Product Description
A user-friendly introduction to one of the most beautiful languages in the world, this illustrated book and 2 CDs teaches pronunciation, conversation, and songs. Homework, self-tests, an answer key, and glossaries provide structure and reinforce content. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Easy to use and fairly comprehensive
I actually picked up Hawaiian fairly easy with this book and tape.I'm fairly proficient in learning languages (German, Spanish, French) so that may help.The background information and context exercises really help.

fun purchase
For me, this was really a fun purchase.
I've always enjoyed hearing the Hawaiian
language.I think it is all of those
vowel endings. :)I decided that I'd
learn a little bit for doing my chanting.

I am so enjoying the exercises.I love the
way the book is set up and this is part of
my weekly fun time. For someone new to the
language, this is an excellent
book.The exercises in the book along with
hearing them on the disk are working very well
for me.

The practice exercises
are organized in a helpful way. And
there are little Hawaiian songs on the cd
which I love. :)

WONDERFUL
Some people have complained about the simplicity of the book, but I love it, it allows you to learn at your own pace, its fairly easy to adjust the lessons to your needs and with me wanting my children to learn hawaiian as well, so we keep a piece of our families heritage, it will work wonderfully. The CDs arrived in perfect condition and work wonderful, and they match up with the book very well, you just have to remember to pause your CD when you hit the work parts of the book. And thank you to the reviewer who suggested the four different lesson books and CDs that was very helpful, I had the instant immersion hawaiian already but its diffuclt to use if you dont know how to write out the words they are telling you to, especially since they dont give you a grammar lesson and spellings, it is def. for more advanced.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants not only to speak hawaiian but read and write it as well, it is wonderful especially for the price. And follow the review that tells you the 4 different ones to do in that order it will help so much!!

Learn Hawaiian at Home
The book arrived in extremely great shape; very quickly; and has been most beneficial.I am very pleased!!!!The description of the product was detailed enough to allow me the knowledge to know it was the book I wanted.

Wish the CDs stood alone
In general I liked this book/CD combo.But the way it's set up, you really need to be using the book along with the CDs, a bummer for me since I like to listen to the CDs during my commute but can't drive and read at the same time!Other lanuage CD's I've used in the past can be used independently of the book, and I like that a lot better. ... Read more

Product Description
The Hawaiian Dictionary, by Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel Elbert, has for many years been the standard work of reference for the Hawaiian language. Based on frequency of usage and cultural importance, 10,800 entries, from the 41,500 in the revised and enlarged edition of 1986, have been selected for inclusion in the New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary.

In a compact and portable format, this dictionary up-dates scientific and common names of plants and animals; Hawaiian equivalents of given names; words borrowed from other languages; numbering and counting; practical phrases, and much more. The chapter on grammar, explained in nontechnical terms, includes a pronunciation guide.

This convenient book will be appreciated by residents, visitors, and beginning students of Hawaiian alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Hawaiian Dictionary
I gave this as a gift to some friends who recently moved to Honolulu so I have no first hand knowledge but they tell me that it has come in very handy.They check pronunciation and usage and tell me they keep it out and ready to use and are very happy to have it.

learning Hawaiin
I recently found an old friend I used to see 40 years ago. He had moved back to Hawii. I'm having fun learning his language. He sends me e-mails in Hawaiian and I translate them now...fun.

great on the inside
I have the first print of this book and I thought the cover color and layout was better.The content is still the same and that mattered the most.

Valuable reference
Have owned this book for several years.Comes in handy for all manner of translation

new pocket Hawaiian Dictionary
This is an easy cross reference book. This book was part of the selection of books at a home we stayed at on the Bid Island, and I was happy to find it on Amazon.I am having fun with it. ... Read more

Product Description
This concise mini book serves as a friendly introduction to the Hawaiian language, helping newcomers learn the native alphabet, proper pronunciation, and some commonly used words and phrases. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good *INTRO* To Hawaiian Language.
A POCKET GUIDE TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE is a small book, only 60 pages, that gives the reader a basic understanding of the words and phrases one might find in Hawaii.

It provides a brief history of the language and gives a pronunciation guide, which explains how to properly pronounce words, and gives common everyday words and phrases that are used in Hawaii.

It's great for someone like me who will be visiting the island for summer vacation, my first visit actually, and wants to learn a little on proper pronunciation etc. of the street names and other words that are used in everyday conversation in Hawaii.

