The Relative Clause - Kāhulu Pepeke

THE RELATIVE CLAUSE
KĀHULU PEPEKE

Educational Resources In Support Of Hawaiian Language Revitalization

Thoughts On Learning The Kāhulu Pepeke Structure

If learning the Kāhulu Pepeke (Relative Clause) structure feels intimidating to you, don't worry; you're not alone! This grammatical structure is taught in a variety of ways which donʻt always immediately seem to feel consistent with one another. Moreover, in an effort to not confuse students, only one type of Kāhulu Pepeke is presented at a time without explaining that there are a number of other varieties. Later, when students encounter all the other categories and forms of the grammar they are often confused by the variety of alternative grammatical constructions.

The Relative Clause In English Grammar

A "clause" is a phrase or structure in a sentence that doesn't stand alone, it must be part of a larger sentence. In English there are two types of Relative Clauses: The Adjective Form using the relative pronouns Who, Whom, Whose, That, and Which and the Adverb Form using the relative adjectives Where, Why, When. The clause is a subordinate clause used as an adjective. That means the entire clause modifies and describes a noun or pronoun. The relative adjective or adverb links two related thoughts as follows:

Independent Clause: This is the house

Dependent Adjective Clause: that Jack built

Relative Pronoun: that

Adjective Clause is Modifying "house"

Resulting Sentence with Relative Clause:  This is the house that Jack built

How Is The "Relative Clause" Used

The Kāhulu Pepeke is the Hawaiian Relative Clause because it relates a verb action with a noun. Essentially, a verb is used as a modifier for a noun in the same way an adjective could be used to modify a verb. For example, in the phrase, "the dog that ran" the past-tense verb "ran" is telling us (modifying) what type of dog we're talking about, it was a dog that ran (as opposed to, say, a dog that barked or a dog that is hungry. In this example you see that there is only one subject (the dog) and one verb (run, bark, hungry). The verb, however, could have its own, separate, subject as in: the dog that she fed. Here, the verb is "fed" but the subject of the verb is not the dog, it is "she". The word "dog" is modified by a verb phrase with its own separate subject "she fed".


A relative clause answers one of several questions regarding the noun being modified. These are shown here:


A Relative Clause Answers One Of These Questions About The Noun Being Modified

Consider how a relative clause could be used to answer a question about a noun object and complete the English language sentence, "I was thinking about..."

...the dog that ran

...the guitar which was played by Iokepa

...the horse whose rider fell in the mud

...the time when I visited Oʻahu

...the city where she was born

Above, "thinking" is the verb, "I" is the subject (and is also referred to as the "head noun"), and "dog", "guitar", "horse", "time", and "city" are objects of the head verb.


In Hawaiian grammar sentence structure, a sentence is referred to as a "Pepeke". The head, leading verb is referred to as the "poʻo", the subject of a sentence is referred to as the "piko", and the object is referred to as the "ʻawe". In the previous example, "thinking" is the Poʻo, "I" is the Piko, and "dog", "guitar", etc. are ʻAwe. Phrases that modify the ʻAwe are referred to as "Kāhulu". "Kāhulu" is the Hawaiian word derived from "hulu" which means "feather". The Kāhulu adorns a word with additional meaning. The Hawaiian grammatical terms for the two general categories of relative clause are:


Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou ʻOle - A sentence modifying clause without a new subject (Abbreviated: K.P. Piko ʻOle; sometimes referred to as "Category 1" or "Type 1")

Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou - A sentence modifying clause with a new subject (Abbreviated: K.P. Piko Hou; sometimes referred to as "Category 2" or "Type 2")


Each of the two categories use their own additional types of verb structures which will be discussed below. They are often referred to as

  • For the Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou ʻOle:  "K.P. Piko ʻOle" and "K.P. Piko ʻOle - Passive Form"
  • For the Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou: "K.P. Piko Hou - Form 1" through "Form 3". (Note that these are sometimes referred to at "Type A", "Type B", and "Type C")
  • In this present discussion, the term "Form 4" is the designation given to the K.P. Piko Hou with an "implied piko" (the new piko doesn't appear in the sentence). This form is almost never discussed in any of the popular grammar texts and, as far is can be ascertained, this page is the only on-line resource that explains it.


