The A and O Classes

Level 3

Hawaiian has two kinds of possession, and most nouns go with one kind.

How It Works

The a class usually goes with things a person can choose, make, keep or give away, and with children and pets. The o class usually goes with things a person cannot easily give up, such as parents, body parts, a name, a home and a ride.

a classo class
mykaʻukoʻu
yourkāukou
his or herkānakona

The same noun can change meaning with the class. The Reference Grammar says koʻu hale is the house a person lives in, and kaʻu hale is a house the person built for someone else. In the same way, koʻu lei is a lei being worn, and kaʻu lei is a lei being given. Sources do not agree on every noun, so treat the lists in the next entries as the usual pattern, not a law.

Examples (5)

  1. Ke heluhelu nei kaʻu keiki i kāna puke.

    My child is reading his or her book.

    Keiki and puke both take the a class.

  2. Ke kuke nei koʻu makuahine i ka mea ʻai.

    My mother is cooking the food.

    A parent takes the o class.

  3. Ke ʻai nei kaʻu ʻīlio i ka iʻa.

    My dog is eating the fish.

    A pet takes the a class.

  4. ʻO koʻu lei kēia.

    This is my lei, the one I wear.

    The o class means the lei is worn.

  5. ʻO kaʻu lei kēia.

    This is my lei, the one I give.

    The a class means the lei is given away.

Common Mistakes

  • The wrong class for a parent.

    kaʻu makuahine
    koʻu makuahine

    A mother takes the o class, so kaʻu is the wrong form here.

How It Connects

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

The A and O ClassesLevel 3

Learn This First

Possessive words come in two classes, so learners meet both sets first.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

kaʻukānakoʻukona