"We are going to meet at the beach."

Translation: E launa ana kākou ma ke kai.

[Mr.Kainoa]

The vocabulary suggestion says hui should be used instead of launa. Confusing.

[HklaniClee]

Agree with BethKing-M. At the beach is usually "i kahakai" or "ma kahakai." If I heard "ma ke kai," I would think we must be planning on going boating.

[Ctxkh1Me]

Is kahakai used without an article?

[HklaniClee]

Most common in conversational Hawaiian as well as in traditional writings is "i kahakai" without an article. However, "i ke kahakai" does exist, but it is usually used when the name of the beach (or its location) is also included, such as "i ke kahakai ʻo Waikīkī," when just "i kahakai" wouldn't work.

Same goes for "ma kahakai" and "ma ke kahakai," although use of "ma" is not as common as "i," and it cannot be used if it means "to."

Hope this helps.

[Maui_Bartlett]

Just wanted to comment here and say that in my experience I have also heard "i kahakai" much more commonly (and I would personally prefer if it were taught that way here). That said, that style will be taught further on in the course.

[BethKing-M]

Is launa interchangeable with Hui? I thought launa required socializing. Is that somehow implied in meeting?

[KarinLynn1]

I saw on another lesson that hui is more formal than launa, but then there were several lessons that used hui. So I am now confused again also.

[BethKing-M]

What about "kahakai?"

[Hawaiian-German]

"kahakai" should be accepted as "beach"

[Hawaiian-German]

Yes! Kahakai is now being accepted as "beach". My translation was accepted: E hui ana mākou i ke kahakai.

[MojaveMama]

E launa ana kāua ma ke kai.

is now accepted.