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Hawaiian & Pidgin words
The treasure chests in Musubi War ask what Hawaiian words mean. Here is every word in the quiz, plus the Pidgin your monsters shout during battle.
Hawaiian (ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi) is the native language of Hawaiʻi. The ʻokina (ʻ) is a stop in the voice, like the break in "uh-oh", and the kahakō (the line over a vowel, like ā) makes the vowel longer. Pidgin (Hawaiʻi Creole English) is the everyday local language mixing English, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and Filipino words.
Hawaiian words in the quiz (100)
| Ahupuaʻa | land division from mountain to sea |
| ʻAi | to eat |
| Aliʻi | chief, royalty |
| Ao | cloud, daytime |
| Awāwa | valley |
| Hale | house |
| Hauʻoli | happy |
| Heʻe | octopus |
| Heʻe nalu | to surf |
| Hiamoe | to sleep |
| Hoe | paddle |
| Holo | to run |
| Honu | sea turtle |
| Hula | dance |
| Hulu | feather |
| Hānai | adopted, fostered |
| Hōkū | star |
| Hōʻike | to show |
| Ihe | spear |
| ʻIlio | dog |
| Imu | underground oven |
| ʻInu | to drink |
| ʻIo | Hawaiian hawk |
| Kahu | guardian, caretaker |
| Kahuna | priest, expert |
| Kai | sea, sea water |
| Kalo | taro |
| Kapa | bark cloth, tapa |
| Kapu | forbidden, sacred |
| Kauhale | group of houses, village |
| Keiki | child |
| Keʻokeʻo | white |
| Koa | brave, warrior |
| Kupuna | grandparent, elder |
| Kālua | to bake in an underground oven |
| Kāne | man |
| Kōkua | help |
| Kūʻē | to oppose |
| Lani | sky, heavens |
| Laulau | food wrapped in leaves and steamed |
| Lei | garland, wreath |
| Lele | to jump, to fly |
| Lima | hand, five |
| Lio | horse |
| Lomi | to rub, massage |
| Lā | sun, day |
| Lōʻihi | long, tall |
| Lūʻau | Hawaiian feast |
| Mahalo | thank you |
| Mahina | moon |
| Maiʻa | banana |
| Maka | eye, face |
| Makai | toward the sea |
| Makani | wind |
| Manō | shark |
| Mauka | toward the mountains |
| Mauna | mountain |
| Mele | song |
| Moa | chicken |
| Moana | ocean |
| Mālama | to care for |
| Mōʻī | king or queen |
| Nalu | wave |
| Nani | beautiful |
| Niu | coconut |
| Noho | to sit, to live |
| Nui | big, large |
| Nēnē | Hawaiian goose |
| ʻOhana | family |
| Oli | chant |
| ʻOno | delicious |
| Pahu | drum |
| Pali | cliff |
| Pau | finished, done |
| Pele | volcano goddess |
| Pilikia | trouble |
| Poi | pounded taro paste |
| Pono | righteous, proper |
| Poʻo | head |
| Puaʻa | pig |
| Pueo | Hawaiian owl |
| Puʻuwai | heart |
| Pāpaʻi | crab |
| Pōhaku | rock, stone |
| Pōpoki | cat |
| Pūpū | appetizer, snack |
| Tūtū | grandma or grandpa |
| Ua | rain |
| ʻUala | sweet potato |
| ʻUkulele | small stringed instrument |
| ʻUla | red |
| ʻUlu | breadfruit |
| Wahine | woman |
| Wai | fresh water |
| Wailele | waterfall |
| Waʻa | canoe |
| Wikiwiki | fast, quick |
| Wāwae | foot, leg |
| Ānuenue | rainbow |
| ʻŌpae | shrimp |
Pidgin you will hear
| Brah | Brother, friend; what you call your buddy. |
| Da kine | The thing, the whatchamacallit; works for almost anything. |
| Chee hoo! | A happy shout, like "yeehaw!" Your monsters yell it after a knockout. |
| Try stay | "Stay for a bit." Also the name of the hold-the-spot game mode. |
| Monstah | Monster, the local way. |
| Ono | Delicious. Musubi is very ono. |
| Pau | Finished, done. "Pau Jake" means Jake is beaten. |
| Kolohe | Mischievous, rascal. The Kolohe Crew lives up to it. |
| Mauka | Toward the mountains. |
| Makai | Toward the ocean. |
| Musubi | A block of rice with grilled spam on top, wrapped in seaweed: the treasure every monster wants. |
| Shaka | The hang-loose hand sign: thumb and pinky out. |
| Grindz | Food, especially good local food. |
| Howzit | Hi, how are you? |
| Shoots | Okay, sounds good. |
Meanings are short game-sized versions; many Hawaiian words have deeper meanings than fit in a quiz.