Have you just moved to Hawaii for a trucking job? Maybe you are just there for a one-time gig. Or it is possible that you just want to spend your vacation there after several months of hard work and long-haul. No matter what your reason to be a trucker in Hawaii is, you will probably need to know a few useful Hawaiian phrases and words that might come in handy!
We all know the most famous Hawaiian words like “Aloha” and, partially thanks to Lilo & Stitch, “Ohana”. But maybe if you plan on staying there for a while, or even working there as a trucker, you might need to learn a few more useful terms in their native language.
First of all, did you know that Hawaiian has a lot of different influences from many other languages all over the world? The beautiful islands had influences from Spain, Portugal, England, China, the Philippines, Korea, and Japan! So Hawaiian was shaped, in part, by all the languages spoken in those countries. That is a rich heritage!
In the second place, you have to remember that each region might have different words, expressions, or even pronunciations. So, thankfully you can also use English to communicate. But if you want to be treated like a local, try and learn some of these words and phrases.
USEFUL TRUCKING WORDS IN HAWAIIAN
TRUCK – KALAKA
STOP THE CAR – HOʻOKū I KE KAʻA
STOP WORK – HOʻOPAU I KA HANA
GASOLINE – KAKALINA
HAUL – KAUŌ
FREIGHT – UKANA
TO GO FOR A DRIVE – HOLOHOLO KAʻA
DRIVER – KALAIWA
TO DRIVE AWAY – KIPAKU
ASSISTANCE – LAWELAWE
SERVICE CHARGE – UKU LAWELAWE
TO DRIVE A CARRIAGE – HOʻOHOLO KAʻA
FEE – UKU
TRIP – HUAKAʻI
ROAD – ALA
ROAD FOLLOWING CLIFFS – ALA KAKAʻI PALI
LONG ROAD – ALA LOA
DEAD-END ROAD – ALA MUKU
STEEP ROAD – ALAPIʻI KŪ
CURVE IN A ROAD – KĀLAWA
BATHROOM – LUA
TRAVEL – KAʻAHELE
MIRROR – ANIANI
VIEW – ʻIKENA
CAR TIRE – LAHOLIO HOʻOPAʻA HUILA
PROBLEM – PILIKI
NO PROBLEM/YOU ARE WELCOME – ʻAʻOLE PILIKIA
WHEEL – HUILA
HOTEL – HŌKELE
RESTAURANT – HALE ʻAINA
FOOD – ʻAI
FOOD FOR A JOURNEY – Ō
VEGETABLE – PALUʻAI
MEDICINE – LĀʻAU
HOSPITAL – HALE MAʻI
TO OFFER FOOD AND PRAYERS – KAHUKAHU
THANK YOU – MAHALO
TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN – MAUKA
TOWARDS THE OCEAN – MAKAI
RIGHT – ʻĀKAU
LEFT – HEMA
DEPARTED – HA’ALELE
THERE IS NO ROOM LEFT IN THIS BOX – ʻAʻOHE WAHI KAʻAWALE
DIRECTIONS/INSTRUCTIONS – KUHIKUHI
RESIDENCE ADDRESS – WAHI NOHO
STRAIGHT – POLOLEI
TO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD – HELE POLOLEI
THAT’S RIGHT – PĒLĀ NŌ
CORRECT – POLOLEI
INCORRECT – POLOLEI ‘OLE
PRICE – KUMU KŪʻAI
HAOLE – FOREIGNER
HAPPY HOUR/AFTER WORK – PAU HANA
BEER – PIA
FINISHED – PAU
YES – ‘AE
NO – ‘A’OLE
SORRY – KAUMAHA
I AM SORRY – KALA MAI IAʻU
PLEASE – HŌʻOLU
HOW MUCH IS THIS? – ʻEHIA KĒIA?
MAN – KANAKA
WOMAN – WAHINE
JOB – ʻOIHANA
MONEY – KĀLĀ
MONEY ORDER – PEPA KĪKOʻO KĀLĀ
BID – KOHO
If you need more help with your vocabulary, don’t forget to check this amazing English-Hawaiian dictionary. It’s free!
What did you think of these vocabulary words and phrases? Do you think they are useful? If you think we are missing any important Hawaiian word for the trucking world, don’t forget to share it in the comments!
