Ka Alala

50 episodes listed below

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Hawaiian immersion with language conscience.

The gist

Ka Alala is a Hawaiian language show built around sustained listening, storytelling, and careful attention to words. Recent episodes move from playful Minecraft conversation to pointed discussion of invented vocabulary, translation limits, and speech rooted in native use.

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About Ka Alala

Ka Alala places Hawaiian language at the center and asks the listener to stay with it. The show's recent run is varied, but the through-line is clear: language is practice, inheritance, and responsibility. Some episodes unfold largely through Hawaiian-speaking conversation, with names, family memory, humor, and repetition carrying the experience. Others begin in English so a learner can follow the argument before the episode shifts back into Hawaiian. That pattern matters. It lets the show handle detailed questions about vocabulary without turning the language into a classroom worksheet. Episodes such as MAI HOOHAUMIA I KA OLELO and PAANI ME HAUKI question the search for neat English-to-Hawaiian equivalents. Weather is treated not as proof of a missing Hawaiian word, but as a prompt to speak more specifically about wind, sea, sky, and clouds. Sports becomes a similar problem: an English umbrella term does not map cleanly onto traditional Hawaiian categories, so the discussion moves through racing, ball games, surfing, canoe racing, and weightlifting language instead. In KA HUA OLELO "ALOHA", a guest challenges a familiar explanation of aloha and connects the word to wider Polynesian language relationships. In DR. Keao NeSmith & HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE, the concern widens to authenticity, new coinages, native speakers, classroom habits, and critical thinking. The show can be warm, but it is not soft about language choices. It is comfortable saying that some popular forms do not reflect how native speakers speak among themselves. It also leaves room for ordinary talk, play, and imperfect understanding. PAANI MINECRAFT shows another side of the project: Hawaiian used around a contemporary game, not sealed off as heritage material. Across the digest, Ka Alala keeps returning to learning as an ongoing posture. The speaker in HOOMANAWANUI stresses patience, persistence, and remaining a student. That makes the show feel less like a lesson series and more like a living language space. It suits a listener prepared to hear Hawaiian at length, follow context, and accept that translation will not always rescue the meaning immediately.

Made for: Suits a listener who wants Hawaiian language exposure alongside serious reflection on word choice, translation, and authentic usage. It especially fits someone comfortable with episodes that may move between English explanation and extended Hawaiian speech.

What sets it apart: Ka Alala stands apart by treating Hawaiian as a living speech world rather than a list of English equivalents. Its recent episodes combine immersion, critique of invented terms, and attention to native-speaker usage without losing everyday playfulness.

In their own words

This podcast is completely in olelo Hawaii(Hawaiian language). It is for both learners and fluent speakers of the language. Sometimes I have guests and sometimes it’s just me. At any rate, there is something for everyone here. Ke ola nei ka olelo Hawaii!

Hawaiian language immersioninvented vocabularyEnglish-to-Hawaiian translation limitsnative-speaker usagealoha and Polynesian language linksweather wordssports terminologylearning with patience

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Episodes

  1. 1

    PAANI MINECRAFT

    A Hawaiian language podcast featuring storytelling and discussions for learners and fluent speakers.

    Feb 3, 2025·29m
  2. 2

    DR. Keao NeSmith & HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE

    Hidden gem

    Ka Alala's conversation with Dr.

    Jun 3, 2024·38m·2 clips
  3. 3

    KA LAAU KAHEA

    Sep 4, 2023·34m
  4. 4

    KA HUA OLELO “ALOHA”

    Hidden gem

    Ka Alala's 'KA HUA OLELO ALOHA' centers on Dr.

    Jun 28, 2023·43m·3 clips
  5. 5

    PAANI ME HAUKI

    Jun 15, 2023·26m
  6. 6

    MAI HOOHAUMIA I KA OLELO

    May 25, 2023·24m
  7. 7

    HOOMANAWANUI

    Apr 6, 2023·22m
  8. 8

    HE HALE OLELO HAWAII

    The speaker describes learning Hawaiian through family, school, and children teaching one another.

    Feb 17, 2023·32m·2 clips
  9. 9

    KA INOA HAWAII

    Feb 8, 2023·20m
  10. 10

    KA OLELO KANAKA

    Returning to Hawaiian requires listening to elders, practicing speech, and bringing the language back into family life.