These six different forms of the Kāhulu Pepeke will be discussed below.

Nā Analula Maka Painu Chart

  • This chart, discussed and presented in large format on the Verb Tense Reference Guide page under the Learning Library, provides a key perspective on the grammatical structures used with the Kāhulu Pepeke forms.
  • Remember that there are verb structures and markers that introduce past tense, future tense, present action, and other verb aspects. The verbs that are used in the Kāhulu Pepeke forms can assume any tense. This chart provides an organized presentation of all the verb tense structures.
  • Be sure to download and print the chart from the Verb Tense Reference Guide page, or open it in a pop-up window, for reference

Category 1:  Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou ʻOle

This is the most straightforward Kāhulu Pepeke category. It modifies a noun by adding a verb, but no new verb subject (no new piko). The way the modifying verb is connected to its noun is dependent on the verb tense you're using. You can think of the Kāhulu Pepeke as tying together the thoughts otherwise expressed by two separate sentences, for example:

  • I see the dog.  The dog is running.  --> I see the dog that is running
  • There is a boy. The boy is happy. --> There is a boy who is happy.


To construct a Kāhulu Pepeke Hou ʻOle you append the relative clause phrase to the verb. You can express the relationship as occurring in any verb tense: habitual, as a would/should/could command, future, present, past, recent past, or past progressive. The forms for constructing the verb tenses are found in the Verb Tense Reference Guide. Refer to the Verb Tense Reference Guide (and look in the K.P. Piko ʻOle column) for all of the variations. Knowing that the K.P. Piko ʻOle form simply adds the modifying verb following the noun it relates to allows the complete explanation to be provided through the following examples:

  • ʻIke au i ka ʻīlio hele - I see the dog that is running (habitual action)
  • ʻIke au i ka ʻīlio e hele - I see the dog that should run (future uncommitted, would, should, could, command)
  • ʻIke au i ka ʻīlio e hele ana - I see the dog that is going to run (future)
  • ʻIke au i ka ʻīlio i hele - I see the dog that ran
  • Aia ke keiki kāne kaumaha ma ʻō - There is a boy who is sad (ma=at, ō=there, a location)
  • Aia ke keiki kāne i kaumaha ma ʻō - There is a boy who was sad
  • Ua ʻai au i ka moa e ʻono ana - I ate the chicken that was tasty (ʻono=delicious, e ʻono ana=past progressive, "was tasty")
  • E pāʻani kāua i ka mea pāʻani leʻaleʻa - Let's play a game that's fun (pāʻani=play, mea pāʻani=game, leʻaleʻa=fun)


The K.P. Piko Hou ʻOle Optional Implying Cause With Stative Verbs (ʻAʻano)

Another form for the K.P. Piko Hou ʻOle is when the relative clause uses a stative verb (ʻaʻano) and is followed by a phrase starting with "i". In this case the "i" phrase is translated "due to". For example:

  • ʻEhia ke ahi e pio ana i ka makani - Here is the fire that is going out due to the wind


The Hawaiian Noun-Adjective Structure Is Actually A Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou ʻOle

It's interesting and instructive to consider the last example. You see a noun (mea pāʻani=game) modified in a relative clause structure by a stative verb (leʻaleʻa=to be in the state of having a good time). Notice that this is the basic way any noun is modified: He lā wela=A hot day, ke keiki akamai=the smart child, kona ʻōpū nui=his big belly. A student learns that a stative verb can be placed after a noun to act as an adjective. It's not until later in the student's journey that they are introduced to the fact that this is actually the Habitual Action verb form for the Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou ʻOle (with no "e" or "i" connector)

Category 1 - Passive: K.P. Piko Hou ʻOle - Passive Form (ʻIae)

