More Than: ʻoi aku
ʻOi aku shows that one thing has more of a quality than another, and ma mua o names the other thing.
How It Works
Here is the frame, with its parts in order.
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| ʻoi aku | goes beyond |
| ka + quality | ka wikiwiki |
| o + first thing | o Kawika |
| ma mua o + second thing | ma mua o Kala |
Put together: ʻOi aku ka wikiwiki o Kawika ma mua o Kala. “Kawika is faster than Kala.”
A learner page on comparisons teaches that a sentence like this is made negative by putting ʻaʻole i in front, to say “not more than”. The reference grammar notes that ʻoi acts like a describing word, so a form like ke ʻoi aku nei is not typical.
A good first step is to say the quality alone, as in ʻOi aku ka nui, “bigger”, and add the comparison later.
Examples (4)
- ʻOi aku ka wikiwiki o Kawika ma mua o Kala.
Kawika is faster than Kala.
The quality is wikiwiki, with ka before it.
- ʻOi aku ka liʻiliʻi o kaʻu puke ma mua o kāu.
My book is smaller than yours.
Both sides of the comparison are possessed books.
- ʻOi aku ka anuanu o kēia pō ma mua o kēlā pō.
Tonight is colder than that night.
Ma mua o can be followed by a phrase with kēlā.
- ʻOi aku ka kiʻekiʻe o ka hale ma mua o ka pā.
The house is taller than the fence.
The same frame with two things.
How It Connects
Learn This First
ʻOi aku means “more than” and often follows a describing word.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice More Than: ʻoi aku in Bubblegum
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