You won't become fluent in the language of course, but at least you'll know how to pronounce words when you see them written on signs and menus and won't embarrass yourself to the locals.

Excellent book for complete beginners
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2X2L81ZQ9QEI *****
This book is a terrific, non-overwhelming first book for newcomers to the Hawaiian language. It is a tremendous value, easy to use, usefully organized, and portable (if you're planning on taking it to Hawaii on vacation). Here is a video about my experience with this book. It is about 2:21 long. Kindly overlook my newbie videocam skills if you don't mind; I really wanted to show you this book even though I'm not great with the camera or the software yet!
*****

Excellent Hawaiian Language Guide.
This is an excellent pocket guide.The Hawaiian language chapters for the alphabet and pronunciation are easy follow.The Common Words and Phrases are grouped into logical chapters with brief, helpful hints.

I would have given it five stars except that it lacks an index.Because of the layout, a Glossary or an English index isn't necessary but it would have been helpful to have a Hawaiian word index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Clear, but not in order
If you are planning to use this for self study, you will need to read through the whole book before starting your study.In lesson 4 you need to know things introduced until lesson 18 to do the exercises. Explanations are short, but to the point.If you do not have a teacher, this is not going to be easy. ... Read more

Product Description
For many years Hawaiian Dictionary has been the definitive and authoritative work on the Hawaiian language. Now this indispensable reference volume has been enlarged and completely revised. More than 3,000 new entries have been added to the Hawaiian-English section bringing the total number of entries to almost 30,000, and making it the largest and most complete of any Polynesian dictionary. Other additions and changes in this section include: a method of showing stress groups to facilitate pronunciation of Hawaiian words with more than three syllables; indication of parts of speech; current scientific names of plants; use of metric measurements; additional reconstructions; classical origins of loan words; and many added cross-references to enhance understanding of the numerous nuances of Hawaiian words.

The English-Hawaiian section, a complement and supplement to the Hawaiian-English section, contains more than 12,500 entries and can serve as an index to hidden riches in the Hawaiian language. This new edition is more than a dictionary. Containing folklore, poetry, and ethnology, it will benefit Hawaiian studies for years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Insight into Hawaiian culture through language
This is much more than a dictionary. It includes the history of the Hawaiian words, their changing meanings through time, or from island to island or when combined with other words.
Almost all books by Mary Pukui are excellent combinations of anthropological science and historical heretage and stories.

Great!!!!!!
Great Hawaiian Dictionary!Have one already but wanted another since some of my dancers borrow the other.The book was in great condition since I did get my other brand new and it looked great up against the one I have.

Hawaiian Dictionary
The best content but typefont is so small that many will need a magnifying glass to enjoy it.

This is a must have if you are interested in the Hawaiian language.
This is an excellent book to use as a tool for any level, from a beginner who is just started to learn to a native speaker as a quick reference guide. Since both languages are used to find words and definitions it is a very user friendly book and easily navigated. It is a must have!

Hawaiian Dictionary
This is a comprehensive, easy to use dictionary that not only gives direct and indirect translations, but background and contexts for use. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is part of the Island Alphabet Books series, which features languages and childrenÂ’s artwork from the U.S.-affiliated Pacific. Each hardcover book contains the complete alphabet for the language, four or five examples for each letter, and a word list with English translations. The series was co-published with Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, a non-profit corporation that works collaboratively with school systems to enhance education across the Pacific. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A small, simple but delightful little book
Hawaiian Alphabet is a small yet delightful hardcover children's picturebook featuring full color illustrations of various Hawaiian words. Each word is accompanied by a picture that leaves no room for doubt as to what the word is, such as "wawae" for "foot." Not all letters of the English alphabet are represented; Hawaiian Alphabet is as much a Hawaiian vocabulary builder as it is an English alphabet tool. A small, simple but delightful little book to share the months and seasons, especially with very young children
... Read more

Product Description
The new pocket edition is an ideal resource for beginning speakers and students of the Hawaiian language or anyone interested in Hawaiian language, history, and culture. Illustrated with line drawings, it includes over 5,000 entries in Hawaiian and English, an additional 2,500 synonyms and related words and phrases, grammar notes, andthousands of example sentences in both Hawaiian and English that illustrate practical and cultural uses of the language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Basic
I first purchased this Hawaiian-English dictionary but soon realized I needed the more complete dictionary (by Pukui/Elbert which is twice the price but worth it).

