If you're planning a trip and wondering what language do they speak in Hawaiʻi, the short answer is English — but that's only part of the story. Hawaiʻi is one of the few U.S. states with two official languages, and everyday speech on the islands is really a blend of three layers: standard English, the Hawaiian language (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi), and a local creole called Hawaiian Pidgin. Knowing all three will help you get more out of every conversation, menu, and street sign you come across.
English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: Two Official Languages
English is the language of daily business, schools, and government paperwork, but Hawaiian (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi) shares official status under the state constitution. After a 1896 law banned Hawaiian in schools, decades of suppression nearly silenced the language. A Native Hawaiian-led revival beginning in the 1980s brought it back through Hawaiian-immersion schools, university programs, and community classes. Today you'll hear ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in place names, songs, blessings, and increasingly in everyday greetings.
Common Hawaiian words have also become part of everyday island vocabulary that visitors pick up fast: aloha (love, hello, goodbye), mahalo (thank you), ʻohana (family), and keiki (child) are just a few you'll see on signs and hear in conversation.
What Is Hawaiian Pidgin?
Ask a local a question and you might get an answer in Hawaiian Pidgin English (often just called \"Pidgin\"), the islands' unofficial third language. Pidgin developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s on sugar plantations, where workers from Hawaiʻi, Japan, China, Portugal, the Philippines, Korea, and Puerto Rico needed a common way to communicate. Over generations it grew into its own full-fledged creole language with distinct grammar, not just \"broken English.\"
You'll hear Pidgin phrases like \"da kine\" (a stand-in word for almost anything), \"grindz\" (food), and \"talk story\" (to chat) used casually across the islands, especially outside tourist areas. It's a source of real local pride and identity, tied closely to Hawaiʻi's plantation-era history.
Will You Have Trouble Communicating?
No — every local you meet speaks English, and most switch fluidly between English, Pidgin, and Hawaiian words depending on who they're talking to. As a visitor, you won't need to know any Hawaiian to get around, but learning a handful of words shows respect and often earns a warm response.
- Aloha – hello, love, goodbye
- Mahalo – thank you
- ʻOhana – family
- Pau – finished, done
- Mauka / Makai – toward the mountains / toward the sea
Bring the islands home: Explore our Hawaiian Phrases & Slang Collection — original designs from our Native Hawaiian–owned studio in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. Here are a few of the newest additions:
Brah Hawaii Local Slang Tee — a nod to one of Pidgin's most-used words.
Aloha Friday Tee — celebrating the island phrase for winding down the week.
Ono Grindz Tee — wearing the Pidgin phrase for delicious food.