Language Learning Resources

HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE LEARNING RESOURCES

Educational Resources In Support Of Hawaiian Language Revitalization

Maui Communications Networks

On-Line Hawaiian Language Learning Library

Here's where you'll find explanations and instructional material to help you learn the structure and grammar of the Hawaiian language. Additional content is being added to the library on a regular basis so, if there's something that you were looking for and you didn't find, Send Us An Email with your request and well add it to the queue!

Go To The Language Learning Library

The Hawaiian Language Reference Grammar

Iokepa and Anita Bardwell were two of five authors who compiled what may be the most complete Hawaiian grammar student reference to be found anywhere. Over the course of 2019, the team cross-referenced and consolidated, effectively, all available grammar texts and references available today. The book also includes organized notes and handouts from 1st through 4th year Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawaii. Visit The Hawaiian Language Reference Grammar page to read and search the document on-line or download a PDF which includes an extensive index.

On-Line Dictionaries

There's one thing that no one can "teach" you, and that's vocabulary. Nothing replaces memorization and repetition and it's critical that you constantly expand your vocabulary. There are two primary on-line Hawaiian dictionaries and both provide Hawaiian-to-English and English-to Hawaiian translations. The two resources are:

Wehewehe

Wehewehe Wikiwikii


One recommended learning practice is to use sticky notes around your home with the Hawaiian and English words for common things: door, window, mirror, closet, picture, kitchen, couch, bed, toothbrush... there are unlimited learning opportunities! Another practice is, when you're out of the house, use the dictionary app on your phone and look up the Hawaiian word for things you see: car, truck, store, road, rooster... again, unlimited opportunities to increase your vocabulary.


You're going to find that some Hawaiian words have multiple English words as "definitions". It's important to note that these compilations of words aren't "dictionaries" in the conventional sense. Rather, these are ways that the Hawaiian word was used by fluent speakers and the "definition" can often feel somewhat obscure.

Kulāiwi - On-Line Lessons

In this 24-lesson video series, produced many years ago by Kamehameha Schools, Kumu 'Ekela Kanī'aupi'o Crozier provides a wonderful introduction to the Hawaiian language. She presents fundamental sentence patterns, pronouns, possessives, and verb tenses. The lessons include real-world language usage scenarios.

Watch Kulāiwi Lessons on YouTube

Ka Leo ʻŌiwi - On-Line Lessons

In this 9-lesson video series you'll learn conversational Hawaiian sentence structure and word use as you join the presenters in their exploration of the language.

Watch Ka Leo ʻŌiwi Lessons on YouTube

KA LEO HAWAII - VOICES OF THE LAND

The Kaniʻāina website is an archive of audio recordings from Ka Leo Hawaiʻi, a public Hawaiian language radio program broadcast from 1972 to 1988 with interviews of mainly native Hawaiian speaking elders and phone calls from listeners. Over 500 hours of digitized, and in many cases transcribed, audio recordings are available on-line.

Go To The Kaniʻāina Website

KE AOLAMA - Hawaiian Daily News


Ke Aolama articles are published in Hawaiian every business day. The site includes not only the current articles but has the archive of all past articles as well. A text search for names, topics, and phrases that appear in the news articles helps you find items of interest.

Go To The Ke Aolama Website

KA LAMA HAWAII - Newspapers From The 1800s

This site is an archive of historic Hawaiian-language newspapers published between 1834 and 1948. One of the easiest ways to access the archives is to use the Search By Date feature described on the website.

Go To The Ka Lama Hawaii

PAPAKILO DATABASE - Culturally Significant Collection

This searchable database is part of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs ongoing development of an online repository for data pertaining to historically and culturally significant places, events, and documents in Hawaiʻi's history. It includes a large collection of digitized Hawaiian newspapers, archeological reports, and data from the Bishop Museum collections.

Go To The Papakilo Database Website

ʻŌLELOFLIX - Movies With ʻŌlelo Hawaii Subtitles

Using crowd-sourcing resources, a number of feature films were subtitled in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. You can watch the movies in their entirety on ʻŌleloflix.

Go To The ʻŌleloflix Website

ULUKAU - The Hawaiian Electronic Library

This is a huge repository of Hawaiian language resources and the scope and depth of information available can feel overwhelming! Itʻs here that the Wehewehe dictionary is located along with books, digitized Hawaiian language newspapers, and much more! Itʻs well worth exploring the content by visiting the ULUKAU site.

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Initiative - Recorded Classes Online

The ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Initiative is provided through UH Manoa as an opportunity for community members to learn and speak the Hawaiian language. Class videos and accompanying PowerPoint presentations are available going back to Spring 2020.

Go To The ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Initiative Website

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