If you are just "dabbling" in the Hawaiian language, this concise dictionary might be enough for you.There are 2,500 entries (vs 26,000 in the Pukui/Elbert edition). And "illustrated" just means there's a few line-drawn black/white1 x 1 inch pics scattered throughout the book.

Again, this is probably a good basic dictionary, 448 pages, 4 x 7 inch in size, for someone just wanting to check out basic words. To really get into the language, however, I encourage you to spend more to definitely get more! (Be sure to order the most up-to-date dictionary, as words are being added with every newer edition.)

Illustrated dictionary
This dictionary with simple, clear illustrations is an essential componenet to any understanding of Hawaiian words and language.Especially geared for beginners and children, this dictionary covers alot of ground.While not being too technical or cumbersome, it is an enjoyable book to use.

The DEFINITIVE Hawaiian book!
THIS IS A FUN BOOK!I've been teaching myself Hawaiian for 3 years (you'll find my Amazon reviews for the books I used) and have at times been frustrated with the very limited scope of each resource.
This book has ERADICATED my frustration! It's truly an answer to my prayers.
DOWNSIDE: None.
UPSIDE: Here's a list:
1. The Hawaiian-English section uses a Hawaiian-cultural standpoint as basis.
2. The English-Hawaiian section uses a Western-cultural standpoint as basis.
3. There are over 5,000 entries in Hawaiian and English.
4. Most of the words are used in actual, modern sentences.
5. There are literally thousands of such useful sentences.
6. Words with multiple meanings are explained.
7. Every type of sentence structure is here.
8. There are wonderful line drawings.
9. A lot of the sentences are colorful: "While she was driving, her tears fell."
10. A lot of the sentences are topical: "The Hawaiian race has known the pain of injustice".
11. There are 448 pages.
12. It's pocket-sized.
13. It makes Hawaiian an accessible, flexible and LIVING language.
14. All this for only $9.95.

If you're learning Hawaiian and have gotten through the elementals, this book will take you upward and onward, and you'll have a lot of fun in the process!I've been reading mine daily, and I never fail to find something useful, interesting and fun. I wish I could give this book 20 stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

SOMEBODY PLEASE REVISE THIS BOOK!
The GOOD points about this book are:
1. It was written by someone born in Hawai'i when the local language was still in common use.
2. Almost each vocabulary word has its own sentence, as an example. This is INVALUABLE!A book like this makes the difference between fluency and broken-speech.

The BAD points about this book are:
1. Pronunciation marks are ABSENT from 99% of the book.

2. The first 66 lessons are in a one-page format per lesson: grammatical explanation,a vocabulary list, andsentences that use the words--all on one page. This works well in the beginning. But after a few lessons, this gets all screwed up! The vocabulary for page X sentences are often given on page Y or Z.What a mess.

3. -O and -a possessives are sometimeswrong.
----------------------------------------
In Hawaiian, words have different meanings, depending on whether pronunciation marks and their sounds are there or not. I have literally had to go through each page of Mr. Judd's book with a fine-tooth comb, inserting glottal stops and macrons, using a dictionary. It takes weeks!

Kudos to the Islander Group for publishing and distributing this book. Wouldn't it be nice if they revised it, adding all the necessary pronunciation marks, putting the vocabulary on the correct pages, correcting the -o and -a possessive problems, and also furnishing a translation into English of the sentences, for the back section of the book?

As is, the book is a troublesome relic of antiquity. It needs to be cleaned up, modernized, corrected and re-organized. Then it would be wortha dazzling 5 stars.

