Maybe: paha

Level 2

Put paha right after the word it is unsure about, usually the verb.

How It Works

Paha shows doubt. It sits after the word or phrase that is uncertain, often the verb.

Sentence	Meaning
Ua ʻai paha ke keiki.	Maybe the child ate.
E hoʻi mai ana paha ka makuahine i kēia pō.	Mother may come back tonight.
He kumu paha ʻo ia.	She may be a teacher.

The Reference Grammar says paha is not a conjunction and does not start a sentence. Its example puts paha after the verb, Ua hele paha ʻo ia, “Maybe he went”, with a place name at the end. Wikipedia shows it as an adverb after the verb, as in Ua hana paha au. The grammar also gives He poi nō paha kā lāua, “They probably have poi”, with paha after a noun phrase.

The English word “maybe” goes first, but paha comes after.

Examples (5)

Ua ʻai paha ke keiki.
Maybe the child ate.
Paha follows the verb.
E hoʻi mai ana paha ka makuahine i kēia pō.
Mother may come back tonight.
Paha follows the e ... ana group.
He kumu paha ʻo ia.
She may be a teacher.
Paha follows the class phrase.
Ua pau paha ka hana.
The work may be finished.
Paha follows pau.
Ua hālāwai paha lākou i nehinei.
They may have met yesterday.
A time word can follow paha.

Common Mistakes

Starting the sentence with paha, like English “maybe”.
Paha ua hele ʻo ia.
Ua hele paha ʻo ia.
Paha usually follows the word it is unsure about.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Maybe: pahaLevel 2

Learn This First

Paha softens an answer to “maybe”.

Answering Yes and No
Know the yes and no answers, because paha gives an answer in between them.
Level 1

Words in This Pattern

paha

Practice Maybe: paha in Bubblegum

Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Hawaiian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.