Reported Speech and Quotation in Hawaiian

In Brief

Hawaiian can present someone’s exact words after wahi a (“according to; in the words of”) or a speech verb such as ʻōlelo (“speak; say”). It can also report only the message, often with ʻōlelo followed by a clause or an e phrase. Unlike English, Hawaiian does not apply an automatic sequence of tense changes merely because the reporting verb is in the past.

Overview

Reported speech tells your listener what somebody said, thought, asked, or instructed. Direct speech gives the speaker’s words as a quotation. Indirect speech gives the content without claiming to repeat every word. At B2, the main challenge is no longer just recognizing ʻōlelo: it is choosing a frame that makes the speaker, the quoted message, and the time reference clear.

Hawaiian offers several useful perspectives. Wahi a foregrounds the source: “according to X” or “X says/said.” ʻŌlelo describes the act of speaking and can introduce either quoted words or reported content. Penei points forward to wording or a manner about to be shown (“as follows; like this”), whereas pēlā points to something already known or demonstrated (“like that; thus”). Haʻi can mean “tell, relate, or report,” especially when information is conveyed to someone.

English learners must resist one strong habit: changing every present form into a past form after “said.” Hawaiian tense-aspect-mood particles—small words such as ua, ke ... nei, and e that locate or shape an event—are chosen for the meaning of the reported event, not by a mechanical backshift rule.

How It Works

Direct quotation with wahi a

The basic source-first pattern is:

Wahi a + source, + quotation.

The source follows a. A personal name normally appears directly, while a common noun phrase keeps its article:

• Wahi a Kawika, “E hele kākou.” — Kawika said, “Let’s go.”
• Wahi a ke kumu, “E heluhelu ʻoukou.” — The teacher said, “Read.”

Depending on context, wahi a may be translated as “says,” “said,” or “according to.” The Hawaiian frame itself does not force that English tense. Context establishes whether the statement is current, remembered, written, or traditional.

The source can also follow the quoted material:

Quotation, + wahi a + source.

This order is useful in narrative because the audience hears the words before the speaker is identified. In either order, modern punctuation makes the boundary visible, but punctuation is a writing convention rather than the grammar itself.

Reporting with ʻōlelo

A common reporting clause uses ʻōlelo:

TAM particle + ʻōlelo + subject + content

Here “subject” means the person who does the speaking. In Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ..., ua presents the speaking as completed and ʻo ia is the speaker.

Pattern	Main use	Example	Meaning
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo X, “...”	introduces exact words	Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Malia, “Ua mākaukau au.”	Malia said, “I am ready.”
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo X e + action	reports an instruction, intention, or projected action	Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia e kali.	He or she said to wait.
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo X ... + full clause	reports a proposition in context	Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ua pau ka hana.	He or she said the work was finished.

The e in e kali does not simply equal English “that.” It marks a noncompleted, intended, requested, or commanded action. Consequently, Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia e hele may need more context in English: “He/She said to go,” “told someone to go,” or “said that he/she would go.” Name the actor or add the recipient when ambiguity matters.

A full reported clause can preserve its own tense-aspect marker. For example, ua in ua pau ka hana presents the work as completed. It is not there merely because ua ʻōlelo is past.

No automatic English-style backshift

English often changes “I am tired” to “she said that she was tired.” Hawaiian does not require a corresponding automatic shift. Keep or choose the marker that expresses when and how the reported situation holds.

Intended time of reported event	Natural marker choice	Example
already completed	ua	Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ua pau ka hālāwai.
happening now	ke ... nei	Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ke hana nei ʻo ia.
expected, intended, or commanded	e	Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia e hoʻi mai.
habitual or general	marker appropriate to the statement	Wahi a ke kumu, noho ka honu i ke kai.

This does not mean time never changes when speech is reported. A reporter may change a marker because the time viewpoint really has changed. The point is that the past form of “said” does not trigger a purely grammatical chain of changes.

Person, place, and time still depend on viewpoint

When exact words become indirect speech, references may need adjustment. A first-person form such as au (“I”) belongs to the original speaker. In the reporter’s sentence it may become ʻo ia (“he/she”), or a name may be repeated. Likewise, expressions equivalent to “here,” “today,” or “tomorrow” must be interpreted from the relevant speaker’s situation.