The passive form a verb is marked by adding ʻia after the verb. Compare these examples:

Ua heluhelu ʻo Iokepa i ka puke - Iokepa read the book (active form)

Ua heluhelu ʻia ka puke e Iokepa - The book was read by Iokepa (passive form, e="by")

A verb in the passive form can be used in a K.P. as follows:

  • Makemake au i ka puke i heluhelu ʻia e Iokepa - I like the book that was read by Iokepa


Many times the agent in a passive sentence can remain unspecified, as in:

Makemake au i ka puke i heluhelu ʻia - I like the book that was read


Here are some other examples:

  • Ua ʻai au i ka iʻa i kuke ʻia - I ate the fish that was cooked (ua=past tense marker, ʻai=eat, ka iʻa=fish, kuke=cook)
  • ʻIke ʻoe i ke kaʻa i holoi ʻia - You saw the car that was washed (holoi=wash)
  • Ke noʻonoʻo nei au e pili ana ka 'aina ahiahi e kuke ʻia ana - Iʻm now thinking about the dinner thatʻs going to be cooked (ke/nei=presente tense / right now, noʻonoʻo=to think, e pili ana=about, ʻaina ahiahi=dinner, e/ana=future tense)

Category 1 - Piko Hou ʻOle Contractions with "mea" in the Pepeke ʻAike He and ʻAike ʻO Structure

A mea (a thing or a person) is a common piko in the Pepeke ʻAike He (Class-Inclusional) and ʻAike ʻO (Equational) sentence structure. The mea is commonly modified using a K.P. Piko ʻOle. Consider these examples:

  • He wahine ka mea e kuke i ka mea ʻai - The woman is the one who cooks the food (present tense "e kuke")
  • He wahine ka mea i kuku i ka mea ʻai  - The woman is the one who cooked the food (past tense "i kuke")
  • ʻO ka pōpoki ka mea i ʻai i ka mea ʻai - The cat is the one who ate the food (past tense "i ʻai)
  • He pēpē ka mea e uē ma ka lumi moe - The baby is the one who cries in the bedroom
  • ʻO nā haumana nā mea i hoʻopaʻa no ka kuisa - the students are the ones who studied for the quiz


Notice that the English translation in these cases is "who" (instead of "that").


The One Who (Habitually and Past Tense: "e" versus "i")

The phrases "ka mea i" and "ka mea e" are common and can be (and often are) contracted to a shorter form. This form may appear confusing when encountered in the middle of a sentence.

  • ka mea e <painu>   contracts to   ke <painu>   He wahine ke kuke i ka mea ʻai - The woman is the one who cooks the food
  • ka mea i <painu>   contracts to   kai <painu>   He wahine kai kuke i ka mea ʻai - The woman is the one who cooked the food


Other verb tenses are also able to contract with "mea":

The One Who Is Now: Ka mea e <painu> nei  contracts to  Ke <painu> nei

  • ʻO wai ke mea e ʻōlelo nei i ka ʻōlelo Hawaii? - Who is the one who is now speaking Hawaiian?

ʻO wai ke ʻōlelo nei i ka ʻōlelo Hawaii?

  • He pēpē ka mea e ʻue nei - It is the baby who is now crying

He pēpē ke ʻue nei


The One Who Will: Ka mea e <painu> ana   contracts to   Ke <painu> ana

  • ʻO au ka mea e hoʻoponopono ana i ke kuisa - I am the one who will correct the quiz

ʻO au ke hoʻoponopono ana i ke kuisa

  • He manu ka mea e lele ana a laila - The bird is one who will fly there

He manu ke lele ana a laila


Practice Examples Using These Patterns:

