Do you know the definition of mahalo? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word mahalo, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Travel and Leisure, the word mahalo is a Hawaiian word used in all parts of Hawaii by Hawaiians to mean thank you and express gratitude. This word is often used as a greeting to express esteem, praise or admiration, or as a compliment with sincerity in every day life. You might say mahalo in return for delicious food if the good food really stuck you. The word mahalo is three syllables – mah-hah-loh . Mahalo nui loa means thank you very much.
The word mahalo is more than just a thank you in Hawaiian thinking, It is a divine blessing on a spiritual level with a deeper meaning. This is used in everyday life and also on special occasions like the birthday of an elder or for sacredness like prayers or single-word blessings. Use this word respectfully.
There are many different languages that also use words that mean mahalo. You may notice that many of these words look similar to one another. This is likely because they have a common origin. Often, languages that have a common language of origin, like Latin or Greek, will contain many cognates, which are words that look, sound, and mean similar things. This list of translations for the word mahalo is provided by Word Sense.
According to Aloha Shirt Shop, along with the Pukui and Elbert Hawaiian dictionary, the word mahalo is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word mahalo. The exact origin of the word is unclear but this is thought to be the root words of these words. The early visitors and tourists to Hawaii noticed that Hawaiians practiced a grateful and admiring culture, but these grateful people had no word for thank you. Later, following their contact with the westerners, Hawaiians invented the common Hawaiian phrase mahalo.
What are synonyms of mahalo?
There are many different words that one can use in place of the word mahalo. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are very useful English grammatical devices to know because they can help you to avoid repeating yourself as well as to expand your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word mahalo is provided by Power Thesaurus.
thank you very much
thanks very much
gramercy
ta muchly
give thanks
nice one
it is hard to find words to express my gratitude
i am all gratitude
respectfully yours with sincere gratitude
many thanks
thanks
gracias
merci
thank you for helping me
you have my gratitude
thanky
thankee
you are a lifesaver
thanks a lot
show appreciation
i thank you most warmly
i thank you from the bottom of my heart
of course
thank you kindly
with kindest personal regards
danke
it was so awesome of you
thanks a bunch
ta
i am grateful
much obliged
i thank you
i humbly thank you
with gratitude
i appreciate that
i am very grateful
thank you so much
appreciate it
i wanted to thank you as soon as possible
accord a thank
accept my endless gratitude
i wish to thank everyone who pitched in
much thanks
your generosity overwhelms me
thanks a million
thanks so much
i will never forget what you have done
cheers
by all means
What are other Hawaiian terms and phrases you might hear?
According to Trafalgar and Ambassador Waikiki, there are many different Hawaiian phrases that you might hear when traveling to islands like the Big Island, Maui, and more.
Kama’aina
Ohana
Pau hana
Haole
Lanai
Mana – Spiritual or divine power, pronounced mah’ nah.
No ka ‘oi
E hele kāua i ke kahakai
A hui hou – See you soon
‘Aina
Mauka
Makai
Aloha wau iā ‘oe
Pono – righteousness, harmony, excellence, balance, positivity, and living a life full of these ideals, life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
A ‘o ia! – There you have it! Used to cheer people on doing a hula, pronounced ah-oy-yah.
Poke
A’ ole palikir – You’re welcome, or no problem, pronounced ah-oh-leh pee-lee-kee-yah
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.