makai

[ muh-kahy ]

adverb

, Hawaii.

1. toward or by the sea; seaward:

   He agreed to purchase the land makai of Diamond Head Road.

Word History and Origins

Origin of makai¹

< Hawaiian, equivalent to ma directional particle + kai ocean

Example Sentences

Yousafzai responded by writing a diary for the BBC Urdu Service describing life under the TTP, using the pen name Gul Makai.

From The Daily Beast

He told us to avoid the makai side and keep to the mouka side.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Makai

What does makai mean?

Makai means toward the sea.

Makai is a common term in Hawaiian that has been adopted into English. It describes the location of something in terms of being near or at the ocean, or seaward.

Related to makai is mauka, meaning “toward the mountains or inland.” People in Hawaii often give directions in terms of whether something is toward the ocean (makai) or the mountains (mauka), especially in boating and sea travel.

Example: The hiking trail makai of the reservation has lovely ocean views.

Where does makai come from?

The first records of the term makai in English come from around the 1870s.

It is a Hawaiian term that combines ma, meaning “beside, at, on, or toward,” and kai, meaning “ocean.”

In English, makai is almost exclusively used in Hawaii and by people from Hawaii. For example, when a ship is parallel with the coast, one side is makai, that is, facing the ocean, while the side is mauka, facing inland.

Due to makai’s association with Hawaiian culture, it is sometimes used as the name for products, companies, services, or businesses with a Hawaiian theme or that are located in the state.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for makai?

• seaward

What are some words that share a root or word element with makai? 

• mauka

What are some words that often get used in discussing makai?

• deck
• direction
• ocean

How is makai used in real life?

Makai is most commonly used by people living in Hawaii or from Hawaii.

You know you're from Hawaii when you give directions using mauka, makai, diamond head and ewa sides.
UGH.

— Reign 💛🤍💜🖤 (@ReignBotYT) April 6, 2017

In Hawaii, sometimes we use Hawaiian directions to tell people where to go

So mauka refers to the side facing the mountains and makai is facing the ocean

As someone who grew up here all 25 years of my life I still have problems understanding these

— Pickles @ Post Lunar New Year Burnout 🧧 (@pockles4nockles) February 12, 2020

Mahalo to everyone who made this experience meaningful! I will be missing Hawaii, from the mauka to makai ❤

— мαяιση мιcнαεℓ (@mmbacabac) June 24, 2016

 

Try using makai!

True or False?

Makai means toward the mountains.