Filipino Words Without Direct Translations In English

Here are some of the Filipino words without direct English translations

There are quite a lot of Filipino words that do not have a direct translation in the English language.

Here are some.

KILIG

Kilig is a verb that best describes a feeling you feel when you’re touched because someone did something special for you. It is often associated with lovers and is similar to the phrase “butterflies in the stomach”.

KULIT

This word is used to describe a playfulness of a child and someone who is asking the same question repeatedly. It also refers to a person who seemed to be bothering you stubbornly and tirelessly.

PIKON

If you first offended a person and that person fought back and you got offended by his or her revenge, then you are pikon.

PASALUBONG

Filipinos use the term pasalubong for a gift or present or a souvenir that someone brought for someone at home. It can range from food to clothes to different knick-knacks.

BANGUNGOT

Most of the time bangungot is translated in English as a nightmare which happens when you wake up from a bad dream. However, bangungot is the term used when you die in your dream.

UMAY

Umay is used to describe the feeling when your appetite is ruined suddenly. Aside from being satiated of what you eat, it can also happen when the food is too sweet, oily, or salty for your preference.

BADUY

This simply means “you are out of fashion”. It can also refer to the trends which are already outdated or having mismatching outfit with your accessories.

GIGIL

Gigil is the word used to describe the overwhelming urge to pinch someone or something so cute. It can also be used on the negative aspect to describe intense anger.

TAMPO

When you get mad at someone and started to ignore that person, tampo is the best term for that. It could also describe a “walk-out scenario”. For some instances, tampo could also be pretense anger just to elicit an apology.

ALIMPUNGATAN