The Kahana Designs Journal

The Journal

The Kahana Designs Journal

Stories of Hawaiian culture — the akua, the islands, the flowers, the food, and the language. Written from our studio in Kailua-Kona.

Aerial view of a Hawaiian valley running from mountain ridges down to the coastline, illustrating the ahupuaʻa mountain-to-sea land division
Ahupuaʻa: How Ancient Hawaiians Divided the Land From Mountain to Sea
What an ahupuaʻa is, how the mountain-to-sea land division worked, who managed it, and why the system still shapes Hawaiian land and water stewardship today. Read more...
Vintage Kauaʻi and Aloha ʻoe signs displaying Hawaiian words on a fence in Hawaiʻi
How to Pronounce Hawaiian Words
Learn how to pronounce Hawaiian words with confidence — the ʻokina, kahakō, vowel sounds, and common place names explained simply. Read more...
Yellow plumeria blossoms, the iconic flower used in Hawaiian lei, in Hawaiʻi
Free Hawaiian Name Finder: Discover Your Hawaiian Name
The free Hawaiian Name Finder from Kahana Designs turns your English first name into its traditional Hawaiian equivalent, with meaning and pronunciation. Find your Hawaiian name in seconds. Read more...
Green coastal mountains and valley on the Island of Hawaiʻi, representing ʻāina, the land at the heart of the Hawaiian language
20 Beautiful Hawaiian Words and What They Really Mean
A plain-language guide to 20 beautiful Hawaiian words — aloha, mahalo, ʻohana, pono, kuleana and more — and the deeper meanings they carry in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Read more...
Hawaiian Pidgin and slang word art — “Talk Story” with phrases: Howzit, Da kine, Broke da mouth, Shoots, Pau hana, Choke, Grindz, No can, Rajah dat, K den
Hawaiian Slang Words You'll Hear
A friendly guide to the Hawaiian slang words you'll hear in the islands — brah, talk story, ono, da kine and more — and what each one really means. Read more...
A hand making the shaka sign over the ocean in Hawaiʻi
What Does Shaka Mean?
What does shaka mean? Learn the meaning, history, and aloha spirit behind Hawaiʻi's famous hand sign — and how to throw one the right way. Read more...
A person wearing a Hawaiian flower lei, a gesture of aloha and mahalo
How to Say Thank You in Hawaiian (Mahalo)
Wondering how to say thank you in Hawaiian? Learn what mahalo means, how to pronounce it, and how to say mahalo nui loa — thank you very much — the... Read more...
Hawaiian Pidgin word art — “Talk Story” with pidgin phrases: Howzit, Da kine, Broke da mouth, Shoots, Pau hana, Choke, Grindz, No can, Rajah dat, K den
Hawaiian Pidgin Phrases, Explained
A friendly guide to Hawaiian Pidgin phrases — what they mean, where they come from, and how to use them with aloha. Learn da kine, brah, ono grindz, and more. Read more...
Colorful Hawaiian flower lei
Common Hawaiian words you already know, and what they mean
A guided tour of common Hawaiian words — aloha, mahalo, ʻohana, pono, mana — what they really mean, and the worldview waiting underneath them. Read more...

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