What does “hana hou” mean?

Meaning and local context

hana hou means Do it again, encore, or one more time. in Honolulu and Hawaii local language. A Hawaiian phrase widely heard at performances and celebrations.

How it is used

Audiences may call hana hou to request another song or repeat performance. One example is “The crowd shouted hana hou.”, which corresponds to “The crowd asked for an encore.” in plain English.

Example interpretation

A second example is “Hana hou—play it again.”, where the same local sense is expressed as “One more time—play it again.”. Reading both examples together helps distinguish this regional meaning from other possible readings of the word or phrase.

Tone and register

Respect its Hawaiian-language origin and pronunciation. This caution is part of understanding “hana hou”: the definition tells you what it means, while the surrounding situation and tone help you judge whether using it yourself is appropriate.