Maui no ka oi! What It Really Means

Aloha e ka poe kanaka o Maui,

I wanted to talk about the phrase Maui no ka oi in hopes of shedding some light on it and helping people avoid misusing it.

Ina malihini oe i keia olelo (if you're unfamiliar with this phrase), here are some things to know. It is a phrase about the island of Maui and its people. Those who are proud of being from Maui use it often, and it has been around for a long time. You can find it in Hawaiian newspapers as far back as the 1800s, like in this 1898 article.

Hawaiians are proud people and proud of their aina. So it is no surprise that Maui people would say their island is the best. Here is a little secret. Every island thinks they are oi.

Pronunciation

Check out my YouTube video to learn how to pronounce Maui and other Hawaiian island names. The no does not end with a w sound, and oi is distinctly different from oe. Watch out for that one.

The Breakdown

Maui refers to the island. No emphasizes Maui. Ka translates as the. Oi means best or superior.

If you drop Maui and just say no ka oi, it does not mean the best. If you want to say the best, you say ka oi. Starting a sentence with no ka oi on its own will get you into trouble. Saying "the food here is just so no ka oi" or "no ka oi dat one I tell u wat" does not make any sense. Using a Hawaiian word here and there while speaking English is one thing. Breaking up a Hawaiian phrase and giving it a shot is a completely different animal. Tread carefully there.

How to Use It

Taking a Hawaiian phrase and repurposing it can work, but you have to know how. Patterning after this phrase, here are some other ways you can use it:

• O Maui no ka oi — Maui is the best.
• Ka hula Hawaii no ka oi — Hawaiian hula is superior.
• Ka ukulele Kamaka no ka oi — the Kamaka ukulele is the best.
• O keia kalo no ka oi — this taro is the best.

Lawa no keia, 

Maluhia