agaw-buhay -- naghihingalo anak-pawis -- magsasaka; manggagawa anak-dalita -- mahirap alilang-kanin -- utusang walang sweldo, pagkain lang Back to Top

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between life and death (literal=life about to be snatched away) farmer; laborer; blue-collar worker poor house-help with no income, provided with food and shelter

B
balitang kutsero -- hindi totoong balita balik-harap -- mabuti sa harapan, taksil sa likuran bantay-salakay -- taong nagbabait-baitan bungang-araw -- sakit sa balat bungang-tulog -- panaginip BALAT balat-sibuyas -- manipis, maramdamin balat-kalabaw -- mahina ang pakiramdam, di agad tinatablan ng hiya buto't balat -- payat na payat BIBIG tulak ng bibig -- salita lamang, di tunay sa loob dalawa ang bibig -- mabunganga, madaldal BITUKA halang ang bituka -- salbahe, desperado, hindi nangingiming pumatay ng tao mahapdi ang bituka -- nagugutom BULSA makapal ang bulsa -- maraming pera rumor, gossip, false story double-faced person, one who betrays trust a person who pretends to be good, opportunist prickly heat (literal=fruit of the sun) dream (literal=fruit of sleep) (SKIN) a sensitive person (literal=onion-skinned) one who is insensitive; with dense-face (literal=buffalo-skinned) malnourished (literal=skin-and-bone) (MOUTH) insincere words (literal=pushed-by-the-mouth) nagger, talkative person (literal=two-mouthed) (INTESTINE) a person with no moral compunction (literal=with a horizontal intestine) a hungry person (literal=sore intestine) (POUCH/POCKET) rich, wealthy (literal=with a thick pocket)

butas ang bulsa -- walang pera sukat ang bulsa -- marunong gumamit ng pera, marunong magbayad at mamahala ng kayamanan BUTO nagbabatak ng buto -- nagtatrabaho ng higit sa kinakailangan matigas ang buto -- malakas Back to Top Back to Tagalog Homepage

poor (literal=with a hole in the pocket) someone who knows his ability to pay

(BONE) one who works hard a strong person

K
kidlat sa bilis -- napakabilis kusang palo -- sariling sipag KAMAY mabigat ang kamay -- tamad magtrabaho magaan ang kamay -- madaling manuntok, manapok, manakit mabilis ang kamay -- mandurukot malikot ang kamay -- kumukuha ng hindi kanya Back to Top Back to Tagalog Homepage exceedingly fast initiative (HAND) a lazy person (literal=heavy-handed person) one who easily hits another person, easily provoked (literal=light-handed person) a snatcher, pickpocket (literal=fast-handed) one who has the habit of stealing things (literal=listless hand)

D
di makabasag-pinggan -- mahinhin di mahulugang-karayom -- maraming tao DIBDIB pag-iisang dibdib -- kasal kabiyak ng dibdib -- asawa a very demure, prim-and-proper person (literal=someone who can't break a plate) overcrowded place (literal=where one cannot throw a pin) (CHEST/HEART) wedding (literal=to be of one heart) spouse (literal=the other half of the heart)

daga sa dibdib -- takot nagbukas ng dibdib -- nagtapat na nais pakasalan ang kasintahan DILA bulaklak ng dila -- pagpapalabis sa katotohanan magdilang anghel -- magkatotoo sana makati ang dila -- madaldal, mapunahin matalas ang dila -- masakit mangusap maanghang ang dila -- bastos magsalita matamis ang dila -- mahusay mangusap, bolero kaututang dila -- katsismisan sanga-sangang dila -- sinungaling may krus ang dila -- nakapanghihimatong DUGO kumukulo ang dugo -- naiinis, nasusuklam magaan ang dugo -- madaling makapalagayan ng loob maitim ang dugo -- salbahe, tampalasan

worry, fear (literal=mouse in the chest) a man who proposed marriage (literal=opened his heart) (TONGUE) exaggeration (literal=flower of the tongue) to wish that what has been said will come true talkative person (literal = one with itchy tongue) one who talks offensively (literal = sharptongued person) a vulgar person (literal = spicy-tongued person) a fast talker (literal = sweet-tongued person) a gossip (literal = farting tongue) a liar one who could foretell an event (BLOOD) a person who hates somebody (literal=boiling blood) a person with whom one gets along easily (literal=light-blood) an evil or bad person (literal=dark-blooded)

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H
hampas-lupa -- lagalag, busabos haligi ng tahanan -- ama a bum person, without any goals in life father (literal = post of the house)

I
ilaw ng tahanan -- ina mother (literal = light of the house)

itaga sa bato -- tandaan isulat sa tubig -- kalimutan ISIP makitid ang isip -- mahinang umunawa, walang masyadong nalalaman malawak ang isip -- madaling umunawa, maraming nalalaman Back to Top Back to Tagalog Homepage

to remember (something) forever (literal=cast in stone) to forget (something) forever (literal=write it on water) (MIND/BRAIN) someone incapable of understanding (literal=narrow-minded) someone who easily understands (literal=broadminded)

