hui

See also: Appendix:Variations of "hui"

Languages (21)

Translingual • English

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Catalan • Dutch • Estonian • Finnish • French • German • Hawaiian • Ido • Latin • Mandarin • Māori • Middle English • Niuean • Northern Sami • Nǀuu • Old French • Spanish • Swahili • Tongan

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Page categories

Translingual

Etymology

Abbreviation of English Huli.

Symbol

hui

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Huli.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Huli terms

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori hui.

Pronunciation

• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈhʉː.iː/, [ˈhʉ(w)i(ː)]

Noun

hui (plural hui or huis)

1. (New Zealand) A Māori social gathering or assembly.
   • 1962, Education, volume 11, page 56:

     […] accounts of the proceedings of important huis at which Maori leaders took the initiative in discussing their educational and vocational needs […] .

   • 1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 229:

     “I even started training as a seminarian. It lasted till I met Hana at an interchurch hui.”

   • 2003, Michael King, The Penguin History of Aotearoa New Zealand, Penguin, published 2023, page 33:

     [T]ribal leaders […] organised a series of hui in 1950 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the arrival of the Great Fleet, which by this time had grown to nine canoes.

2. (New Zealand, by extension) A meeting to discuss plans held by an organization, especially one that considers itself progressive.
   • 2023, Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood, page 154:

     Shelley's document hadn't mentioned the billionaire at all, and although Mira had said at the hui that Lemoine used the airstrip frequently, she'd seemed to suggest that the farm was his destination, not his point of departure, which would imply that he was living somewhere else.

See also

• An-hui (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• UHI

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan hui, from Latin hodiē, from hōc +‎ diē (literally “on this day”).

Pronunciation

• (Valencia) IPA^(key): /wi/

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Adverb

hui

1. Valencia form of avui (“today”)
2. (other dialects) archaic form of avui

References

• “avui” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch hoey, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaij (“whey”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦœy̯/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: hui
• Rhymes: -œy̯
• Homophone: Huij

Noun

hui f (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. (dated, dialectal) whey [First attested in the late 15th century.]

   Synonyms: wei, melkwei

   Hui is een bijproduct van het maken van kaas. ― Whey is a side product of cheese production.

   • 1612, Gerbrand Adriaensz. Bredero, “Symen sonder Soeticheydt”, in Kluchten, page 108:

     Wy aten een potje karmelck …, en droncken een toochje huy…

     We ate a jar of buttermilk porridge…, and drank a swig of whey…

   • 1811, Johannes le Francq van Berkhey, Natuurlyke historie van Holland, vol. 9, publ. P. H. Trap, page 453.

     De melk wordt … verwerkt tot boter, kaas, karnemelk en hui …,

     The milk is … processed into butter, cheese, buttermilk and whey …,

Derived terms

• huiboter

Estonian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *hoi, *hui, from Proto-Finno-Permic *šoje, *šuje. Cognate to Finnish hui (“spool”)

Noun

hui (genitive hui, partitive huid)

1. (uncommon) a specific type of needle

   Synonyms: piirits, ui

Declension

Declension of hui (ÕS type 26/koi, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		hui	huid
accusative	nom.
	gen.	hui
genitive			huide
partitive		huid	huisid
illative		huisse	huidesse
inessive		huis	huides
elative		huist	huidest
allative		huile	huidele
adessive		huil	huidel
ablative		huilt	huidelt
translative		huiks	huideks
terminative		huini	huideni
essive		huina	huidena
abessive		huita	huideta
comitative		huiga	huidega

Etymology 2

From Russian хуй (xuj).

Interjection

hui

1. (vulgar, slang) Expresses surprise, astonishment, or disbelief at the statement

   Hui sa tead teda.

   The hell you know him.

