Even More Filipino Words that Don’t Translate to English

Basta adv. only; just; simply

Example: Basta gagawin mo yung sinabi ko ha.

You really can’t argue with your mom when she finally says basta, that’s the end of the story. It also means #ShutUpKaNaLang for people who refuse to engage with logic and reason in arguments.

Lambing n. caress; showing fondness/affection

Example: Lambinging mo si mama para bilhan ka ng iPhone 6.

Affectionate; Tenderness; Sweetness; Caressed; these words are synonymous to lambing but they still can’t capture the weight of the word, instead, it encapsulates all those words making lambing such a powerful act.

We’re all guilty of using the all-powerful lambing on our parents when we’re asking for a new gadget or when we have to “make paalam.” It’s also a trait that we look for in our partners, because a little lambing is the perfect remedy during a tampuhan.

Naman adv. 1. also; too; 2. really; truly

Something of a glottal filler that’s now become it’s own creature.

It can emphasize: Sobrang panget niya naman.
It can coax: Sige nanaman, sir.
It can differentiate: Ang hot niya, ito naman parang palaka.
It can be polite: Paabot naman bro.
It can provoke: O, ano naman?

It can mean “of course”:
Tado: Ang pogi mo today ha!
Bentong: Naman! (can also sound narcissistic and falsely self-effacing)

It’s a word that defies its own meaning, therefore no English word can capture and encapsulate its many facets.

Ewan – idiom. used like this: “ewan ko”, “I don’t know” (idiom. expression)

Example: Ewan, ikaw na bahala!

It’s a multilayered word open to interpretation. You might immediately translate it to “I don’t know” but it’s such a vague word that can mean a lot of things at the same time: I don’t care; I don’t know; or even f*ck off (kapag galit si girlfriend).

It is sometimes light, at other times heavy, but most of the time we say ewan devoid of the context when we’re lazy, that’s what makes it so beautiful and convenient.

What other Tagalog words are hard to translate or have no direct translation in English? Sabihin mo sa’min sa baba!