J
Jeanh
Guest
(Part 3)
We Pinoys are not only creative, descriptive and sappy, we’re constantly adding words to the world’s lexicon.
Google says You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., but one website says You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. While they’re trying to make up their minds, these 30 Filipino words have yet to find their direct word correspondence in English.
And for the final installment, we give you these bizarre but often funny and endearing words that speak tons about our culture and beliefs.
“Hoy! Pang-ilang kanin mo na ‘yan, ha?”
This word has been You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. by the inquisitive, the purists and the helpful. But pang-ilan has remained elusive, always needing to be translated in the context of the sentence it came in.
The question “Pang-ilang presidente ng Pilipinas si Erap?” has been exhausted, exploited and worked around, but no one could translate it word-for-word without making it sound awkward and unnatural.
Ah, pang-ilan. You shall remain a favorite topic for discussion and banter among barkadasof every age and size.
“Ibili mo nga ‘ko ng panghilod at ang dami ko ng libag!”
It’s one of those things we’d rather keep private. And rightly so. As Pinoys we’re prissy about bathing and scrubbing ourselves pink so we have a natural aversion tolibag.
Its’ pretty serious business: scrubbing off these skin dirt is a must according to ournanays, and no decent Pinoy bathroom is deemed good enough without a panghilod. In fact, we’re so obsessed about removing these things that You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. just to differentiate them from one another. Yes, we’re suckers for specifics that way.
“Wag mong isumbat sa akin ang mga ginawa mong tulong.”
Sumbat happens when someone you’re indebted to chides you about the favors he/she has done for you.
Often said in an angry, reproachful manner, sumbat has hints of regret about the favors given. Our teledramas are replete with sumbatan, and when that couple next door fights, it’s You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. until they stop.
“Nagsisi ako na kumain ako ng ice cream, nangilo tuloy ang ngipin ko”
Sure, ngilo is teeth sensitivity. But ngilo is really more about the sensation: that lightning-like, searing, excruciating, palpable pain that your teeth gets when you bite into your ice cream.
However, this isn’t the only definition. The other one is that teeth-gritting feeling that you get when you hear the sound of You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., or (the more local example) of tansan against concrete.
“Galing akong Hong Kong at namili ako ng maraming pasalubong.”
This old Filipino tradition of bringing gifts every homecoming is expected of balikbayanloved ones and friends. Those who travel overseas, even those who travel to another city even within the country are somewhat expected to bring gifts home, no matter how small, as “souvenirs”.
But there’s no English word that is commensurate to this Pinoy culture. Michael Tan probably nailed it with this description: “You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.”
“Itira nyo sa akin ang kaning tutong, paborito ko yan”
In a country where rice is the staple food, of course we needed a word to describe that brown to golden (sometimes burnt) crusty rice that sticks to the bottom of our rice pot when we overcook our kanin.
Some Pinoys like the crunchy texture and burnt taste of kaning tutong and would even go as far as to intentionally toast the rice and write a recipe on You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
“Ang kulit naman ng batang ito!”
Some would argue that kulit actually You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. Quite, but not quite.
You see, pesky (negative) is annoying. But kulit is not only used in the negative “Tigilan mo ‘ko sa pangungulit mo!”, there’s also hint of positive playfulness about it especially in this context: “Kinukulit ako ng anak ko kung kelan daw ako uuwi”.
It is also used to fondly describe somebody who is funny “Ang kulit talaga ni Ryzza Mae, natawa ako sa jokes nya!”. Kulit may also be used to describe something that’s unique, new or cool “Grabe ang tugtog na ‘to, ang kulit!”.
Image source: You do not have permission to view the full content of this post.
Log in or register now.
“Nangalay ako at nangawit kakahintay na magsimula ang palabas.”
Ngalay is the numbness that one feels when you’re motionless and in the same position for a time. The closest translation for ngalay is numb, although that lacks in definition for what ngalay really means.
Ngalay could also happen after strenuous physical activity like carrying or You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. It’s that fatigued, dull ache on your muscles that numbs over time.
A sigurista is somebody who makes sure that everything goes according to plan. It doesn’t exactly translate to being a perfectionist. Perfectionists are more on the meticulous side of things, ensuring that everything is done to the letter.
A sigurista is somebody who will not do something unless the outcome is what he/she exactly desires. There’s a very gangster ring to the word that’s somehow reminiscent of old tagalog action flicks and You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
“Naalimpungatan ang maton nung nag-away ang dalawang babae sa labas”
Tread carefully now. The word in subject is something that all Pinoys know could either make or break a person’s mood.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. is that state when your sleep has been rudely interrupted leaving you half-asleep and half-awake. In this state of half-awareness, you’re probably unsure about being awake or asleep.
The closest English translation to the word is “rude awakening”, but it doesn’t describe the stupor, or the state of consciousness.
