koʻu kou kāna kona
My, Your, His or Her
A possessive goes before the noun: koʻu, kou, kona and kāna.
How It Works
These possessives come right before the noun, where English puts “my” or “your”. There is no article between them, so you say koʻu hale, not ko koʻu hale.
| Meaning | Short form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| my | koʻu | koʻu makuahine |
| your | kou | kou kaʻa |
| his, her | kona | kona inoa |
| his, her | kāna | kāna keiki |
Why two words for “his” and “her”? Hawaiian sorts things into two classes, called the o class (koʻu, kou, kona) and the a class (kaʻu, kāu, kāna). A mother and a car go with the o class, and a child and a book go with the a class. The class depends on the relationship, and you learn it noun by noun. A later row explains it.
Examples (5)
- Ua hele koʻu makuahine i ka hale kūʻai.
My mother went to the store.
Koʻu stands before the noun makuahine.
- Aia kou kaʻa ma ke alanui.
Your car is on the road.
Kou is the o-class word for your.
- Ua hele mai kona makuakāne.
His father came.
Kona can also mean her.
- Ke heluhelu nei kāna keiki i ka puke.
Her child is reading the book.
Kāna goes with child, an a-class noun.
- Ua kākau au i koʻu inoa.
I wrote my name.
Koʻu goes before inoa, a noun in the o class.
How It Connects
Learn This First
These are the o-class words for “my”, “your” and “his or her” and they take the place of an article.
Related Patterns
- kaʻu kāuMy and Your with the a Class
The a-class words for my and your.
Level 2 - The A and O Classes
Explains why there are two sets.
Level 3 - What Takes O: Family, Body and Home
Lists nouns that take koʻu, kou and kona.
Level 3 - What Takes A: Children, Pets and Chosen Things
Lists nouns that take kaʻu, kāu and kāna.
Level 3 - Our, Your Two and Their
The forms for we, you two and they.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice koʻu kou kāna kona in Bubblegum
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