Compare:

• Direct: Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Leilani, “E hoʻi au i ka lā ʻapōpō.” — Leilani said, “I will return tomorrow.”
• Reported later: Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Leilani e hoʻi mai ʻo ia i kekahi lā aʻe. — Leilani said that she would return the next day.

That change is about reference and clarity, not tense agreement.

Penei and pēlā: “like this” and “like that”

Use penei when the explanation, wording, or demonstration follows:

• Penei kāna ʻōlelo: “E mālama i ka ʻāina.” — His/Her words were as follows: “Care for the land.”
• Penei ka ʻōlelo a ka poʻe kahiko. — Thus spoke the people of old / This is what the elders said.

Use pēlā to point back to a known statement or manner:

• Pēlā kāna i ʻōlelo ai. — That is how/what he or she said.
• Mai ʻōlelo pēlā. — Do not speak like that.

A practical memory aid is penei → what comes next and pēlā → what has just been mentioned or shown. Actual discourse can be more flexible, but this contrast is a reliable starting point.

Reporting with haʻi

Haʻi emphasizes telling, relating, or making information known. A recipient can be marked with iā (“to”), the form of i used before personal pronouns and many personal names:

• Ua haʻi ʻo ia iā mākou i ka moʻolelo. — He/She told us the story.
• Ua haʻi ke kumu iā lākou e hoʻolohe. — The teacher told them to listen.

Use ʻōlelo when the speaking itself or the words are central; use haʻi when conveying information to an audience is central. Their meanings overlap, so context and established usage matter more than a one-word English substitution.

Referring to the act of speaking

Hawaiian can turn a verb into an event-like expression with verb + ʻana. In kāna ʻōlelo ʻana, the phrase refers to “his/her speaking” or “what he/she said.” The possessive form kāna identifies the person associated with the act.

• I kāna ʻōlelo ʻana, ua ʻoluʻolu ʻo ia. — In his/her speaking, he/she was kind.

This construction comments on the act, manner, or occasion of speaking rather than simply introducing a quotation.

Examples in Context

Hawaiian	English	Note
Wahi a Kawika, “E hele kākou.”	Kawika said, “Let’s go.”	Wahi a names the source.
“Ua hiki mai lākou,” wahi a Nani.	“They have arrived,” Nani said.	Speaker tag after the quotation.
Wahi a ke kauka, pono au e hoʻomaha.	According to the doctor, I need to rest.	Reports advice without exact wording.
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Malia, “Ua mākaukau au.”	Malia said, “I am ready.”	Direct quotation after ʻōlelo.
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia e hele.	He/She said to go.	E introduces the projected action.
Ua ʻōlelo ke kumu i nā haumāna e noho mālie.	The teacher told the students to sit quietly.	Context identifies who should act.
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ua pau ka hana.	He/She said that the work was finished.	The reported clause keeps ua.
Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Kimo ke hana nei ʻo ia.	Kimo said that he is working.	Ke ... nei presents ongoing action.
Penei kāna ʻōlelo: “E mālama pono.”	His/Her words were as follows: “Take good care.”	Penei points forward.
Penei ka ʻōlelo a ka poʻe kahiko.	Thus spoke the people of old.	Introduces traditional words or teaching.
Pēlā kāna i ʻōlelo ai.	That is what/how he or she said it.	Pēlā points back.
Mai ʻōlelo pēlā iā ia.	Do not speak to him/her like that.	Refers to manner, not a quotation.
Ua haʻi ʻo Pua iā mākou i ka nūhou.	Pua told us the news.	Iā mākou marks the recipients.
Ua haʻi mai ʻo ia e hiki ana ka malihini.	He/She told us that the visitor would arrive.	Mai presents the telling toward the speaker’s side.
I kāna ʻōlelo ʻana, ua ʻoluʻolu ʻo ia.	In his/her speaking, he/she was kind.	ʻŌlelo ʻana names the act of speaking.

Common Mistakes

Treating wahi a as a tense-marked verb

• Wrong idea: wahi a always means only “said” in the past.
• Right: Translate it as “according to,” “says,” or “said” according to context.
• Why: The construction identifies a source; it does not itself impose an English tense.