We Pinoys are not only creative, descriptive and sappy, we’re constantly adding words to the world’s lexicon.
Google says You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., but one website says You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. While they’re trying to make up their minds, these 30 Filipino words have yet to find their direct word correspondence in English.
And for the final installment, we give you these bizarre but often funny and endearing words that speak tons about our culture and beliefs.
“Hoy! Pang-ilang kanin mo na ‘yan, ha?”
This word has been You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. by the inquisitive, the purists and the helpful. But pang-ilan has remained elusive, always needing to be translated in the context of the sentence it came in.
The question “Pang-ilang presidente ng Pilipinas si Erap?” has been exhausted, exploited and worked around, but no one could translate it word-for-word without making it sound awkward and unnatural.
Ah, pang-ilan. You shall remain a favorite topic for discussion and banter among barkadasof every age and size.
“Ibili mo nga ‘ko ng panghilod at ang dami ko ng libag!”
It’s one of those things we’d rather keep private. And rightly so. As Pinoys we’re prissy about bathing and scrubbing ourselves pink so we have a natural aversion tolibag.
Its’ pretty serious business: scrubbing off these skin dirt is a must according to ournanays, and no decent Pinoy bathroom is deemed good enough without a panghilod. In fact, we’re so obsessed about removing these things that You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. just to differentiate them from one another. Yes, we’re suckers for specifics that way.
“Wag mong isumbat sa akin ang mga ginawa mong tulong.”
Sumbat happens when someone you’re indebted to chides you about the favors he/she has done for you.
Often said in an angry, reproachful manner, sumbat has hints of regret about the favors given. Our teledramas are replete with sumbatan, and when that couple next door fights, it’s You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. until they stop.
“Nagsisi ako na kumain ako ng ice cream, nangilo tuloy ang ngipin ko”
Sure, ngilo is teeth sensitivity. But ngilo is really more about the sensation: that lightning-like, searing, excruciating, palpable pain that your teeth gets when you bite into your ice cream.
However, this isn’t the only definition. The other one is that teeth-gritting feeling that you get when you hear the sound of You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., or (the more local example) of tansan against concrete.
“Galing akong Hong Kong at namili ako ng maraming pasalubong.”
This old Filipino tradition of bringing gifts every homecoming is expected of balikbayanloved ones and friends. Those who travel overseas, even those who travel to another city even within the country are somewhat expected to bring gifts home, no matter how small, as “souvenirs”.
But there’s no English word that is commensurate to this Pinoy culture. Michael Tan probably nailed it with this description: “You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.”
“Itira nyo sa akin ang kaning tutong, paborito ko yan”
In a country where rice is the staple food, of course we needed a word to describe that brown to golden (sometimes burnt) crusty rice that sticks to the bottom of our rice pot when we overcook our kanin.
Some Pinoys like the crunchy texture and burnt taste of kaning tutong and would even go as far as to intentionally toast the rice and write a recipe on You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
“Ang kulit naman ng batang ito!”
Some would argue that kulit actually You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. Quite, but not quite.
You see, pesky (negative) is annoying. But kulit is not only used in the negative “Tigilan mo ‘ko sa pangungulit mo!”, there’s also hint of positive playfulness about it especially in this context: “Kinukulit ako ng anak ko kung kelan daw ako uuwi”.
It is also used to fondly describe somebody who is funny “Ang kulit talaga ni Ryzza Mae, natawa ako sa jokes nya!”. Kulit may also be used to describe something that’s unique, new or cool “Grabe ang tugtog na ‘to, ang kulit!”.
Image source: You do not have permission to view the full content of this post.
Log in or register now.“Nangalay ako at nangawit kakahintay na magsimula ang palabas.”
Ngalay is the numbness that one feels when you’re motionless and in the same position for a time. The closest translation for ngalay is numb, although that lacks in definition for what ngalay really means.
Ngalay could also happen after strenuous physical activity like carrying or You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.. It’s that fatigued, dull ache on your muscles that numbs over time.
A sigurista is somebody who makes sure that everything goes according to plan. It doesn’t exactly translate to being a perfectionist. Perfectionists are more on the meticulous side of things, ensuring that everything is done to the letter.
A sigurista is somebody who will not do something unless the outcome is what he/she exactly desires. There’s a very gangster ring to the word that’s somehow reminiscent of old tagalog action flicks and You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
“Naalimpungatan ang maton nung nag-away ang dalawang babae sa labas”
Tread carefully now. The word in subject is something that all Pinoys know could either make or break a person’s mood.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. is that state when your sleep has been rudely interrupted leaving you half-asleep and half-awake. In this state of half-awareness, you’re probably unsure about being awake or asleep.
The closest English translation to the word is “rude awakening”, but it doesn’t describe the stupor, or the state of consciousness.
