Months of the Year
The months are English names written with Hawaiian sounds and spelling.
How It Works
| Month | Hawaiian |
|---|---|
| January | Ianuali |
| February | Pepeluali |
| March | Malaki |
| April | ʻApelila |
| May | Mei |
| June | Iune |
| July | Iulai |
| August | ʻAukake |
| September | Kepakemapa |
| October | ʻOkakopa |
| November | Nowemapa |
| December | Kēkēmapa |
The Reference Grammar says the names are adopted from English, and it uses Kepakemapa in a date. Names like these take ʻo when they are the subject of a naming sentence. Hawaiian Wikipedia writers put both i and ma before a month, as in hānau ʻia i Iulai “born in July”, and ma is the more common of the two. Mind the ʻokina in ʻApelila, ʻAukake and ʻOkakopa, and the two kahakō in Kēkēmapa.
Say the ʻokina as a short catch in the voice, as in the middle of the English “uh-oh”.
Examples (4)
- ʻO Kepakemapa ka mahina ʻeiwa.
September is the ninth month.
A month name as subject takes ʻo.
- Ua hoʻomaka ke kula i ʻAukake.
School started in August.
I means in before a month.
- E hele ana mākou i Maui i Iulai.
We are going to Maui in July.
Two i phrases: one for the place, one for the month.
- Ua hana nui au i Kēkēmapa.
I worked a lot in December.
Mind the two kahakō.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Month names are borrowed words written in Hawaiian spelling.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice Months of the Year in Bubblegum
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