Hello! My name is Keanea and I am from the great islands of Hawaii!
In Hawaii, Hawaiian is rarely spoken. The main language is English, and on Oahu there is a lot of Japanese. However, amongst locals, Pidgin is the most popular language. Basically, it is English that so broken that you can only understand it if you speak it, with some Hawaiian words added in. As in, if you speak English only, you most likely won’t understand Hawaiian Pidgin. So, on this blog, I am doing to randomly popcorn choose a few common Pidgin words/phrases. Consider this a helpful dictionary. if you are going to Hawaii, knowing these go’n help a bruddah out!
Pono - The direct translation means “righteousness,” but it is often referred to as, “do what is right.”
Howzit? - Pidgin for “How is it going?”
Cruisin - In many places, the word “cruisin” means driving or going really fast, in Pidgin, it is quite the opposite, and means that you are completely chilling, hanging out, not really doing anything but enjoying yourself (a favorite Hawaiian past time).
Da’ Kine - Da’ Kinda literally can mean anything. As long as it’s a noun, it can be called Da’ Kine, the definition is solely in the context of the situation. Someone might say, “Eh brah, you gotsta’ Da’ Kine?”
Aloha (of course) - Aloha is the most common phrase in all of Hawaii; it means love, salutations, nice to meet you, as well as good bye.
Shootz! - The direct translation would be “alright,” or “okay,” but it is mainly used as a goodbye, meaning “see you later!” Shootz is usually accompanied by a peace sign as one leaves the room or conversation.
