The Pronoun Moves Up After ʻaʻole

Level 2

ʻAʻole pulls a pronoun subject forward so it sits before the verb.

How It Works

Hawaiian normally puts the verb first. After ʻaʻole a pronoun subject changes places with the verb, so the order becomes subject then verb.

YesNo
Ua hoʻi ʻoe. You came back.ʻAʻole ʻoe i hoʻi.
E noho ana ʻo ia. She will stay.ʻAʻole ʻo ia e noho.
Ua hoʻi ka makuahine. Mother came back.ʻAʻole i hoʻi ka makuahine.

The last pair shows that a noun does not move. The Reference Grammar describes the pronoun as “jumping” in front of the verb and gives ʻAʻole nō au i hele i ke kula, where nō comes right after ʻaʻole, before the pronoun, and adds emphasis.

For ia as subject, expect ʻo before it, as in the second row.

Examples (5)

  1. ʻAʻole ʻoe i hoʻi mai.

    You did not come back.

    The pronoun ʻoe sits between ʻaʻole and i.

  2. ʻAʻole māua e hele.

    We two will not go.

    A dual pronoun moves forward the same way.

  3. ʻAʻole lākou i kūkākūkā.

    They did not discuss it.

    Lākou comes before the verb.

  4. ʻAʻole ʻo ia e noho.

    She will not stay.

    ʻO comes before ia.

  5. ʻAʻole i hoʻi mai ka makuahine.

    Mother did not come back.

    A noun subject stays after the verb.

How It Connects

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

The Pronoun Moves Up After ʻaʻoleLevel 2

Learn This First

After ʻaʻole the pronoun moves in front of the verb, so learners need the two negatives that show it.

Words in This Pattern

ʻaʻole