   • 2025 October 7, @j22tis, Twitter‎^[2], retrieved 1 November 2025:

     Vihkan kogu hingest neid fuckass pakendeid mis on nagu ööö ➡️ ava ➡️ siit ↩️ ja ss te ei kujuta ette mida ta teeb (ta hui avaneb sealt)

     Hate with all my heart those fuckass packages that are like ooh ➡️ open ➡️ here ↩️ and then you won't believe what it does (the hell it opens there)

Noun

hui (genitive hui, partitive huid)

1. (vulgar, slang) cock, dick, penis

   Synonyms: türa, munn

Declension

Declension of hui (ÕS type 26/koi, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		hui	huid
accusative	nom.
	gen.	hui
genitive			huide
partitive		huid	huisid
illative		huisse	huidesse
inessive		huis	huides
elative		huist	huidest
allative		huile	huidele
adessive		huil	huidel
ablative		huilt	huidelt
translative		huiks	huideks
terminative		huini	huideni
essive		huina	huidena
abessive		huita	huideta
comitative		huiga	huidega

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhui̯/, [ˈhui̯]
• Rhymes: -ui
• Syllabification^(key): hui
• Hyphenation^(key): hui

Etymology 1

Related to Karelian hui. Possibly onomatopoeic, but may also be borrowed. Compare Swedish huj, German hui.

Interjection

hui

1. oh! (an exclamation when scared or startled)

Further reading

• “hui”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 1 July 2023

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *hoi ~ *hui, from Proto-Finno-Permic *šoje ~ *šuje.

Noun

hui (dialectal, obsolete, Satakunta, Tavastia)

1. spool, bobbin

Declension

Inflection of hui (Kotus type 18/maa, no gradation)
nominative		hui	huit
genitive		huin	huiden huitten
partitive		huita	huita
illative		huihin	huihin
		singular	plural
nominative		hui	huit
accusative	nom.	hui	huit
	gen.	huin
genitive		huin	huiden huitten
partitive		huita	huita
inessive		huissa	huissa
elative		huista	huista
illative		huihin	huihin
adessive		huilla	huilla
ablative		huilta	huilta
allative		huille	huille
essive		huina	huina
translative		huiksi	huiksi
abessive		huitta	huitta
instructive		—	huin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of hui (Kotus type 18/maa, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative huini huini accusative nom. huini huini gen. huini genitive huini huideni huitteni partitive huitani huitani inessive huissani huissani elative huistani huistani illative huihini huihini adessive huillani huillani ablative huiltani huiltani allative huilleni huilleni essive huinani huinani translative huikseni huikseni abessive huittani huittani instructive — — comitative — huineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative huisi huisi accusative nom. huisi huisi gen. huisi genitive huisi huidesi huittesi partitive huitasi huitasi inessive huissasi huissasi elative huistasi huistasi illative huihisi huihisi adessive huillasi huillasi ablative huiltasi huiltasi allative huillesi huillesi essive huinasi huinasi translative huiksesi huiksesi abessive huittasi huittasi instructive — — comitative — huinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative huimme huimme accusative nom. huimme huimme gen. huimme genitive huimme huidemme huittemme partitive huitamme huitamme inessive huissamme huissamme elative huistamme huistamme illative huihimme huihimme adessive huillamme huillamme ablative huiltamme huiltamme allative huillemme huillemme essive huinamme huinamme translative huiksemme huiksemme abessive huittamme huittamme instructive — — comitative — huinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative huinne huinne accusative nom. huinne huinne gen. huinne genitive huinne huidenne huittenne partitive huitanne huitanne inessive huissanne huissanne elative huistanne huistanne illative huihinne huihinne adessive huillanne huillanne ablative huiltanne huiltanne allative huillenne huillenne essive huinanne huinanne translative huiksenne huiksenne abessive huittanne huittanne instructive — — comitative — huinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative huinsa huinsa accusative nom. huinsa huinsa gen. huinsa genitive huinsa huidensa huittensa partitive huitaan huitansa huitaan huitansa inessive huissaan huissansa huissaan huissansa elative huistaan huistansa huistaan huistansa illative huihinsa huihinsa adessive huillaan huillansa huillaan huillansa ablative huiltaan huiltansa huiltaan huiltansa allative huilleen huillensa huilleen huillensa essive huinaan huinansa huinaan huinansa translative huikseen huiksensa huikseen huiksensa abessive huittaan huittansa huittaan huittansa instructive — — comitative — huineen huinensa

Synonyms

• käämi, puola

Derived terms

• huippu

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French hui, from Latin hodiē, from hōc (“this”) + diē.

