child? All the time. |
|
lolo |
stupid, not smart |
Can tell he lolo.
|
I can tell he is stupid. |
|
Lua |
bathroom
|
Ho, my bladdah feel like go'n blow up!
Aah, jus go to do lua den. |
Man, my bladder is so full, I feel as if
I'm going to blow up. Well, what are you waiting for? Go to
the bathroom already!! |
|
mahaloz |
thanks |
Eh brah, mahaloz yeah.
|
Hey, thanks. |
|
mahu |
gay, homosexual |
Eh dat guy one mahu yeah?
|
Hey, that guy is a homosexual huh? |
|
Maki |
dead
|
Eh Charlie, where your dog stay? AWWW,
she wen MAKI |
Hey Charlie, where in the world is your
dog? Oh, she passed away. |
|
mo bettah |
more better |
Nah, dat mo bettah.
|
Nah, that one is better. |
|
no can |
cannot |
Da thing fit? No can brah.
|
Can that thing fit? No, it cannot fit. |
|
no like |
don't want to |
Eh you like go car show wit me? Nah I no like.
|
Hey do you want to go to the car
show with me? No, I don't want to. |
|
no moah |
don't have
|
You get any sodas left? I no moah
already. |
Do you have any sodas left? I don't have
any left. |
|
Not |
just kidding, not really
|
Eh Cory, da lady said I should go
Modeling School. NOT! |
Cory my friend, the woman thinks I should
attend a modeling school. You have got to be kidding! |
|
no worry |
don't worry
|
No worry brah, I get um. |
Don't worry, I got it. |
|
nuff already |
enough
|
Like drink some moa? Nuff already! |
Do you want to drink some more? No, I've
had enough. |
|
okole |
butt
|
She get one big okole yea? |
Does she have a big butt? |
|
one |
a
|
Eh, we go watch one movie? |
Hey, lets go watch a movie. |
|
ono |
delicious
|
Da food ono cuz, try em. |
Hey, the food is delicious, you should
try it. |
|
Onolicious |
overly delicious
|
Ho, da cone sushi, so Onoliscious! |
As I was saying, I really enjoyed the
sweet wraped rice because it is just the most delicious
tasting snack I have had in a long time. |
|
Panty |
Wimp, weakling doormat, invertebrate, Milquetoast, mollycoddle,
namby-pamby, sissy
|
I skade. Look PANTY, da ting not going
bite you. |
I am extremely afraid. Listen you wimp,
it won't bite. |
|
pau |
finished, over, done
|
Rick: Eh, when the game start? Kevin: Pau
already! |
Rick: When does the game start? Kevin:
It's already over. |
|
Pau Hana |
finished with work for the day
|
|
|
|
planny |
a lot
|
How much you get? I get planny cuz. |
How much do you have? I have a lot.
|
|
Pupus |
Appetizers
|
|
|
|
shoots |
ok, alright, deal (agreeing to something)
|
Jay: Eh we go beach. Cisco: Shoots! |
Jay: Hey lets go to the beach. Cisco: OK.
|
|
sistah |
sister
|
Eh sistah, where you going? |
Hey, where are you going sister? |
|
slippahs |
Flip Flop Shoes, Sandles, slippers
|
Wutch you wearing slippahs fo? |
Why are you wearing slippers? |
|
solid |
nice, pretty
|
Eh dat chick solid yeah? |
Hey that chick is pretty huh? |
|
stay |
is, at, is at
|
Where da thing stay? Brah the thing stay
right thea! |
Where is that thing at? That thing is
right there! |
|
stink eye |
dirty look
|
Ho, da buggah gimme stink eye! |
That fellow just gave me a dirty look.
|
|
talk stink |
speaking bad about someone
|
Eh, I think he talking stink about me. |
Hey, I think he is talking bad about me.
|
|
talk story |
chatting, tell stories, talking
|
Da lazy buggahs stay talking stories brah. |
Those lazy fellows are chatting. |
|
Tita |
very tough female
|
|
|
|
Try Move |
please move out of the way
|
|
|
|
Tutu-(too-too) |
grandmother
|
|
|
|
try |
please
|
1. Try wait. I stay busy. 2. Eh, try do
dis fo me. 3. Try move. etc. |
1. Please wait. I am busy. 2. Hey, can
you please do this for me? 3. Please move. etc. |
|
we go |
lets go
|
Eh we go eat. |
Hey, lets eat. |
|
what get? |
what kinds of... (indicating variety) of t-shirt do you have?
|
You like buy shirt? What get? |
Do you want to buy a t-shirt? What kinds
|
|
yeah? |
huh?
|
Ho, that was bad yeah? |
Whoa, that was cool huh? |
|
yeah!?!? |
same as fo realz?: really?
|
Amy: Eh, I forget fo bring my money.
Philip: Yeah!?!? |
Amy: I forgot to bring my money. Philip:
Really? |
