The Possessor After the Noun
A possessor can come after the thing owned, joined by o or a.
How It Works
This is the Hawaiian way to say what English says with “of” or with an apostrophe and s. The thing owned comes first with its article, and the owner follows.
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ka hale o ke kumu | the house of the teacher |
| ka puke a ke keiki | the book of the child |
| ka inoa o Kalani | the name of Kalani |
The Reference Grammar calls these the ∅-possessives, the possessives with no k. The owner can also be a pronoun, as in ka ʻeke āu “your bag” and ke kaʻa ou “your car”. The pronoun forms are aʻu, āu, āna for the a class and oʻu, ou, ona for the o class.
Examples (4)
- Aia ka hale o ke kumu ma Hilo.
The house of the teacher is in Hilo.
The house takes o.
- Ke heluhelu nei ʻo Leilani i ka puke a ke kumu.
Leilani is reading the book of the teacher.
The book takes a.
- Ua ʻike au i ka inoa o Kalani.
I saw the name of Kalani.
A name takes o, and Kalani needs no article.
- Aia ka ʻīlio a Noelani ma waho.
The dog of Noelani is outside.
The dog takes a.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The owner can stand after the noun, and the choice between o and a follows the two classes.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice The Possessor After the Noun in Bubblegum
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