Cognate with Occitan uòi, uèi, Catalan hui and avui, Galician hoxe, Spanish hoy, Portuguese hoje and Italian oggi.

Pronunciation

• ^{(mute h)} IPA^(key): /ɥi/

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Adverb

hui

1. (archaic except in the compound aujourd'hui) today

Derived terms

• aujourd'hui
• cejourd'hui
• cesoird'hui
• d'hui en un an
• méshui

German

Interjection

hui

1. an exclamation of pleasant surprise

Further reading

• “hui” in Duden online
• “hui” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Hawaiian

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *pui₁ (“fruit bunch”) (compare with Māori hui (“flock, herd, congregation”) and Tahitian hui (“group”) plus Māori huihui (“group, assembly”) and Tahitian huihui (“collection”)). Doublet of huihui.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhu.i/, [ˈhu.wi]

Noun

hui

1. club, organization
2. company, firm
3. combination
4. cluster, bunch (of fruit)

   Synonym: ʻāhui

5. (music) chorus (refrain)
6. (mathematics) plus sign

Verb

hui

1. (intransitive) to meet

   A hui hou, mālama pono. ― Until we meet again, take good care.

2. (intransitive) to unite, join
3. (intransitive) to combine

Related terms

• ʻāhui

See also

• hū

Ido

Noun

hui

1. plural of huo

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈhʊj]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈuj]

Interjection

hui

1. ho!, my word! (expressing surprise)
2. ooh!, aah! (expressing admiration)

Descendants

• Spanish: uy, huy

References

• “hui”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “hui”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “hui”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• hui in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)), Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[4], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Mandarin

Romanization

hui

1. nonstandard spelling of huī
2. nonstandard spelling of huí
3. nonstandard spelling of huǐ
4. nonstandard spelling of huì

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Māori

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian from Proto-Oceanic *pui₁ (“bunch of fruit”) (compare with Hawaiian hui (“troupe, association, society, club”) and Tahitian hui (“group”) plus Hawaiian huihui (“cluster, collection, bunch”) and Tahitian huihui (“collection”)). Doublet of huihui.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhui/ [ˈhʉi]

Verb

hui

1. to gather, congregate, assemble, meet

Noun

hui

1. gathering, meeting, assembly, seminar, conference

Related terms

• kāhui

Further reading

• “hui” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Middle English

Pronoun

hui

1. alternative form of he (“they”)

Niuean

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hui, from Proto-Oceanic *suʀi/ruʀi (“thorn, splinter, fish bone”), from Proto-Austronesian *duʀi (“thorn”).

Noun

hui

1. bone

References

• “hui” in Tohi Vagahau Niuē (Niuean Language Dictionary).

Northern Sami

Pronunciation

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈhuj/

Adverb

hui

1. very

Further reading

• Eino Koponen, Klaas Ruppel, Kirsti Aapala, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[5], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Nǀuu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦui/

Verb

hui

1. (Western) to help

   Synonym: huli

   • (Can we date this quote?), “-‡hinisi he hui a huniki n//n‡e ng radiostasiesi ng jha kama COVID 19 pandemiesi ng kxu'tjie he kwai”, in Cultural Survival‎^[6]:

     Hui n//n‡e ni ‡xhoa ng n//n‡e huniki //xa//xa kxu'tjie ng COVID 19 ‡xhoa n//a

     Hui nǁng ǂe ni ǂxoa ng nǁng ǂe huniki ǁxaǁxa kxʼuki ng COVID 19 ǂxoa nǁa

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

References

• Sands, Bonny & Jones, Kerry & Esau, Katrina & Collins, Chris & Witzlack-Makarevich, Alena & Job, Sylvanus & Miller, Amanda & Steyn, Betta & Zaanen, Menno & Namaseb, Levi & Berg, Dietloff & Mantzel, Dotty & Damarah, Willem & Snyman, Claudia & Wyk, David & Brugman, Johanna & Exter, Mats & Vaalbooi, Antjie & Westhuizen, Mietjie. (2022). Nǀuuki Namagowab Afrikaans English ǂXoakiǂxanisi/Mîdi di ǂKhanis/Woordeboek/Dictionary.