Hawaiian Language & Hawaiian English Dictionary, A complete
Book helpful in many ways if you want to learn the language. If you have basic knowledge of sentence structure and use of common nouns and prepositions used in Hawaiian this book is very helpful. ... Read more

Product Description
A follow up to The Hawaiian Word Book, this handy, compact guide is perfect for students or anyone else interested in an easy introduction to the Hawaiian Language.Packed with basic, useful words and terms for everyday conversation, it is written in English-Hawaiian translation and organized by category for quick referencing.Complete with common definitions and pronunciation tips, this guide will help beginners become familiar with speaking Hawaiian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Extremely thorough and easy learning
This is the best book that I have seen on the Hawaiian language, extremely thorough and easy learning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent start to Learn Hawaiian
This is an excellent book to learn Hawaiian from. I have seen other books published by the University of Hawaii and I think this is a step above for the beginner. I own Spoken Hawaiian and have seen Let's Speak Hawaiian E Kama'ilio Hawai'I Kakou and both are not suited for the beginner with no knowledge of Hawaiian. Beginning Hawaiian has one big advantage over the other two, it gives the vocabulary for each lesson in each lesson. In other words the text is set-up like you standard language textbook: dialogs/readings, grammar, and vocabulary in each lesson. The only shame is the high price of the audio that goes with the text. But there are alternatives, such as Learn Hawaiian at Home which is a excellent text (with audio!) to begin with and then use this text afterward.

Beginning Hawai'ian
This book requires a workbook that is unavailable. It is not a good tool for learning Hawai'ian without a teacher.

Except for Lesson One, it's a wonderful book
I found 4 great tools for learning Hawaiian, at Amazon.Your success in learning will depend on using them in the right order.They're all great.

Beginner level
1. "Learn Hawaiian at Home", by Kahikahealani Wight
If you're new to the language,this book will walk you patiently through all the basics. Slow? Yes, but it was just what I needed. There are two cassette tapes included, with all the vocabulary, dialogs, reading material and even songs!I found the package reasonably priced.

Beginner to intermediate
2. "Ka Lei Ha'aheao--Beginning Hawaiian", by Alberta Pualani Hopkins
For continuing what you learned in "Learn Hawaiian at Home", this is an excellent book.It will take you all the way through all the Hawaiian grammar, and there are lots and lots of dialogs, giving variations on what you learn.
The downside? Cassette tapes are available, and I know my progress would be much faster if I had the big bucks to buy them. I don't.

Intermediate to advanced
3. Instant Immersion CD
Good points: Very natural-sounding Hawaiian, and lots of it
Downside:If you're a beginner, this will knock the wind out of your sails.The lessons have reading passages, some with very difficult grammar.
No printed matter comes with the CDs. You have to download it from the internet.
Some vocabulary from the lessons are NOT explained. You'll need a big Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary to find out the meanings.Not exactly user-friendly!
Still, if you love hearing the lilt ofHawaiian spoken as much as I do,you may opt to get this.

Intermediate to advanced
4. "Let's Speak Hawaiian" by Dorothy M. Kahananui & Alberta P. Anthony
Too difficult for beginners, as it was for me! Explanations are minimal. An exorbitantly-priced tape set is available, but I couldn't afford it.
I was always frustrated with myself for not being able to understand this book. However, after doing a fair amount of learning through the first two books given above,I found that "Let's Speak Hawaiian" is a wonderful extension to what I know. Get this one last!

The seminal textbook of modern Hawaiian
Hawaiian is not a language that someone who has no experience with can simply pick up: the nuances and pronunciations alone are enough to scare off the uninitiated and the differences between Hawaiian and Western (and Eastern for that matter) cultures create difficulties that are not easily overcome by obstinate minds. Mrs. Hopkins' book was intended primarily as a textbook to be used as the text for a Hawaiian class and in a classroom environment. Having grown up in Hawaii, the pronunciations were not difficult for me and the exercises were both useful and amusing. While the grammar section in the back is by no mean comprehensive, it should be remembered that this was not meant to be a dictionary.

This is an excellent text for someone who has access to a native speaker with whom he or she can practice with and the standard by which Hawaiian textbooks should be measured.

If you don't agree with me, you are welcome to challenge my opinion in a duel--smallswords or epees--and seek a gentleman's satisfaction.