L
LOOB malakas ang loob -- matapang mahina ang loob -- duwag (FEELINGS; LITERAL=INSIDE) a brave person (literal=strong-willed) a coward (literal=weak-willed)

mababa ang loob -- maawain

merciful person (literal=low-hearted)

masama ang loob -- nagdaramdam

a person with a grudge, painful or ill feelings against someone (literal=bad feelings) a person with whom one could not get along with (literal=heavy vibes or feelings) a sincere person, or one who gives with a pure heart (literal=pure-hearted)

mabigat ang loob -- di-makagiliwan

bukal sa loob -- taos-puso, tapat

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M
mahabang dulang -- kasalan wedding

makalaglag-matsing -- nakaka-akit makuskos-balungos -- mareklamo, mahirap amuin, mahirap pasayahin mahaba ang buntot -- laging nasusunod ang gusto, kulang sa palo, salbahe malapad ang papel -- maraming kakilala na makapagbibigay ng tulong may magandang hinaharap -- may magandang kinabukasan may sinasabi -- mayaman, may likas na talino MATA matalas ang mata -- madaling makakita

enchanting look hard to please, always complaining a person who is a spoiled brat a person who is very influential a person with a bright future a wealthy person or a talented person (EYE) someone who could easily spot something (literal=sharp-eyed)

tatlo ang mata -- maraming nakikita, mapaghanap ng mali namuti ang mata -- nainip sa kahihintay, matagal nang naghihintay matigas ang leeg -- mapag-mataas, di namamansin matigas ang katawan -- tamad makapal ang palad -- masipag maitim ang budhi -- masamang tao, tuso mababaw ang luha -- madaling umiyak MUKHA makapal ang mukha -- di marunong mahiya manipis ang mukha -- mahiyain maaliwalas ang mukha -- masayahin madilim ang mukha -- taong simangot, problemado

a fault-finder, cynical person (literal=three-eyed person) a person who was stood up (literal=one whose eyes turned white) snobbish person (literal=stiff-necked) a lazy person (literal=stiff-bodied) a busy-body, industrious person (literal=thickpalmed) an evil or bad person (literal=dark-souled) emotional person (literal=tear-on-the-surface) (FACE) a shameless person (literal= dense-faced) a shy person (literal= thin-faced) a joyful person (literal= bright-faced) a problematic person (literal=dim-faced)

dalawa ang mukha -- kabilanin, balik-harap Back to Top Back to Tagalog Homepage

a deceptive, two-faced person

N
nakahiga sa salapi/pera -- mayaman nagbibilang ng poste -- walang trabaho namamangka sa dalawang ilog -- salawahan nagmumurang kamatis -- matandang nag-aayos binata o dalaga naniningalang-pugad -- nanliligaw ningas-kugon -- panandalian, di pangmatagalan Back to Top Back to Tagalog Homepage rich, connotes someone who is spoiled by wealth someone who is jobless, literally counting posts a person who is unfaithful an old man/woman insecure about his/her looks and dresses up like a young person a man courting a woman something that is not permanent, usually connotes a behavior or action not meant to last

P
panis ang laway -- taong di-palakibo a very quiet person

pagkagat ng dilim -- pag lubog ng araw

twilight

patay-gutom -- matakaw

glutton

pulot-gata -- pagtatalik ng bagong kasal

honeymoon

putok sa buho -- anak sa labas PAA makati ang paa -- mahilig sa gala o lakad

an illegitimate child; out-of-wedlock child (FEET) a person who is fond of going places (literal=itchy feet) one who just died (literal=level feet)

pantay ang mga paa -- patay na

PUSA

(CAT)

nagpupusa -- nagsasabi ng mga kuwento ukol sa isang tao saling-pusa -- pansamantalang kasali sa laro o trabaho Back to Top Back to Tagalog Homepage

telling on somebody

temporarily included in a game or work, a term used to refer to little kids fond of joining games or work of grown-ups

S
sampid-bakod -- nakikisunod, nakikikain, o nakikitira samaing palad -- malas na tao sampay-bakod -- taong nagpapanggap, hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang sinasabi someone who is privileged to lodge and board in house for free an unfortunate person, unlucky person a false, pretentious person

T
takaw-tulog -- mahilig matulog takipsilim -- paglubog ng araw talusaling -- manipis ang balat talusira -- madaling magbago tawang-aso -- nagmamayabang, nangmamaliit TAINGA matalas ang tainga -- madaling makarinig maputi ang tainga -- kuripot nakapinid ang tainga -- nagbibingi-bingihan taingang kawali -- nagbibingi-bingihan Back to Top Back to Tagalog Homepage a lazy person who always wants to stay in bed twilight a very sensitive person a person who easily changes a person who sneers (EAR) one who easily hears the news (literal=sharpeared) miser, scrooge (literal=white-eared) one who plays deaf (literal=closed-eared) one who plays deaf (literal=wok-eared: uses metaphor of the handle of a wok)

U
utang na loob -- malaking pasasalamat na hindi kayang bayaran ng ano pa man "utang na loob" -- malaking pakiusap, madalas ginagamit upang ipahiwatig ang masidhing damdamin ng nakikiusap, tulad ng "parang awa mo na" (as noun) debt of gratitude (as expression) "please", used to express the deepest feelings of the person asking for a very big favor, equivalent to "have mercy"

ULO matalas ang ulo -- matalino mahangin ang ulo -- mayabang malamig ang ulo -- maganda ang sariling disposisyon mainit ang ulo -- pangit ang disposisyon lumaki ang ulo -- yumabang matigas ang ulo -- ayaw makinig sa pangaral o utos basag-ulo -- gulo, away may ipot sa ulo -- taong pinagtaksilan ng asawa sira ang ulo/sira ang tuktok -- taong maraming kalokohan ang nasa isip UTAK utak-biya -- bobo, mahina ang ulo matalas ang utak -- matalino

(HEAD) bright, intelligent (literal=sharp-headed) arrogant person (literal=air-headed) in a good mood (literal=cool-headed) in a bad mood (literal=hot-headed) someone who became proud, arrogant (literal=one whose head grew big) one who is stubborn (literal=hard-headed) chaos, quarrel, fight (literal=break head) a person who has been cheated by his/her spouse (literal=one with shit on his/her head) a crazy or foolish person (BRAIN) stupid, brainless (literal=fish-brained) bright, intelligent person (literal=sharp-brained)