Old French

Etymology

From Latin hodiē.

Noun

hui m

1. today

Descendants

• Middle French: hui
  • ⇒ French: d'hui (in fixed expressions), aujourd'hui (see there for further descendants)
• Walloon: ouy

Spanish

Alternative forms

• huí (deprecated)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈw̝i/ [ˈw̝i]
  • Rhymes: -i
• IPA^(key): /uˈi/ [uˈi]
  • Rhymes: -i
• Syllabification: hui

Verb

hui

1. inflection of huir:
   1. first-person singular preterite indicative
   2. second-person singular voseo imperative

Swahili

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Verb

-hui (infinitive kuhui)

1. to revive

Conjugation

Conjugation of -hui
Positive present -nahui Subjunctive -hui Negative -hui Imperative singular hui
Infinitives
Positive kuhui Negative kutohui
Imperatives
Singular hui Plural huini
Tensed forms
Habitual huhui Positive past positive subject concord + -lihui Negative past negative subject concord + -kuhui
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nahui) Singular Plural 1st person ninahui/nahui tunahui 2nd person unahui mnahui 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anahui wanahui other classes positive subject concord + -nahui
Negative present (negative subject concord + -hui) Singular Plural 1st person sihui hatuhui 2nd person huhui hamhui 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hahui hawahui other classes negative subject concord + -hui
Positive future positive subject concord + -tahui Negative future negative subject concord + -tahui
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -hui) Singular Plural 1st person nihui tuhui 2nd person uhui mhui 3rd person m-wa(I/II) ahui wahui other classes positive subject concord + -hui
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sihui Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngehui Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singehui Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngalihui Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singalihui
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -ahui) Singular Plural 1st person nahui twahui 2nd person wahui mwahui 3rd person m-wa(I/II) ahui wahui m-mi(III/IV) wahui yahui ji-ma(V/VI) lahui yahui ki-vi(VII/VIII) chahui vyahui n(IX/X) yahui zahui u(XI) wahui see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwahui pa(XVI) pahui mu(XVIII) mwahui
Perfect positive subject concord + -mehui "Already" positive subject concord + -meshahui "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jahui "If/When" positive subject concord + -kihui "If not" positive subject concord + -sipohui Consecutive kahui / positive subject concord + -kahui Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -kahui
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -nihui -tuhui 2nd person -kuhui -wahui/-kuhuini/-wahuini 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mhui -wahui m-mi(III/IV) -uhui -ihui ji-ma(V/VI) -lihui -yahui ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kihui -vihui n(IX/X) -ihui -zihui u(XI) -uhui see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kuhui pa(XVI) -pahui mu(XVIII) -muhui Reflexive -jihui
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -hui- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -huiye -huio m-mi(III/IV) -huio -huiyo ji-ma(V/VI) -huilo -huiyo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -huicho -huivyo n(IX/X) -huiyo -huizo u(XI) -huio see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -huiko pa(XVI) -huipo mu(XVIII) -huimo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -hui) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yehui -ohui m-mi(III/IV) -ohui -yohui ji-ma(V/VI) -lohui -yohui ki-vi(VII/VIII) -chohui -vyohui n(IX/X) -yohui -zohui u(XI) -ohui see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kohui pa(XVI) -pohui mu(XVIII) -mohui
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Applicative: -huia
  • Causative: -huisha
  • Passive: -huiwa
  • Reciprocal: -huiana
  • Stative: -huika

Tongan

Etymology

From Proto-Polynesian *hui, from Proto-Oceanic *suʀi/ruʀi (“thorn, splinter, fish bone”), from Proto-Austronesian *duʀi (“thorn”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hu.i/

Noun

hui

1. bone
2. needle
3. hand (of clock)

References

• Churchward, C. Maxwell (1959), Tongan dictionary: Tongan-English and English-Tongan, →OCLC, page 234