Poor book for self instruction
I bought this book to learn the Hawaiian language on my own.This book was written for people who have access to someone who speaks the Hawaiian language.In the first chapter, it just brushes over pronunciation.The book then then gives an excercise in the end of the that chapter to review street names with someone who speaks the language.I was extremely disappointed with the grammatics and vocabulary offered and the excercises in the end of each chapter were too advanced.It seemed that the information provided in each chapter was not adequate to perform the excerises in the end of the chapters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Definitive Hawai'ian Grammar
This is the definitive Hawai'ian grammar. It's a bit technical in spots, and descriptive rather than prescriptive. If you're interested in the Hawai'ian language and have some familiarity with linguistics, this is thebest thing out there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Research Dissertation
This is not the book for you if you're interested in the individual use of Ho'oponopono in your daily (actually minute-by-minute) life.This is more a scholarly research dissertaion on the practice in a group setting.To learn Ho'oponopono as an individual discipline (without the need of a group and group leader), Joe Vitale's "Zero Limits" is indispensible.After reading "Zero Limits", Mabel Katz's "The Easiest Way" is a short easy reference work for keeping on your night-stand.Whatever you do, read one or both and start using the technique.The results are amazing.All the best.

Excellent anthropology
Originally wanted to understand the more modern usages of ho'oponono, but this book explained the more culturally conservative roots of the practice. This method would serve as a good template for problem solving cross-culturally as well.

Not the Ho'oponopono I was looking for, but...
I thought I was buying a book on the Ho'oponopono technique I read about on the internet which operates by one taking 100% responsibility upon them-selves on whatever problem needs solving in another's life. What I got instead is a book on Ho'oponopono a group problem solving process traditionally used in a Hawaiian family setting.

If that's what you're looking for then I guess it's a good book for that. I would say that anyone that is involved in any kind of counseling should take it upon themselves to read this book. The author interviews a bunch of councilors that use Ho'oponopono in their counseling and shows how they have integrated it into non-family situations and nontraditional cultures.

Even parents would be well advised to read at least a chapter from this book to discover a new way of bringing their families closer together, while resolving conflicts.

Text Book vs Practical
For myself, this book wasn't what I was seeking.This book though may be exactly what someone who is coming from an academic standpoint is looking for, it did not serve the purpose I wanted.I wanted something written in laymans terms that I could learn more about the process and perhaps even expand on my knowledgee.This is written like a clinical text.Not written to expand and give process knowledge.

Not to be confused with...
This is a 1985 work describing a family/small-group conflict resolution method.It may be competent social work research, it may accurately describe authentic Hawaiian tradition; I'm not competent to assert or deny either.It is written fairly, however - the author is careful to describe her subject as "one style of ho'oponopono" (page 8), and to insert appropriate disclaimers, e.g., only two of the eight practioners interviewed were using the conflict resolution method "regularly" when she completed the book (page 101).

What hasn't been made clear in the book description or in recent reviews is that this conflict resolution method has very little in common with the fundamentally-individual methods described by Joe Vitale and Dr. Hew Len in their "Self-Identity Ho'oponopono".The two books agree with a general definition of the word "ho'oponopono", and then diverge in both philosophy and application.

Some readers will find this book more useful than Vitale/Hew Len's book; some may find this style of ho'opnonopono more useful than the "Self-Identity" style.No readers should find them to be the same style, however.

Four stars for those interested in family/small-group conflict resolution, four stars for those interested in another view of ho'oponopono, one star because the University of Hawaii Press and Amazon.com really should use the summary of the book on its back cover as an editorial review here.
Average: three. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative and Authoritative; a resource that will be appreciated for generations to come,
Before this book was written students of Hawaiian genealogy found it very difficult to secure information about the ancestors chiefs who shared in the history of the islands. One had to resort to files located in the archives of the State of Hawai'i, the archives of the Bishop Museum, the limited and scattered resources of the state's library system or to the sometimes suspect records of individual families who were more often than not reluctant to share their information. The prospect was not appealing because of the laborious efforts one had to make to gather the scattered materials into a coherent whole. The fact that most of the informationwas written in the Hawaiian language also presented formidable barriers to those who were not familiar with the language.

Aunty Edith Kawelohea McKinzie, with the helpful assistance of editor Ishmael W. Stagner, II,has done a very great service in providing this work, and its companion, Vol. 2, for the use and benefit of students of native Hawaiian history and genealogies.By gathering together and translating into English the information which was hitherto locked up in fragile copies of old newspapers, hard to decipher microfilm reels or the recollections, written and/or oral, of `kapuna' (respected elders) Aunty Edith has done yeoman work that will last through the decades as a vitally important resource for future genealogists and historians.An expert in the Hawaiian language and a `kumu hula' (expert hula teacher), she has by this work embellished a cultural and genealogical expertise and reputation that was already of the highest order in Hawai`i. ... Read more