  1. He kaikamahine ka mea e himeni nei ma ka hale pule
  2. ʻO Keola ke kikokiko nei i ka pepe no ka papa ʻolelo Pelekania
  3. He wahine mana ke kiaʻi ana iā Mauna Kea
  4. ʻO ʻoe ka mea e heluhelu i ka puke ma ka papa
  5. ʻO ʻoukou kai hana i ka haʻawina pili home ma ka lolo uila
  6. Liliʻuokalini is the one who cared for her nation
  7. It was a boy who brought the flowers to Liliʻukokalani
  8. Liliʻuokalani is the one who will write the song "Aloha ʻOe"
  9. John Dominis is the one who is marrying Liliʻuokalani
  10. It was foreigners who overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893


Category 2:  Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou

In this category a new subject (new Piko) applies to the verb phrase. The noun in the ʻAwe is, again, modified by a verb however this time the modifying verb has its own unique subject. Consider these English sentences:

You saw the dog.   I fed the dog. --> You saw the dog that I fed

In the first sentence the Poʻo is "see", the Piko is "You" and the ʻAwe is "the dog". In the second sentence the Poʻo is fed, the piko is "I" and the ʻAwe is "the dog". In the combined sentence there are, therefore, two separate Pikos - "You" and "I". The relative clause has added a new Piko to the sentence - and that's the "Piko Hou".


Here's another example:

This is the man. The dog bit the man. --> This is the man that the dog bit.

The first sentence is an equational sentence (Pepeke ʻAike ʻO) where "this" is equal to "the man". In Hawaiian, the ʻO in the sentence is the Poʻo. There are, in effect, two Pikos in the ʻO-Equational form: "this" and "the man". There is no ʻAwe. In the second sentence "bit" (bite=nahu) is the Poʻo, "dog" is the Piko, and "the man" is the ʻAwe. So, once again, in the combined sentence the new Piko (dog) has been added.


Here are these same two examples in Hawaiian:

Ua ʻike ʻoe i ka ʻīlio - You saw the dog.  Ua hānai au i ka ʻīlio - I fed the dog (hānai=to feed, care for)

Ua ʻike ʻoe i ka ʻīlio aʻu i hānai ai - You saw the dog that I fed


There are two key things to observe in the Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou. First, the verb "hānai" is ʻbracketedʻ with "i" and "ai". The presence of the "ai" informs you that this is a relative clause (but, there are other "bracketing" tense markers) and that there's a second Piko in the sentence. The first Poʻo is ʻIke (see) and its Piko is "ʻoe" (you). The second Poʻo (in the relative clause) is hānai (to feed, care for) and its Piko is "au" (I/me). Thus, "au" is the Piko Hou. The second thing to observe (and this is, perhaps, the most confusing part of the Piko Hou structure) is that there is a k-less possessive "aʻu" in front of the Kāhulu verb structure ("i hānai ai).


ʻO kēia ke kāne - This is the man.  Ua nahu ka ʻīlio i ke kāne - The dog bit the man.

ʻO kēia ke kāne a ka ʻīlio i nahu ai - This is the man that the dog bit.

Here you see the k-less possessive "a" in front of "ka ʻīlio", preceding the relative verb phrase "i nahu ai".


These are example of the "Form 1" (or "Type A") structure using a k-less possessive form. The Forms are discussed in more detail below.

Use Of The Possessive In The Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou

In the example (above) "ka īlio aʻu i hānai ai" (the dog that I fed) you see the k-less form of the possessive "kaʻu", meaning "my" (in other words, "I possess this"). Very generally, the feeding of the dog is an action you possess (but, as we'll see, the structure doesnʻt directly support this idea). This is NOT the way a possessive is interpreted in a general possession context. Possession in the Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou has been called a "strange possession". It absolutely can't be directly translated using the possession rules you've encountered for k- and k-less possessives in other grammatical structures. You can see examples of these other grammatical structures in the following. Remember, these examples show possession in the typical way. Although the placement of the possessive remains the same in the K.P. Piko Hou, this is NOT the way possession is interpreted in the K.P. Piko Hou.

