The easiest way to learn Hawaiian is to read lessons made for your level and look up what stops you right on the page. With Bubblegum, you tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and a topic you like, and she writes a Hawaiian lesson for you.
Add live classes or a tutor when you want to practice speaking with another person.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Hawaiian. You learn from Hawaiian you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Poppy writes each lesson for your level, on topics you pick.
- Each lesson plays AI audio while you read.
- Look up a word with a tap, or ask Poppy to explain a whole line.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't turn your own Hawaiian books into lessons. However, you can paste a page in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- Hawaiian is new in Bubblegum, and its dictionary is still small. When a word has no entry, ask Poppy.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Hawaiian has a small alphabet, and that makes the first steps easier. The hard part is the marks and the sounds that English doesn't have. To see how much class time a university course takes, read how long it takes to learn Hawaiian.
- 13 LettersThe alphabet has five vowels, seven consonants and the ʻokina, so there are fewer letters to learn than in English.
- Sounds You Can Hear FirstThe ʻokina is a break in the voice, and the kahakō makes a vowel longer. Play the audio and listen before you read the word.
- Marks That Carry MeaningA kahakō or an ʻokina can turn one word into another, as in papa and pāpā, so each mark is worth learning with its word.
- Start With GreetingsBegin with greetings you can use right away, and play the audio for each one.
- Ask for a Lesson About Your InterestsTell Poppy your level and a topic you care about. She writes a lesson so you can begin reading and listening.
- Listen While You ReadPlay the audio as you read, so each word's sound and spelling go together.
- Get Help While You ReadLook up a word or check the translation when a line stops you. Ask Poppy about grammar in the same lesson.
- Save a Few WordsSave only the few words you want to keep.
- Say a Line Out LoudRead a line aloud whenever it feels fun, like a greeting you want to use with a friend. When you want a real reply, add a live class or a conversation partner.
Set aside 3-5 hours a week in sessions of 15-30 minutes or longer. Choose longer texts when you can follow more.
| What Feels Hard | The Easy Fix |
|---|---|
| The ʻokina and the kahakō | They change meaning, as in lānai (a deck) and Lānaʻi (an island). Learn each word with its marks, and play its audio. |
| Typing the marks | Set up a Hawaiian keyboard on your computer or tablet. ʻŌlelo Online has setup guides for Mac, Windows, iPad and Android tablets. |
| Sounds that are new to English speakers | Hear a word before you say it. Mango plays every word with audio from a native speaker, and uTalk has recordings of Hawaiian speakers. |
| Few places to read at first | Start with lessons written at your level, and move to podcasts and articles in Hawaiian when you follow most of a lesson. |
Choose short, clear Hawaiian about something you enjoy. Hawaiian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input.
| What | Why It's Easy | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Kulāiwi | Each of the 24 video lessons in this archived series has a transcript, so you can watch and read along. | ksbe.edu |
| Mango | The course is free, and every word has audio from a native speaker. | mangolanguages.com |
| Ka Leo ʻŌiwi | Thirteen video lessons on ʻŌiwi TV, where you hear, act and speak at your own pace. | oiwi.tv |
| ʻŌlelo Online | Total beginners are told to start with the series on pronunciation. | oleloonline.com |
If you can't tell what's happening, pick something easier.
Should I Learn the Most Common 500 Words First?
No. Learn each word inside a short line. Read and hear the line, then save it for review.
Is Hawaiian Pronunciation Hard?
Hear a line in the lesson before you say it. Two things are new to English speakers: the ʻokina, a break in the voice, and the long vowels that the kahakō marks.
Can I Learn Hawaiian Just by Listening to Podcasts?
Not at the start, because a podcast spoken entirely in Hawaiian gives a beginner no English help. Ka ʻAlalā is made for learners as well as fluent speakers, so it helps more once you can follow a simple conversation.
Which Hawaiian App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Hawaiian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. For courses and live classes, see our comparison of Hawaiian apps.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- ʻŌlelo Online: Pronunciation of the Hawaiian Alphabet (13 letters, the ʻokina and the kahakō change meaning)
- ʻŌlelo Online: how best to use it (total beginners start with the 0400 Series on pronunciation)
- ʻŌlelo Online: home page (keyboard guides, live classes, free sections)
- Kamehameha Schools: Kulāiwi video lessons (24 lessons, transcripts, workbook for lessons 1 to 12)
- Mango Languages: Hawaiian (free course, native-speaker audio, slow playback)
- uTalk: Learn Hawaiian (a Free Starter Words topic, recordings of Hawaiian speakers)
- ʻŌiwi TV: Ka Leo ʻŌiwi (13 episodes)
- Ka ʻAlalā: a podcast completely in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, for learners and fluent speakers
