Telling What Someone Said
To tell what someone said they will do, use a speaking verb and then e with the words.
How It Works
Build the sentence in parts.
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Speaking verb and speaker | ʻŌlelo mai ʻo ia |
| e and the report | e hele ana ʻo ia |
Together: ʻŌlelo mai ʻo ia e hele ana ʻo ia. “She said she will go.” Directionals such as mai and aku follow the speaking verb. Hawaiian also has other ways to report speech. This row teaches the first one.
The report here is about a plan, so it uses e ... ana. Say who spoke first, add the directional, and then start the report with e.
Examples (4)
- ʻŌlelo mai ʻo ia e hele ana ʻo ia.
She said she will go.
E starts the reported words.
- Ua ʻōlelo mai ke kumu e hoʻomaka ana ke kula i ka hola ʻewalu.
The teacher said school will begin at eight.
Ua puts the speaking in the past.
- Ua haʻi mai ʻo Kala e hele mai ana ʻo ia i ka pō.
Kala said he will come in the evening.
Haʻi mai also introduces a report.
- ʻŌlelo mai ka makuahine e kuke ana ʻo ia.
Mother said she will cook.
The report keeps the same e ... ana shape.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Reported speech uses directional words and a marker.