  • ʻO ka peni ona kēlā - That is her pen (This is the k-less alternative to the k-possessive form: ʻO kona <kona> peni kēlā)
  • Aia ke kaʻa aʻu ma ʻō - My car is over there (This is the k-less alternative to the k-possessive form: Aia kaʻu kaʻa ma ō)
  • Nani ka hale o lākou - Their house is beautiful (This is the k-less alternative to the k-possessive form:Nani ko lākou hale)

In the examples, you see the k-less possessive following the thing possessed while the k-possessive precedes the thing possessed. Youʻll see that in the K.P. Piko Hou as well. You might think of this as if you were saying, "The pen of hers" (k-less possessive) versus "Her pen" (k-possessive). In the first case the emphasis is on the thing; the pen. In the second case the emphasis is on whose pen it is; hers. In the K.P. Piko Hou the noun (pen, car, house) is NOT "possessed" by anything - the "possession" is referring to the fact that a verb phrase is related to (is "possessed by") the noun being modified.


Remember that the use of the possessive form in the K.P. Piko Hou does not create the same image as possession of an object by an agent. It's truly a non-intuitive unexpected grammatical form for the English language speaker!

K.P. Piko Hou - Form 1 - K-Less

Form 1 is the first K.P. form that a student learns in a Hawaiian language class in school. Often, students aren't told that this is one of three different forms for the K.P. Piko Hou and, later, when they're introduced to the other forms, no small confusion can result. Moreover (as you'll see in this discussion), the structure of a sentence with a k-less possessive is, essentially, "backwards" from what they've previously learned. This aspect, too, is often presented with limited background and perspective, and the structure is presented as a "rule". Unfortunately, in this case, a learner that successfully internalizes the "rule" can be in for a challenge later in their language learning journey when they encounter the other forms of the K.P. Piko Hou. It may be the case that teachers and authors feel that the nuances present in the K.P. Piko Hou forms are too complicated for the new learner, and they may well be right! The take-away here is that Hawaiian is a language with geographic, historical, and cultural nuances, the roots of which have, to a large extent, been lost. You're encouraged to tackle the K.P. topics (as well as all topics) with an open mind and flexible approach. These forms aren't necessarily hard, they're just non-intuitive.


In the K.P. Piko Hou - Form 1, a k-less possessive follows the noun it's related to and immediately precedes the relative verb construction. Remember that the noun (dog, house, car) doesn't actually "possess" an actual thing. That's it. Here are some examples:

Ua ʻike ʻoe i ka ʻīlio aʻu i hānai ai - You saw the dog that I fed

The k-less form of kaʻu (aʻu) follows ʻīlio and precedes the relative verb clause "i hānai ai". It's important to realize that this does NOT imply "the dog of mine" the way "ka ʻīlio aʻu" would apart from the K.P. Piko Hou sentence structure.


He aha ka mea a Pualani e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that Pualani is gathering in the yard?

(ka mea=the thing, ʻohi=gather, e/nei=the present tense construction for the verb, i ka pā hale=in the yard)


The k-less form of the possession by Pualani (a Pualani, not kā Pualani) follows the noun (ka mea) and precedes the relative verb clause "e ʻohi nei" which is wrapped with the ke/nei, present tense (right now) tense construction (e verb nei). In this example, Pualani does NOT possess the thing (ka mea). It's NOT "the thing of Pualani".

This sentence would be in the same structure with other k-less possessive pronouns:

  • He aha ka mea aʻu e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that I am gathering in the yard?
  • He aha ka mea āu e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that you are gathering in the yard?
  • He aha ka mea āna e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that she is gathering in the yard?


Ua holoi lākou i ke kaʻa a Kimo i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that Kimo bought last week

(holoi=wash, kūʻai mai=buy, i kūʻai mai ai=the K.P past tense construction, i ka pule aku nei=last week)


As with the previous example, the k-less form of the possession by Kimo (a Kimo) follows the noun (ke kaʻa) and precedes the relative verb past tense construction "i kūʻai mai ai". Again, it's not saying it's "the car of Kimo". The "possession" refers to the relative verb phase in the non-intuitive way that the K.P. Piko Hou structure is constructed.

