Pidgin – Hawaii’s Third Language
Pidgin is the Hawaiian English and it sounds like that -
Eh, howzit? Wassamattah you? Cannah talk da kine? (Hey,
how’s it going? What’s the matter? Can’t you speak
Pidgin?). You won’t hear this type of talk anywhere else
in the world but in Hawaii. That's why Pidgin is also
considered a local attraction, so to say. If you are
native English speaker you will still get the meaning,
but if you’re not it may be difficult to understand.
Since many tourists find Pidgin attractive, local
travel companies like to hire Pidgin speakers as
customer service agents because they talk with this
accent on the phone and tourists like that, thus they
are more likely to buy.
In fact, Pidgin has its own vocabulary and grammar. In
the bookstores you can even find and buy a Pidgin
dictionary and a Bible called “Da Jesus Book,” which is
fully written in Pidgin.
Pidgin originates from the plantation workers, who came
to Hawaii in the 19th century. Pidgin has some Chinese,
Japanese, Portuguese and even other influences.
Some Common Pidgin Words and Phrases
Brah / bruddah: brother or pal. Most men refer to each
other this way.
Broke da mout: delicious
Bumbucha: very big
Chicken skin: goose bumps
Fo’ what: why
Fo’ real: really
Garans: guaranteed
Grind: to eat
Hana hou: one more time
Hele on: let's go, get moving
Howzit: How are you?
Huhu: mad, angry
Keiki: child
Kokua: care, help
Like beef?: want to fight?
Lolo: dumb, crazy
Lua: bathroom
Moke: big, tough local
Nevah: never
Opake: ghost
Opu: belly
Okole: buttocks
Ono: delicious
Pau: finished, done
Pupus: appetizers
Spahk: check it out
Stink Eye: a very dirty look
Talk stink: badmouth someone
Tita: a very tough girl
Tutu: grandmother
Tutu kane: grandfather
Whaddsdascoops: What's going on?
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