Introduction
Here is a brief introduction to numbers in Hawaiian.
① Basic Numbers 1–10
The numbers from 0 to 9 have four forms that we commonly use. You should concentrate on learning the first form, which is the “base number” for zero through nine, because you’ll be using them to create all of the numbers from 11 up to infinity. Zero and one have some special attributes that make them different from any of the other numbers. This introduction will not address all of the possible uses of zero and one.
The table below shows (1) the “base number” which you use when simply counting things or saying digits out loud; (2) the “summary quantity kaʻi” number which you use as a kaʻi when you are summarizing a quantity of something; (3) “position in a series kāhulu” which you use when pointing out which number a single item is in a series; and (4) “summary quantity kāhulu” which you can use as a kāhulu to show how many specific things there are.
Lessons and examples about the various uses of numbers follow the table.
| # | base number for enumerating or counting things | summary quantity use as a kaʻi to show quantity | position in series use as a kāhulu with a single item to indicate its position in a series | summary quantity use as a kāhulu with several specific items to indicate quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ʻole | ʻaʻohe | ʻole | — |
| 1 | kahi | hoʻokahi | ʻekahi | — |
| 2 | lua | ʻelua | ʻelua | ʻelua |
| 3 | kolu | ʻekolu | ʻekolu | ʻekolu |
| 4 | hā | ʻehā | ʻehā | ʻehā |
| 5 | lima | ʻelima | ʻelima | ʻelima |
| 6 | ono | ʻeono | ʻeono | ʻeono |
| 7 | hiku | ʻehiku | ʻehiku | ʻehiku |
| 8 | walu | ʻewalu | ʻewalu | ʻewalu |
| 9 | iwa | ʻeiwa | ʻeiwa | ʻeiwa |
| 10 | ʻumi | he ʻumi | ||
Examples and How to Practice
1. Reading Out (Enumerating) Numbers
For example:
Use the base numbers when you count things in your hand for example, like a set of pens, or when you are counting a group of children sitting in front of you.
2. When Driving, Look at Signs and Say the Digits Out Loud to Yourself
3. Look at License Plates and Read Off the Numbers
4. Reading the Prices of Things, Simply Reading Out the Digits
«kiko» means “dot” or “decimal point”; «kālā» means “dollar”
5. Use This for Clock Time — the Number Is a Kāhulu Here
6. Use for Placement in a Sequence — the Number Is Also a Kāhulu Here
ʻŌlelo Online Virtual Classroom · kumu Kaliko Beamer-Trapp · Lesson revision 1 (May 2026) · This is a work in progress; feedback is welcome.