This sentence would be in the same structure with other k-less possessive pronouns:

  • Ua holoi lākou i ke kaʻa aʻu i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that I bought last week
  • Ua holoi lākou i ke kaʻa au i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that you bought last week
  • Ua holoi lākou i ke kaʻa ana i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that she bought last week


ʻO kēlā nō ka lā o Keola i hānau ʻia iho ai - That is the day that Keola was born

(kēlā nō=that is definitely, i hānau ʻia iho ai=past tense and passive verb construction with the directional "iho" indicating that the action is inward towards Keola). Remember, it's NOT "the day of Keola"; Keola does not possess the day.


Here, the relative verb (wrapped in the past tense markers "i verb ai") is in the passive voice as marked with ʻia. As with the previous examples, any k-less possessive could be used.


To construct any Form 1 K.P Piko Hou in a particular tense (past, present, future, etc.) you can refer to the Verb Tense Reference Chart to see how to "wrap" the relative verb.

K.P. Piko Hou - Form 2 - K-Possessive

In Form 2, instead of a k-less possessive structure being used, the k-possessive form is used.

By way of review, in conventional possession (NOT the K.P. Piko Hou) these two alternates are expressed as follows:

  • ka ʻīlio a ke keiki - the dog of the child  <-- versus -->  kā ke keiki ʻīlio - the child's dog
  • ka hale o ka ʻohana - the house of the family  <-- versus -->  ko ka ʻohana hale - the family's house
  • ka pōpoki aʻu - the cat of mine <-- versus --> kaʻu pōpoki - my cat
  • ke kaʻa ou - the car of your's <-- versus --> kou kaʻa - your car


Again, the examples above convey actual, physical possession of something by someone. Remember that in the Kāhulu Pepeke Piko Hou, the possessive form is used but 1) it is not implying physical possession of something and, 2) the placement of the possessive marker or pronoun is not interpreted the same way is is with conventional possession.


Here are some examples using the k-possessive form (along with the k-less form for comparison):

Ua ʻike ʻoe i kaʻu ʻīlio i hānai ai - You saw the dog that I fed

{Compare to the k-less Form 1: Ua ʻike ʻoe i ka ʻīlio aʻu i hānai ai}


It's potentially confusing and important to realize that kaʻu is NOT referring to the dog. The phrase does not mean "my dog".


He aha kā Pualani mea e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that Pualani is gathering in the yard?

{Compare to the k-less Form 1: He aha ka mea a Pualani e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale?}

Here, the possessive marker "kā" precedes Pualani.


The k-possessive form by Pualani (kā Pualani) precedes the ioʻa (proper name: Pualani) which precedes the relative verb phrase "e ʻohi nei" (gathering now).


This sentence would be in the same structure with other k-possessive pronouns:

  • He aha kaʻu mea e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that I am gathering in the yard?
  • He aha kāu mea e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that you are gathering in the yard?
  • He aha kāna mea e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale? What is the thing that she is gathering in the yard?

Remember, it's NOT "my thing", "your thing", or "her thing"


Ua holoi lākou i ko Kimo kaʻa i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that Kimo bought last week

{Compare to the k-less Form 1: Ua holoi lākou i ke kaʻa a Kimo i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei}

(holoi=wash, kūʻai mai=buy, i kūʻai mai ai=the K.P past tense construction, i ka pule aku nei=last week)


As with the previous example, the k-possessive form of (kā Kimo) precedes the noun (ke kaʻa) which precedes the relative verb past tense construction "i kūʻai mai ai"

This sentence would be in the same structure with other k-less possessive pronouns:

  • Ua holoi lākou i kaʻu kaʻa i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that I bought last week
  • Ua holoi lākou i kāu kaʻa i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that you bought last week
  • Ua holoi lākou i kāna kaʻa i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei - They washed the car that she bought last week

Notice that the possessive is A-Class (kaʻu and not koʻu, etc.). You might expect O-Class because it's a car (which is an O-Class noun) however, remember, the car is NOT being possesed! The k-possessive in the K.P. Piko Hou refers to the relative verb phrase.


