8List.ph
  • News
    • Showbiz
    • Opinion
    • Sports
    • Profiles
    • Weird
  • Adulting
    • Career
    • Money
    • Health
    • School & Learning
    • Relationships
  • Pop
    • Movies & TV
    • Music
    • Books
    • Games
    • Theater
    • Retro
    • K-World
  • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Beauty
    • Food & Drink
    • Nest
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Pinoy
  • Videos
    • Slam8ook
    • Isabuhay Ang Panata
    • 8list Plays
    • Archives
      • 8List Asks
      • 8List Explores
      • 8List Presents
      • 88 Seconds
      • 8secs
      • Filgood
      • Kaya Today!
      • Pagsubeks
      • #8MinutesWith
      • YOUth DECIDE
      • Str8 Up with Delamar
      • Toughest Job 2016
  • Breathe
  • About
  • Sitemap
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Archive
  • Bitesized.ph
  • Windowseat.ph

 

 

 

8List.ph is published by ID8, Inc.

Subscribe
8List.ph
8List.ph
  • News
    • Showbiz
    • Opinion
    • Sports
    • Profiles
    • Weird
  • Adulting
    • Career
    • Money
    • Health
    • School & Learning
    • Relationships
  • Pop
    • Movies & TV
    • Music
    • Books
    • Games
    • Theater
    • Retro
    • K-World
  • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Beauty
    • Food & Drink
    • Nest
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Pinoy
  • Videos
    • Slam8ook
    • Isabuhay Ang Panata
    • 8list Plays
    • Archives
      • 8List Asks
      • 8List Explores
      • 8List Presents
      • 88 Seconds
      • 8secs
      • Filgood
      • Kaya Today!
      • Pagsubeks
      • #8MinutesWith
      • YOUth DECIDE
      • Str8 Up with Delamar
      • Toughest Job 2016
  • Breathe
  • Weird

8 Spanish Words That Mean Something Completely Different In Filipino

  • Posted on Nov 25, 2019Nov 25, 2019
  • 2 minute read
  • Cristina Morales
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

8 Spanish Words That Mean Something Completely Different In Filipino

Nov 25, 2019   •   Cristina Morales

Much of the Filipino language traces its roots from Spanish (thank you, 300+ years of Spanish colonization!). While some Filipino “borrowed” words kept the original meaning of the Spanish, quite a few of them have taken on completely different meanings.

In linguistics, words that look and sound similar but mean completely different things are called “false friends”. Here are just some of the fakest of them.

Disclaimer: The author is in no way a fluent Spanish speaker, and has already forgotten 93% of the little Spanish she managed to learn in school.

Seguro vs Siguro

via Pxhere; Wikimedia Commons

In Spanish, seguro means “sure” or “certain”, whereas in Filipino, it means the opposite: “maybe” or “probably”.

And to say “sure” in Filipino, we say “sigurado”. Yup, language is complicated!

 

Corazonada vs Kursonada

via Peakpx; Pixabay

Corazonada means “hunch” in Spanish, while kursonada means “object of desire”. Since both words find their root in the Spanish word for “heart”, we kinda understand how the two are related.

We can’t say the same for other false friends, such as the following:

 

Coño vs Conyo

via Pixabay; Buscarfoto

Story time: The first time my dad heard my siblings and I say “conyo” to refer to rich kids who spoke in baluktot Taglish, he did a double-take and, very sternly, asked us to repeat ourselves. Apparently, he thought we were cursing in Spanish.

See, in Spanish, coño is a vulgar word that refers to the female genitalia (think the equivalent of the expletive c*nt). We might never know how the world evolved to stand for rich Pinoy kids, but it’s part of the vernacular now, much to the dismay of our Spanish-speaking elders.

 

Sospechoso vs Sospetsoso

via Wikimedia Commons; Know Your Meme

In Spanish, sospechoso is the “suspect”. But in Filipino, the meaning of sospetsoso is flipped so that it means “suspicious person”.

Hmm.

 

Sigue vs Sige

Via Pixnio; Needpix

These two words are actually quite similar, but they’re not quite the same.

Sigue is Spanish for “continue” or “follow”, and is generally used to say “all right” or “go ahead”. Meanwhile, sige is just “OK”.

Delicado vs Delikado

via Unsplash (1, 2)

Delicado in Spanish means delicate, while our delikado means DANGER. They seem like polar opposites, but it sorta makes sense, because in both delicate and dangerous situations, we are asked to tread lightly/carefully.

 

Sabe vs Sabi

via Expanding Brain Generator; Pixabay

Sabe means “knows” in Spanish, while sabi means “talk”, or if we’re feeling fancy, to “impart knowledge”. Cue brain explosions.

 

Puto vs Puto

via Wikimedia Commons (1, 2)

And here’s everyone’s favorite. Technically, this shouldn’t be on the list, because the root of our puto (referring to the sweet rice cake we all know and love) isn’t the Spanish word for male prostitute. The Filipino “puto” gets its name from the Malay word puttu, which means “portioned”. Makes sense, considering the size of the puto.

The more you know!

 

What other Spanish-Filipino false friends did we miss? Drop them in the comments below!


Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Avatar photo
Cristina Morales

Though a chronic dabbler in whatever tickles her fancy, Cristina claims she can count her passions on one hand: feminism, literature, the environment, embroidery, and the power of a solid pop song. She lives in Uniqlo lounge pants and refuses to leave the house without a winged eye.

Previous Article
  • Adulting
  • Lifestyle

8 Game-Changing Items That Will Make Your Life So Much Easier

  • Posted on Nov 24, 2019Sep 12, 2022
  • Meryl Medel
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Weird

Fake News Alert! These Quote Cards of Fictional Characters Supporting Rodrigo Duterte Are NOT Real

  • Posted on Mar 19, 2025
  • Alex Alvarez
View Post
  • Weird

This New App Makes You *Literally* Touch Grass When You’ve Had Too Much Internet

  • Posted on Feb 28, 2025Feb 28, 2025
  • Cristina Morales
View Post
  • 8List
  • Weird

Why Is Mount Cristobal Called the Devil’s Mountain?

  • Posted on Oct 18, 2024Oct 17, 2024
  • Kyzia Maramara
View Post
  • Weird

Alice, Guo Back to the Philippines to Get Freebies From These Restaurants and Shops

  • Posted on Aug 22, 2024
  • Meryl Medel
View Post
  • Weird

Here’s What We ~Really~ Know About Alice Guo

  • Posted on May 13, 2024May 13, 2024
  • Meryl Medel
View Post
  • Weird

1,000 Pinoys Demand ‘Hidden Wealth’ from BSP, Netizens Ask: ‘Are Filipinos Really That Gullible?’

  • Posted on May 9, 2024May 9, 2024
  • Edgardo Toledo
View Post
  • Weird

Vlogger Apologizes After Being Reprimanded By BSP for Making a Kite Out of 1K Bills

  • Posted on Apr 19, 2024
  • Meryl Medel
View Post
  • Weird

Takoyaki Business Sparks Backlash After Controversial April Fools’ Day Prank

  • Posted on Apr 2, 2024
  • Edgardo Toledo
1 comment
  1. Eric F says:
    Jun 9, 2024 at 8:38 pm

    Demasiado y di masyado
    Almorzar y almusal
    Siempre y siyempre
    Soplado y suplado
    Querida y querida

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the l8est delivered right to your inbox.

8List.ph
  • About
  • Sitemap
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Archive
  • Bitesized.ph
  • Windowseat.ph
Your daily dose of entertaining, useful and informative lists.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.