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humuhumunukunukuapuaa: two “hu-mu”s, two “nu-ku”s, and an “a-pu-a-a.” Now try it: “hu-mu/hu-mu/nu-ku/nu-ku/a-pu-a-a”…. Very good!

Makai and mauka

In Hawaii, local people often give directions or describe the location of a place as makai (merge the ai), which means “toward the sea,” or mauka (merge the au), which means “toward the mountains; inland.” I had a terrible time remembering which was which until I came up with this mnemonic:

Go makai

Where sea meets sky,

and Tom Winnett came up with:

Mauka is toward the MAUntains.

However, I still think in terms of left, right, north, south, east, and west. I don’t often use mauka and makai in this book.

Two other local-style directions you may encounter in Honolulu are “Ewa” (e-va), which means west toward Ewa town, and “Diamond Head,” which means east toward Diamond Head. Again, I don’t use these directions.

Do your best, with respect

Approach the language with respect, and give it your best shot. Then be prepared to hear local people pronounce it differently. Learn from them. Maybe it’s part of our jobs as visitors to inadvertently provide a little comic relief for those living and working here as opposed to just vacationing here.