The Number One: hoʻokahi

Level 2

Use hoʻokahi before a noun. Use ʻekahi when you count out loud.

How It Works

Most numbers keep one form, but “one” has two.

FormWhenExample
hoʻokahione item, with a nounhoʻokahi lio
ʻekahicountingʻekahi, ʻelua, ʻekolu

The Reference Grammar says that hoʻokahi is used to indicate one item, while ʻekahi is used in counting, and gives hoʻokahi lio for “one horse”. The bare kahi is used in a game call and in phone numbers.

Hoʻokahi also joins the big number words: hoʻokahi haneli is “one hundred”. If you want “a certain” or “another” child, use kekahi instead. The counting forms from ʻekahi up to ten are in the numbers 1 to 10 row, and the forms above ten are in the numbers 11 to 100 row.

Examples (5)

  1. Ua hele mai hoʻokahi keiki.

    One child came.

    Hoʻokahi comes before the noun.

  2. Ua ʻai au i hoʻokahi ʻuala.

    I ate one sweet potato.

    The noun ʻuala does not change.

  3. Aia hoʻokahi puke ma ke pākaukau.

    There is one book on the table.

    Hoʻokahi follows aia like other numbers.

  4. ʻEkahi, ʻelua, ʻekolu, ʻehā.

    One, two, three, four.

    ʻEkahi is the counting form.

  5. Ua ʻike au i hoʻokahi lio ma ke alanui.

    I saw one horse on the road.

    The noun lio does not change.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the counting form with a noun.

    ʻekahi keiki
    hoʻokahi keiki

    With a noun, the Reference Grammar uses hoʻokahi for one.

How It Connects

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

The Number One: hoʻokahiLevel 2

Learn This First

Hoʻokahi is the form of “one” that goes with a noun.

Words in This Pattern

ʻekahiʻeluaʻekolukahihaneli