Aloha Means Hello, Goodbye and Love
Aloha is a Hawaiian greeting. It carries a much wider meaning than hello, and it is protected in Hawaiian law as a cultural value.
Aloha is a Hawaiian word used as both greeting and farewell. It is not simply hello: the word carries meanings of love, compassion, affection and mutual regard, and Hawaii's state law formally recognises the *Aloha Spirit* as a value that officials are asked to consider. English borrowed the sound and left most of the meaning behind.
- A greeting. *Aloha, and welcome.*
- A farewell. *Aloha until next time.*
- Love or compassion. *The spirit of aloha.*
- Aloha shirt โ a Hawaiian patterned shirt. *A bright aloha shirt.*
- Aloha State โ Hawaii's nickname. *The Aloha State.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Interjection | aloha | Aloha! |
| Noun | aloha | The aloha spirit. |
| Compound | aloha shirt | An aloha shirt. |
| Hawaiian | alo | Presence, face. |
| Hawaiian | hฤ | Breath. |
- Aloha, and thank you for coming.Greeting.
- The aloha spirit is written into state law.Hawaii.
- He wore an aloha shirt to the office.Clothing.
Hawaiian words in English
- Aloha โ greeting, farewell, love
- Hula โ the dance
- Lei โ a garland of flowers
- Ukulele โ literally jumping flea
- Wiki โ quick, borrowed for the software
Hawaiian *aloha*, love, affection, greeting, often analysed as containing *alo*, presence, and *hฤ*, breath. English recorded it in the 1820s.
Does aloha mean hello or goodbye?
Both, and more. Its core sense is love and mutual regard, which is why it serves for meeting and parting alike.
Is wiki a Hawaiian word?
Yes. It means quick. The software was named after the Wiki Wiki shuttle at Honolulu airport.