Maka Onaona

A sweet, lovely, or tender expression of face or eyes; also said of the eyes of the kole fish.


I LOVE these two words for different reasons. First of all, I think that to refer to someone as having maka onaona is to have a great appreciation for that person. Maka refers to the eyes or face. Onaona literally means fragrant or sweet smelling. Of course, one's eyes or face cannot necessarily be fragrant but it sure can have the same effect on the soul, right? So maka onaona is another way of saying beautiful face or charming eyes.

Another reason I like these words is that the kole fish is THE best reef fish in the WORLD! Of course, that is my own humble opinion but you can double check with my friends and fmaily on Moloka'i and in Lāʻie. There is nothing better. Fried. Hot. Side order poi. The song, He ʻOno (by Bina Mossman), has a line in it about the kole fish, "ʻO ke kole ka iʻa maka onaona lā" The kole is the fish with the sweet. Yes indeed.

So nothing wrong with calling your favorite person maka onaona. Either way it is a compliment!