Hawaiian Phrase · Spirit
I ka wā ma mua
Pronunciation: /ee kah WAH mah MOO-ah/
Meaning
The future is found in the past. Walking backward into tomorrow.
Example sentences
Hoʻomanaʻo mākou i nā kūpuna, no ka mea, aia ka ʻike i ka wā ma mua.
We remember our ancestors, because wisdom is found in the past.
Inā hoʻohālikelike mākou i nā hewa o nehinei, ʻike mākou i ka maikaʻi i ka wā ma mua.
If we compare yesterday's mistakes, we see the goodness in the past.
He alakaʻi ka mōʻaukala iā kākou, no laila ua ʻike ʻia ke ala i ka wā ma mua.
History guides us, therefore the way forward is seen in the past.
About this word
“I ka wā ma mua” is a Hawaiian phrase meaning The future is found in the past. It is part of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) vocabulary in the category of Spirit. Definitions are based on the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary.