Happy Birthday in Hawaiian
Part of: Happy Birthday in Every Language
Happy birthday in Hawaiian is hau'oli la hanau, pronounced how-OH-lee lah hah-NOW. It literally means happy day of birth. The apostrophe is not decoration — it is a consonant called the okina, and leaving it out changes the word, which is the mistake almost every visitor makes.
Tap Copy on any wish, then paste it into your message. Or turn one into an animated fireworks card you can send as a link.
Every phrase below has a Copy button. The okina and the macrons are easy to lose when typing, so copying is the safer way to send it.
The phrase you need
| Hawaiian | Pronounced | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hau'oli la hanau | how-OH-lee lah hah-NOW | The standard greeting |
| Hau'oli la hanau ia 'oe | ...ee-ah OH-eh | Happy birthday to you |
| Hau'oli la hanau e [name] | ...eh... | With a name, as in a card |
| Me ke aloha | meh keh ah-LOH-hah | With love — a closing line |
Hawaiian uses only twelve letters plus two marks. Every vowel is pronounced, so hanau is two clear syllables, hah-NOW, not one.
What the marks mean
The okina is the small apostrophe-like mark. It is a full consonant — a glottal stop, the catch in the middle of uh-oh. Hau'oli without it is a different word.
The kahako is the line above a vowel, which makes it longer. La with a kahako means day; la without one means, among other things, sail. In birthday greetings the kahako belongs on the a in la.
Both marks are frequently dropped in English typing, which is why so many printed Hawaiian greetings are technically misspelled. Copying the phrases here keeps them intact.
Copy these
Hau'oli la hanau!
Hau'oli la hanau ia 'oe!
Hau'oli la hanau e ku'u aloha.
Hau'oli la hanau! Me ke aloha pumehana.
Aloha and hau'oli la hanau!
Hau'oli la hanau! Nui ke aloha.
Hau'oli la hanau, e ku'u hoaloha.
Mahalo no kou aloha. Hau'oli la hanau!
Hau'oli la hanau! A hui hou.
Me ke aloha pumehana i kou la hanau.
Useful words inside those phrases
| Hawaiian | English |
|---|---|
| hau'oli | happy |
| la | day |
| hanau | birth, born |
| aloha | love, affection, greeting |
| ku'u | my (affectionate) |
| hoaloha | friend |
| mahalo | thank you |
| pumehana | warm |
The birthday song in Hawaiian
Hawaii sings the familiar tune with Hawaiian words:
Hau'oli la hanau ia 'oe, hau'oli la hanau ia 'oe, hau'oli la hanau e [name], hau'oli la hanau ia 'oe.
At family gatherings it is often followed by "Hawai'i Aloha", a song everyone stands and links arms for.
A note on using Hawaiian respectfully
Hawaiian is a living language that came close to disappearing and has been deliberately revived. Using it well is welcomed; using it as decoration is not.
Two practical courtesies: spell it correctly, marks included, and use it for someone who has a genuine connection to Hawaii rather than as a novelty font. Copying rather than typing handles the first one.
Party words worth knowing
| Hawaiian | English |
|---|---|
| pa'ina | party, gathering |
| mea'ai | food |
| makana | gift |
| 'ohana | family |
| keiki | child |
| kupuna | elder, grandparent |
Send a card that says it in Hawaiian
The okina is a real Unicode character, not a straight apostrophe, and most keyboards produce the wrong one. Copy the phrases above and the mark stays correct.
To send something they can watch, type the greeting into the free fireworks card maker. Each letter launches into a night sky and explodes with real firework sound. Send it as a link that plays the moment they open it.
Common questions
How do you say happy birthday in Hawaiian? Hau'oli la hanau, pronounced how-OH-lee lah hah-NOW.
What does the apostrophe in hau'oli do? It is an okina, a consonant representing a glottal stop. It is part of the spelling, not punctuation, and omitting it changes the word.
What does hau'oli la hanau literally mean? Happy day of birth.
Is it appropriate for a non-Hawaiian to use it? Yes, when used respectfully and spelled correctly, particularly for someone connected to Hawaii. Using it as a novelty is what people object to.
How do you say happy belated birthday in Hawaiian? There is no fixed idiom. Most people write hau'oli la hanau and add an apology in English.