PASOK
pasok entry, admission *pasok work, school mamasukan to have a job papasok incoming papasukin to allow someone to enter pumasok entered, attended pinapasok to allow to enter ipasok to enter Kailan ang...
View ArticleLANG
The Tagalog word lang is short for lamang. It means ‘only’ or ‘just’ and is used to express a limitation. Kaibigan lang? Just a friend? Dalawang piso lang. Only two pesos. Kumanta lang? Just sang? (All...
View ArticlePUNTA
from the Spanish punta meaning ‘point’ punta direction, destination Saan ang punta mo? Where you going? Punta tayo sa Maynila. Let’s go to Manila. Punta tayo bukas. Let’s go tomorrow. Saan ka...
View ArticleBALUT
balut duck egg with a developed embryo Sometimes, the embryo past 17 days of incubation is so developed you can feel the feathers and the crunch of its bones in your mouth. Balut is a native delicacy...
View ArticleGALANG
galang reverence, respect, honor, homage kagalang-galang honorable, respectable igalang to honor, respect magalang respectful, well-mannered paggalang the act of being respectuful walang-galang...
View ArticleKULANGOT
kulangot, n nose booger kulangot dried nasal mucus May kulangot ka sa mukha. You’ve got a booger on your face. May kulangot ka sa ilong. You’ve got a booger in your nose. May kulangot ba sa mukha ko?...
View ArticleCALAMANSI / KALAMANSI
Calamansi (spelled kalamansi in native Tagalog orthography) is a small, very round citrus fruit that’s ubiquitous in the Philippines. The fruits are often used when the thin rind is still green on the...
View ArticleARAY
This is an interjection in Tagalog. Aray! Ouch! “Aray!” sabi ng bata. “Ouch!” the child said. Aray! Masakit. Ouch! It hurts. nag-aray-arayan pretended to be hurt Aray ko po! = Araykopo = Araykupu Ouch,...
View ArticleHAGILAP
hagilap groping hagilapin to grope for hagilapin sa alaala to grope in one’s memory hagilapin sa alaala to exert effort in trying to remember Mahirap hagilapin. Difficult to catch hold of. Mahirap...
View ArticleDULOK
This is an obscure Tagalog word not commonly used in conversation. Dulók is the act of digging and burning the small sticks that are left after a slash-and-burn fire is out. dulok pag-iipon ng kahoy...
View ArticleBAKYA
bakya wooden shoes, clogs Saan ba makakabili ng bakya? Where can one buy wooden slippers? There is a popular Tagalog folk song titled Bakya Mo, Neneng. You can listen to it with lyrics here. bakya...
View ArticleSITSIT
This word is Chinese in origin. sitsit to call someone by hissing Sitsitan mo sila. Do “sitsit” at them to get their attention. sitsit gossip, yap, yak Ano ba ‘yang sinisitsit nila? What are they...
View ArticleSILINDRO
from the Spanish cilindro silindro harmonica silindro cylinder Most Filipinos these days simply use the English words “harmonica” and “cylinder.” Ang silindro ay isang gamit panugtog. A harmonica is a...
View ArticleSIYANAWA
Siya nawa. May it be so. Oo, ito ay totoo! Yes, this is true! Mangyari nawa! May it so happen! This is a very old-fashioned phrase that is translated as “Amen” in English. If you were to use the...
View ArticleHUDAS
from the Spanish pronunciation of “Judas” hudas traitor yakap-Hudas Judas embrace (pretending to be a friend) Hudas ka !!! You’re a motherfcking snake!!! Filipinos only say that phrase when they’re...
View ArticleNAMAN
naman, adv also, too, really The Tagalog word naman is very hard to translate into English. It can be used to contrast, to soften requests or to give emphasis. Tulungan mo ako. Help me. (blunt, like an...
View ArticleMASAMÂ
root word: sama masamâ bad, evil, wicked masamang tao bad person masasamang tao bad people masamang babae bad woman masamang bata bad child masamang damo bad “grass” = man Masamang tao ka. You’re a...
View ArticleANÁK
anák child Make sure to differentiate the word anák from the word bata, which is also translated into English as ‘child’. anak someone’s offspring batà any child Matalino ang bata. The child is smart....
View ArticleMAKATI
root word: kati makati itchy Makati ito. This is itchy. (It’ll make you itch.) Makati ba? Itchy? Makating-makati. Very itchy. Makati ang ulo ko. My head is itchy. Makati ang lalamunan ko. My throat is...
View ArticleMATABÂ
root word: tabâ matabâ fat matabang bata = batang mataba fat child Matabâ ang baboy. The pig is fat. Bakit matabâ si Pedro? Why is Pedro fat? Sino ang mas matabâ? Who is fatter? Ano ang kasingkahulugan...
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