    Jan 20, 2023·55m·2 clips
  11. 11

    KA MAKAHIKI HOU

    Jan 10, 2023·22m
  12. 12

    KA HOOPONOPONO

    Hoʻoponopono addresses family conflict by bringing hidden problems into the open instead of leaving them unresolved.

    Dec 9, 2022·26m·1 clip
  13. 13

    HAWAII I KE AU KAHIKO

    Nov 21, 2022·24m
  14. 14

    HE MAU MOOLELO NO KO’U OLA

    Nov 10, 2022·22m
  15. 15

    AUHEA OE E KO’U HOA WALAAU

    Oct 25, 2022·22m
  16. 16

    KA WAI A ME KA WAI-HOOLUU

    Sep 26, 2022·24m
  17. 17

    KA MEA AI NUI A KA HAWAII

    Sep 16, 2022·21m
  18. 18

    KA WA WALAAU

    Sep 8, 2022·25m
  19. 19

    AI PONO

    Aug 4, 2022·22m
  20. 20

    KA HOOULU LAHUI

    Jul 9, 2022·22m
  21. 21

    KA OLELO KUPUNA

    Jul 1, 2022·21m
  22. 22

    KA HUAKAI I KAUAI

    Jun 22, 2022·23m
  23. 23

    E AO IA KE KEIKI I KA PONO A ME KA HEWA

    Jun 7, 2022·23m
  24. 24

    KA HOPOHOPO

    May 23, 2022·23m
  25. 25

    KA HANA INO

    May 7, 2022·24m
  26. 26

    KA HOOMANA KALIKIANO ME KA HOOMANA KAHIKO

    Apr 30, 2022·26m
  27. 27

    KA IMI ANA I KA HAUOLI

    Apr 26, 2022·25m
  28. 28

    NO KE KAUMAHA

    Apr 17, 2022·23m
  29. 29

    NO KA MOLOA

    Apr 9, 2022·20m
  30. 30

    KE KUAI ANA I HALE

    Apr 1, 2022·21m
  31. 31

    KA PALE IHU MA HAWAII NEI

    Mar 19, 2022·14m
  32. 32

    #19 KAMUELA GESTRICH

    Nov 1, 2021·1h 6m
  33. 33

    #18 KALAOKANANIKIEKIE OKAMURA

    Oct 25, 2021·59m
  34. 34

    #17 KAPELA WONG

    Oct 18, 2021·1h 7m
  35. 35

    #16 NA HUA OLELO HAOLE

    Oct 11, 2021·17m
  36. 36

    #15 KAWAILEHUA HAMBERG

    Oct 4, 2021·1h 1m
  37. 37

    #14 MIKI COOK

    Sep 27, 2021·58m
  38. 38

    #13 LAIANA WONG

    Sep 20, 2021·1h 6m
  39. 39

    #12 KALEO + KAWAILANA

    Sep 13, 2021·53m
  40. 40

    #11 BEAU MAKANA SHISHIDO

    Sep 6, 2021·1h 16m
  41. 41

    #10 TUTI KANAHELE

    Aug 30, 2021·1h 18m
  42. 42

    #9 MAKANA GARMA

    Aug 23, 2021·1h 16m
  43. 43

    #8 KEAO NESMITH

    Aug 16, 2021·1h 8m
  44. 44

    #7 LIV HIILEIALOHA KIMOKEO TAYLOR

    Aug 9, 2021·26m
  45. 45

    #6 PUA KAMA: HANAIAULU

    A podcast entirely in Hawaiian aimed at both learners and fluent speakers, featuring solo episodes and guest interviews.

    Aug 2, 2021·35m
  46. 46

    #5 EMILY STATES A ME KAULUMAIKA

    A Hawaiian language podcast where the host and guests practice basic introductions and share where they are from.

    Jul 27, 2021·45m
  47. 47

    #4 HE WAIWAI KO KA OLELO?

    Jul 19, 2021·25m
  48. 48

    #3 NO KA OIHANA MAKAI

    A podcast entirely in the Hawaiian language aimed at learners and fluent speakers, featuring discussions and cultural content.

    Jul 13, 2021·25m
  49. 49

    #2 SPOKEN HAWAIIAN

    Jul 5, 2021·12m
  50. 50

    #1 NO KA HOOMAKA ANA E AO MAI I KA OLELO HAWAII

    Jun 26, 2021·21m