Aloha

/ah-LOH-hah/

Hello. Goodbye. Love. The spirit of Hawaii.

The most famous Hawaiian word. Means hello and goodbye, but really means love, compassion, breath, life. "Aloha spirit" is a legally defined thing in Hawaii law — the state has it written into the statutes. When locals say it, they mean more than the English word "hi."

Examples

  • Aloha, brah.
  • Mahalo, aloha.
  • Shaka bra... Aloha.

Origin

Hawaiian

essential greeting hawaiian-root

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