Where the Pronoun Goes

Level 1

The pronoun comes after the verb and its small words, not before them.

How It Works

In English, “I” comes before the verb. In Hawaiian, a pronoun subject comes after the whole verb phrase, which is the verb plus its small words (Wikipedia):

Verb phrasePronoun
Ke hele neiau
Ke hele mai neiʻoe
Ke hele neiʻo ia

The little word mai means “toward the speaker”. It sits right after the verb, before nei, and the pronoun still comes last. A noun subject follows the same rule: Ke hele nei ke keiki.

After ʻaʻole, a pronoun subject comes straight after it: ʻAʻole au makemake “I do not want it”.

Examples (5)

  1. Ke kākau nei au i ka leka.

    I am writing the letter.

    The pronoun au comes after nei.

  2. Ke ʻai nei ʻoe i ka palaoa?

    Are you eating the bread?

    The pronoun comes after the verb phrase.

  3. Ke kuke nei ʻo ia.

    He is cooking. / She is cooking.

    Ia takes ʻo as a subject.

  4. Ke hele mai nei ʻoe?

    Are you coming this way?

    Mai sits before nei, and the pronoun still goes last.

  5. ʻAʻole au makemake i ka wai.

    I do not want water.

    After ʻaʻole, the pronoun comes right after it.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the pronoun before the verb, as in English.

    Au ke hele nei.
    Ke hele nei au.

    The pronoun comes after the verb phrase.

How It Connects

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

Where the Pronoun GoesLevel 1

Learn This First

A pronoun subject follows the verb, so learners need the pronouns and the verb-first order.