ʻO kēlā nō ko Keola lā i hānau ʻia iho ai - That is the day that Keola was born

{Compare to Form 1: ʻO kēlā nō ka lā o Keola i hānau ʻia iho ai}

(kēlā nō=that is definitely, i hānau ʻia iho ai=past tense and passive verb construction with the directional "iho" indicating that the action is inward towards Keola)

Notice that the possessive is O-Class. You have no control over your birth (hānau), rendering this an O-Class "possession" ("possession" is in quotes here to remind you that no physical thing is being possessed in the K.P. Piko Hou.)


Here, the relative verb (wrapped in the past tense markers "i verb ai") is in the passive voice as marked with ʻia. As with the previous examples, any k-possessive could be used.

A-Class Versus O-Class Possession in the K.P. Piko Hou

If you have control over the verb action it is A-Class

If you have no control over the verb action it is O-Class

O-Class possession is also used for Time, Place, and Reason

  • Aia ka pāʻina ma ka lā o Iokepa i hanai ʻia ai - The party is on the day that Iokepa was born
  • ʻO ka lumi kuke ka lumi o ka pōpoki i ʻai ai - The kitchen is the room where the cat ate
  • ʻO kōkua ke kumu o kākou e holoi nei ko kākou lima - Responsibility is the reason we are all now washing our hands


K.P. Piko Hou - Form 3 - Ma Hope

In Form 3, the noun being modified by the relative verb clause follows the relative verb clause. Form 3 does not include a possessive state as did Form 1 and Form 2. The noun simply follows the relative verb phrase. The Ma Hope form is used when the verb is stative (ʻAʻano) or passive (ʻIae). Here are some Form 3 examples along with the Form 1 and Form 2 presentations for comparison:


What is the thing that Pualani is gathering in the yard?

  • Form 3: He aha ka mea e ʻohi nei ʻo Pualani i ka pā hale?
  • Form 3 (Alternate syntax): He aha ka mea e ʻohi nei Pualani i ka pā hale? (No ʻo piko/subject marker)
  • Form 2: He aha kā Pualani mea e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale?
  • Form 1: He aha ka mea a Pualani e ʻohi nei i ka pā hale?}

You could replace the ioʻa (proper name) Pualani with any pronoun, as in these examples:

  • He aha ka mea e ʻohi nei au i ka pā hale? - What is the thing I am gathering in the yard?
  • He aha ka mea e ʻohi nei ʻoe i ka pā hale?- What is the thing you are gathering in the yard?
  • He aha ka mea e ʻohi nei ʻo ia i ka pā hale?- What is the thing she is gathering in the yard?
  • He aha ka mea e ʻohi nei lākou i ka pā hale?- What is the thing they are gathering in the yard?


They washed the car that Kimo bought last week.

  • Form 3: Ua holoi lākou i ke kaʻa i kūʻai mai ai ʻo Kimo i ka pule aku nei
  • Form 2: Ua holoi lākou i kā Kimo kaʻa i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei
  • Form 1: Ua holoi lākou i ke kaʻa a Kimo i kūʻai mai ai i ka pule aku nei}


That is the day that Keola was born

  • Form 3: ʻO kelā nō ka lā i hānau ʻia iho ai ʻo Keola
  • Form 2: ʻO kēlā nō ko ka lā Keola i hānau ʻia iho ai
  • Form 1: ʻO kēlā nō ka lā o Keola i hānau ʻia iho ai


This form is often used when the kikino refers to a time, place, or reason. Note the presence of the word "time" (manawa), "place" (kahi), and "reason" (kumu) in the examples (Note: There is no "i" connector to the second Piko)

Time: ʻO ia ka manawa i make ai kona kupuna kāne - It is the time his grandfather died.

