"ʻAe, e pāʻina ana kākou ma Genki Sushi."

Translation: Yes, we are going to eat at Genki Sushi.

[Karen493554]

"We gonna" is ok but "we'll eat" isn't?

[KiUlv]

I had "we'll eat" too!

[kelii....]

It should be accepted but they probably didn't think of adding contractions as possible answers.

[BethKing-M]

They didn't accept my "We will eat..." either. I'm not thinking it was the conjunction. Maybe their idea of future tense is different from mine/ours.

[Kamakea1]

I agree with you, but some books translate "will [verb]" as e [verb] and e [verb] ana as " is going to [verb]" or "was [verb]ing".

[kelii....]

Strange - that should have been accepted. Report it.

[SariahLily]

So, do I have this right?

e pāʻina kākou = letʻs eat

e pāʻina ana kākou = weʻre going to eat

[kelii....]

‘Ae / Yes.

[GeraldMath4]

How many of kakou didn't know that already, I wonder?

[BethKing-M]

MEEEEE! I used to think I was getting this, but after learning there is so much ambiguity in Hawaiian, I'm NEVER sure any more. I need to live among more Hawaiian speakers for another decade or so, I guess, before it begins to make sense to me.

[JamesTWils]

What is the function of "e" here?

[Karen493554]

It's one-half of the future tense pattern. "E (verb) ana" = "will (verb)"

[JamesTWils]

So, is there a relation to the imperative construction? Is it a sort of a subjunctive?

[kelii....]

E ... ana just shows incomplete action, not subjunctive. So here it is used for future tense. It can also be past imperfect as well.

[JamesTWils]

But it's not used for ongoing actions in the present?

[kelii....]

'A'ole/No.

That would be Ke ... nei instead of E ... ana.

[RonRGB]

This Hawaiian parts of speech link may help you. Look at (slide 5).

NĀ ʻANA: (REVIEW) NĀ MĀKA PAINU

= The tense markers

Parts of speech (Grammar Link): https://www.slideshare.net/malama777/na-maka-painu-1

[BethKing-M]

If they wanted "are going to" why was there no mention of "hele?"

[kelii....]

The prompt is a bit ambiguous. When you read that prompt it should indicate to you first of all that it is an action in the future. We are going to eat = We will eat. That would mean you need to say E ‘ai ana kākou ma Genki Sushi.

However, you could also read that as you are literally going to Genki Sushi to eat, which implies movement instead of a future action. That would read like this - ʻAe, hele aku kākou e ‘ai ma Genki Sushi.

I would say We are going to Genki Sushi to eat to avoid ambiguity. However, you do have a valid point to ask that question for clarification.

[BethKing-M]

What's the difference between "are going to eat" and "will be eating?"

[kelii....]

Both are really just future tense and Hawaiian makes no distinction for those two. Both would be E ‘ai ana ....