

But it can be helpful - and fun, frankly! - to be familiar with these words and expressions when you encounter them. Pidgin words and phrases are also sometimes used in local advertisements.Īs a newcomer to Hawaii, you won’t be expected to speak Pidgin to locals (in fact, any attempt to do so will probably be met with strange looks or laughter!). Today, you can hear Pidgin being spoken among some locals in informal situations. When the Okinawans, Puerto Ricans, Koreans, and Filipinos started immigrating to Hawaii around 1900, bits of their distinct languages were also thrown into the mix.

To be able to communicate with each other and the English-speaking plantation owners, a common language developed that borrowed words, phrases, intonations, and grammatical structures from these 4 different languages. First came the Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese in the mid-1800s. Hawaiian Pidgin has evolved from the old plantation days when immigrants came from different countries to work in Hawaii’s sugar cane fields. A Big List of Hawaiian Pidgin Slang Words and Phrases.

Most Popular Hawaiian Pidgin Slang Words.Other Places to Learn Hawaii Pidgin Slang.Background to Hawaii Pidgin Slang Phrases.
#DA KINE MEANING FULL#
If you are thinking about thanking someone from the heart, this is what you would say!īrowse our full menu of ingredients and order your next poké bowl online for easy pickup or delivery. (Like our poké bowls!) Mahalo (ma-ha-low) This originates from English, “Broke the Mouth,” meaning you had something so delicious you couldn’t stand it. Shaka is also one of our signature bowls! Ono Shaka is the universal hand gesture of Hawaii that refers to thanks, a greeting, or a goodbye. Howzit refers to Hawaiian-style greeting asking in the easy, short form, “How is everything going?” Shaka Refers to food, pronounced with a z at the end, not s. This trendy slang phrase has become a famous brand name marked on shirts and logos around Hawaii. It is also the name of one of our delicious signature bowls! Ainokea (I no care)Īinokea is spelled like “I no care” slowly … and there you have it. As slang goes, da kine is pretty versatile. Da Kineĭa Kine is derived from the phrase “the kind”, and usually functions grammatically as a placeholder name for all kinds of “stuff.” It can also take the role of a verb, adjective, or adverb. Aloha is the most common word used in Hawaii. It also has a different meaning when used alone or combined with another word. and beyond! Aloha (ah-LOW-hah)Īloha is mostly used for hello and goodbye. This includes everything from English, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean and Filipino merged with the local Hawaiian and nearby Polynesian languages to create a Hawaiian Creole or pidgin.īelow we have created a helpful list of slang words and phrases you might catch at your local Poke Bros. Hawaii’s past of immigration and ethnic variety produced a mixture of languages. Yet, there is one more language that is used unofficially, which is spoken by many local people in daily discussion: Hawaii Pidgin English, or pidgin for short. In Hawaii, English and Hawaiin language are the official languages. You’ll notice some of our signature bowls are reflective of local, Hawaiian slang that is a beautiful mix of different cultures. Whenever you walk into a Poke Bros you’re transported to a Hawaiian oasis.