Place: ʻO kahakai kahi i pulu ai kona lole - The beach is the place where his clothes were wet

Reason: ʻO ia ke kumu i hoʻokano ʻia ai ʻo Ululani - It is the reason that Ululani was proud

K.P. Piko Hou - "Form 4" Non-Specific Second Piko

The term "Form 4" was created for use on this page and that's why is shown in quotes. It is not a term that's used in any other Hawaiian language grammar resource or course. The form, however, while not clearly explained in any grammar textbook, is taught in some Hawaiian language classes.


In Form 4, the relative verb clause follows the noun being modified as it does in Form 3 but the piko belonging to the relative verb is not specified. In this case, the implication is that the action takes place but it doesn't matter who does it. The following examples will help make this clear:

  • ʻO ka lā maikaʻi ka lā e hele ai i kahakai - Today is a good day to go to the beach
  • ʻĀhea ka manawa e maha ai - When is the time to rest?
  • He aha ke kumu e kumu ai i ka lakeke - What is the reason to wear a jacket?
  • ʻImi au i kahi e hana ai - I'm looking for a place to work


You can see that, without specifying the second piko, the idea is that, in English, the noun is connected to the verb with "to". You know that somebody or something is the agent (piko) for the relative verb, it's just not stated. Therefore, the thought expressed is simply "to".


In the other forms you were clued-in to the fact that it was a K.P. Piko Hou when you saw the relative verb phrase and the possessive agent (Form 1 and 2) or the agent following the relative verb phase (Form 3). In Form 4 there is no such clue. On the other hand, you do see the "ai", and that tells you that someone or something is doing the action. When you donʻt see whoʻs doing it you realized that the Piko Hou is unspecified but, nonetheless, it must be a K.P. Piko Hou because of the "ai". This could get very confusing when the relative verb doesn't close with "ai", such as future (e <painu> ana and present (e <painu> nei) but, fortunately, the "non-ai" constructions are very rarely used.


A Variety Of Examples

Below is a collection of examples in each of various K.P. Piko Hou Forms.


  1. Aia ka pōpoki ma loko o ka hale o lāua e noho nei
  2. Aia ka pōpoki ma loko o ko lāua hale e noho nei
  3. Aia ma loko o ka hale e noho nei (ʻo) lāua ka pōpoki
  4. ʻO kēia ka wā a Keola i hiamoe ai ma ʻaneʻi
  5. ʻO kēia ko Keola wā i hiamoe ai ma ʻaneʻi
  6. Aia ma hea ka makana aʻu i kuʻai mai ai?
  7. ʻO kēia ka wā i hiamoe ai (ʻo) Keola ma ʻaneʻi
  8. ʻO kēlā ka ʻīlio e ʻaoa ana i ka pā hale - That is the dog that was barking in the yard
  9. ʻO ia ka wahine e hana nei i laila - She is the woman who works there
  10. ʻO wai ka mea āu i haʻi ai? - Who did you tell?
  11. ʻO wai kāu mea i haʻi ai? - Who did you tell?
  12. He aha ke kumu o ka ʻilio i nahu ai i kou lima? - What was the reason the dog bit your hand?
  13. He aha ka mea i loaʻa iā ʻoe i ka pūʻolo - What did you find in the package? (What was the thing that you found in the package?)
  14. ʻO wai ke keiki a Lei a mālama nei? - Who is the child that is now helping Lei?
  15. Aia ka hale āna e kūʻai mai ana ma Kahului - The house that she's going to buy is in Kahului
  16. E lawe i kaʻu mea i kuke mai nei - Bring the things that I just recently cooked
  17. Eia nō ke kālā āna i loaʻa ai - Here is the money that she found
  18. He aha ka mea a lākou e ʻai nei? - What is the thing that they are eating?
  19. Ua makemake au i ka wai aʻu i inu ai - I wanted the water that I drank
  20. Hiki iā ʻoe ke hoʻokani i kā Lei mele i unuhi ai? - Can you play the song that Lei translated?
  21. No ka leʻaleʻa ke kumu e hele aku ai i kahakai - To have fun is the reason to go the beach


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