Well-known Hawaiian ʻōlelo noʻeau (proverbs) and figurative expressions with their meanings explained. Front: the Hawaiian idiom. Back: English meaning and usage note.
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- I ka ʻōlelo nō ke ola, i ka ʻōlelo nō ka make.
- In language there is life, in language there is death (the power of words)
- He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauā ke kanaka.
- The land is chief, man is its servant (respect for the land)
- ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia.
- No task is too big when done together
- He waʻa he moku, he moku he waʻa.
- The canoe is an island, the island is a canoe (a proverb about self-sufficiency and stewardship)
- I ulu no ka lālā i ke kumu.
- The branches grow because of the trunk, we exist because of our ancestors
- ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi.
- Not all knowledge is learned in one school
- Ma ka hana ka ʻike.
- In working, one learns
- Nānā i ke kumu.
- Look to the source, seek the origin or teacher
- E hoʻomau i ka ʻimi naʻauao.
- Continue to seek knowledge and wisdom
- He lawaiʻa nō ke kai pāpaʻu, he pōkole ke aho.
- A fisherman of the shallow sea has only a short line, meaning limited experience brings limited resources
- ʻAʻohe puʻu kiʻekiʻe ke hoʻāʻo ʻia e piʻi.
- No hill is too high to climb if one tries
- Lawe i ka maʻalea a kūʻonoʻono.
- Take wisdom and make it deep, be wise and thorough
- ʻIke aku, ʻike mai, kōkua aku kōkua mai.
- Recognize and be recognized, help and be helped, such is family life
- Ka wai ola a Kāne
- The living water of Kāne, referring to sacred, life-giving water
- Mai nānā i ka lāʻau a nānā i ka hua.
- Don't judge the tree, judge the fruit, judge by results
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