Backshifting every reported event

• Wrong: Changing the reported marker only because ua ʻōlelo means “said.”
• Right: Ua ʻōlelo ʻo ia ke hana nei ʻo ia. — “He/She said that he/she is working.”
• Why: Ke ... nei is appropriate if the work is ongoing. Choose markers from the event’s actual time and aspect.

Using penei and pēlā as interchangeable decorations

• Wrong: Pēlā kāna ʻōlelo: before words that have not yet been given, when you mean “as follows.”
• Right: Penei kāna ʻōlelo: ...
• Why: Penei normally points forward to “this way”; pēlā usually points back or away to “that way.”

Leaving the actor of an e phrase unclear

• Unclear: Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Kaleo iā Malia e hele.
• Clearer when needed: Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Kaleo iā Malia e hele ʻo Malia.
• Why: The short version may be understood as “Kaleo told Malia to go,” but an explicit actor prevents confusion in a crowded context.

Translating ʻōlelo and haʻi word for word

• Wrong idea: ʻōlelo always equals “say” and haʻi always equals “tell,” with exactly the same grammar as English.
• Right: Choose the Hawaiian frame according to whether you emphasize words/speaking or conveying information to someone.
• Why: The meanings overlap, and Hawaiian marks participants in its own way.

Losing the original speaker’s viewpoint

• Wrong: Keeping au in an indirect report when it would now refer to the reporter rather than the original speaker.
• Right: Repeat the name or use ʻo ia when reporting the original speaker in the third person.
• Why: Pronouns must remain clear even though tense does not backshift mechanically.

Usage Notes

Wahi a is especially useful when attribution matters: stories, remembered advice, proverbs, news, and references to another person’s authority. It can sound more source-centered than a plain clause with ʻōlelo. In English, “according to” is often the best translation even when “said” would also work.

Direct quotations are vivid and preserve voice. Indirect reports are more compact and let the reporter summarize. In careful writing, quotation marks and a colon help readers see where exact wording begins. Traditional Hawaiian texts may follow punctuation practices different from modern edited prose, so learn to identify grammatical frames rather than relying on quotation marks alone.

Directionals such as mai and aku may accompany verbs of communication. They locate the communicative movement relative to a viewpoint: haʻi mai presents information as coming toward the speaker’s side, while haʻi aku presents it as going away toward another person. English often leaves this direction unspoken.

The spelling marks matter. The ʻokina in ʻōlelo is a consonant, and the kahakō in forms such as pēlā marks a long vowel. Omitting them can obscure pronunciation and should not become a writing habit.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Attribution is not necessarily endorsement

A wahi a phrase identifies a source; it does not automatically tell the audience whether the reporter agrees. This makes it useful for distinguishing another person’s claim from the narrator’s own statement. Tone and the surrounding discourse supply approval, doubt, respect, or distance.

Retaining words versus retaining meaning

Direct quotation claims to preserve wording. Indirect speech usually preserves the message, so pronouns, directional particles, and time expressions may be recentered. A skilled reporter decides what must remain exact and what must change for the new audience. This is why tense can remain stable while person or direction changes.

The resumptive ai pattern

In expressions such as Pēlā kāna i ʻōlelo ai, ai helps refer back to a previously established manner or circumstance. It is part of a broader Hawaiian pattern used when an earlier element—here pēlā, “in that way”—is resumed in the clause. Learn the whole frame rather than translating ai as an independent English word.

Nominalized speech

Forms with ʻana, such as ʻōlelo ʻana, let a speaker discuss speaking as an event: its time, manner, cause, or effect. Possessive choices in Hawaiian can encode relationships more finely than English “his/her,” so advanced learners should study kāna/kona patterns with verbal nouns rather than assuming one English possessive maps to one Hawaiian form.

Practice Tips

1. Transform in both directions. Write a short direct quote with wahi a, then summarize it with ua ʻōlelo. Check pronouns and time references, but do not backshift automatically.
2. Use a two-arrow cue. On flashcards, mark penei → for wording that follows and ← pēlā for a manner or statement already supplied.
3. Listen for source and direction. In Hawaiian audio, note wahi a, ʻōlelo, haʻi mai, and haʻi aku. Ask who speaks, who receives the message, and where the information is moving.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Complex Sentence Patterns — provides the clause-building skills needed to attach reported content to a speaking clause.