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Hawaiian word · noun

akahai

“kindness, gentleness, modesty”

Say it

ah-kah-HAI

What does akahai mean in Hawaiian?

Akahai is kindness expressed with gentleness — not merely being nice, but a modest, unforced care in how one treats others.

The word is the first of the five that make up the Aloha Spirit as written into Hawaiʻi state law: akahai (kindness), lōkahi (unity), ʻoluʻolu (agreeableness), haʻahaʻa (humility) and ahonui (patience). Each supplies a letter of the word aloha.

Because of that, akahai turns up constantly in schools and civic programmes, and it is given as a name for its meaning rather than for its sound.

Say it ah-kah-HAI. Every vowel is pronounced, and the capitalized syllable takes the stress. The pronunciation guide covers the rules.

Sources the Pukui and Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary, Place Names of Hawaii, Nānā i ke Kumu, wehewehe.org, Wiktionary's Hawaiian given names and U.S. Social Security baby-name records. How this site is compiled · Send a correction

Questions people ask

What is the Hawaiian word for gentle or kind?

Akahai, pronounced ah-kah-HAI, is kindness expressed gently and modestly. Mālie is the other common option and leans towards calm and quiet rather than kindness.

What does akahai mean?

Akahai means kindness, gentleness, modesty. Akahai is kindness expressed with gentleness — not merely being nice, but a modest, unforced care in how one treats others..

How do you pronounce akahai?

ah-kah-HAI. Every vowel is a separate sound and the stressed syllable is written in capitals.

Is akahai used in Hawaiian names?

No. Akahai is an everyday Hawaiian word, not a name element, and no name on this site contains it.

All Hawaiian words used in names