Hawaiian Phrase · Sea
Hānai kai
Pronunciation: /HAH-nai kai/
Meaning
To feed the sea. An offering or tribute made to the ocean.
Example sentences
Ma mua o ko mākou luʻu ʻana, ua hana mākou i ka Hānai kai me ka puaʻa ʻulaʻula.
Before we dove, we made an offering to the sea with red flowers.
Ua hoʻokupu ke kahuna i nā lei pua no ka Hānai kai.
The priest offered flower leis for the sea offering.
He ʻano hoʻomaikaʻi ko ka Hānai kai i ke kai no kāna mau meaʻai.
Giving thanks to the sea for its bounty is a form of sea offering.
About this word
“Hānai kai” is a Hawaiian phrase meaning To feed the sea. It is part of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) vocabulary in the category of Sea. Definitions are based on the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary.