Da kine
expression in Hawaiian Pidgin
Da kine () is an expression in Hawaiian Pidgin (Hawaii Creole English), probably derived from "that kind", that usually functions grammatically as a placeholder word (compare to English "whatsit" and "whatchamacallit"). It can also take the role of a verb, adjective, or adverb. Unlike other placeholder words in English, however, which usually refer specifically to a device ("gizmo" or "widget"), person ("so-and-so"), or place ("Anytown, USA"), "da kine" is general in usage and could refer to anything, any being, object or concept. It can be used to refer to something nonspecific, or given enough context (especially when used in conversation between native speakers of the dialect) to something very specific. As such, it appears to be unique among English dialects, at least in its centrality to everyday speech.
"Da kine" is one of the most identifying characteristics of spoken Hawaiian Pidgin.
The humorous illustrated dictionary Pidgin to Da Max defines "da kine" as:
"the keystone of pidgin. You can use it anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Very convenient."
A surfing dictionary lists da kine as "the word you use when you don't use the word."
"Da kine" is used as shorthand when it is likely the listener will understand what is meant from context or a combination of context and body language. One definition (in mixed Pidgin) is: "Can have any kine connotation depends on how you say um and who you say um wit."
"Da kine" may be related to the word "kine", which is used variously as an intensifier, short for "kind of" in the sense of "type of", and for many other purposes (perhaps almost as much variety as "da kine").
The public source identifies “Da kine” as expression in Hawaiian Pidgin. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around kine, expression and Hawaiian.
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A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Da kine”, the useful work is to connect “expression in Hawaiian Pidgin” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5207337. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Da kine” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.