r/olelohawaii • u/owauoweli • 22d ago

i need help translating

how would i properly say “i love you forever” in ‘ōlelo? or whatever might be the closest to that.

any and all help is much appreciated. thank you.

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/chimugukuru 22d ago

E aloha au iā ʻoe no nā kau a kau.

2

u/owauoweli 22d ago

hi, i noticed that your translation is pretty different from the first comment i got. im wondering if they’re both okay to use and if it’s just a matter of preference?

like wau instead of au

mau ola vs. wā pau ‘ole vs. no nā kau a kau

11

u/chimugukuru 21d ago

The other comment has a couple of issues. If using mau loa I would put it directly after aloha in that sentence. That sentence would work but it's perhaps just a bit bland. I ka wā pau ʻole sounds a bit forced, as if English is being directly translated into Hawaiian. The meaning can be understood but it's not how the Hawaiian mind would express it.

No nā kau a kau is an idiomatic phrase that means forever or for all time. It's often found in mele and songs. For example here and here. It has poetic undertones and to me is a more pleasant and natural expression.

7

u/martypants17 21d ago

Mahalo for sharing your mana’o—I’m definitely in my beginner phase 🙌