Filipino Idiomatic Expressions (Mga Sawikain sa Filipino)

October 14, 2010

agaw-buhay – naghihingalo; between life and death

anak-pawis – magsasaka; manggagawa; farmer; laborer; blue-collar worker

balat-kalabaw – makapal, di agad tinatablan ng hiya; one who is insensitive; with dense-face (literal=buffalo-skinned)

balat-sibuyas – manipis, maramdamin; a sensitive person (literal=onion-skinned)

balik-harap – mabuti sa harapan, taksil sa likuran; double-faced person, one who betrays trust

balitang kutsero – hindi totoong balita, rumor, gossip, false story

bantay-salakay — taong nagbabait-baitan; a person who pretends to be good, opportunist

basag-ulo – gulo, away; chaos, quarrel, fight (literal=break head)

bukal sa loob – taos-puso, tapat; a sincere person, to give (something) with a pure heart (literal=pure-hearted)

bulaklak ng dila – pagpapalabis sa katotohanan; exaggeration (literal=flower of the tongue)

bungang-araw – sakit sa balat; prickly heat (literal=fruit of the sun)

butas ang bulsa — walang pera; poor (literal=with a hole in the pocket)

buto’t balat — payat na payat; malnourished (literal=skin-and-bone)

daga sa dibdib – takot; kaba; worry, fear (literal=mouse in the chest)

dalawa ang bibig — mabunganga, madaldal; nagger, talkative person (literal=two-mouthed)

dalawa ang mukha — kabilanin, balik-harap; a deceptive, two-faced person

di mahulugang-karayom — maraming tao; overcrowded place (literal=where one cannot throw a pin)

di makabasag-pinggan – mahinhin; a very demure, prim-and-proper person

halang ang bituka — salbahe, desperado, hindi nangingiming pumatay, a person with no moral compunction (literal=with a horizontal intestine)

haligi ng tahanan – ama; father (literal = post of the house)

hampas-lupa — lagalag, busabos; a bum person, without any goals in life

ilaw ng tahanan – ina; mother (literal = light of the house)

isulat sa tubig – kalimutan; to forget (something) forever (literal=write it on water)

itaga sa bato – tandaan; to remember (something) forever (literal = cast in stone)

kabiyak ng dibdib – asawa; spouse (literal=the other half of the heart)

kaututang dila – katsismisan; someone to gossip with (literal = farting tongue)

kidlat sa bilis — napakabilis, exceedingly fast

kumukulo ang dugo — naiinis, nasusuklam; to hate someone (literal=boiling blood)

kusang palo — sariling sipag, initiative

lumaki ang ulo – yumabang; to become proud, arrogant (literal=one whose head grew big)

maaliwalas ang mukha – masayahin; a joyful person (literal= bright-faced)

maanghang ang dila — bastos magsalita; a vulgar person (literal = spicy-tongued person)

mababa ang loob – maawain; merciful person (literal=low-hearted)

mababaw ang luha — madaling umiyak; emotional person (literal=tear-on-the-surface)

mabigat ang kamay — tamad magtrabaho; a lazy person (literal=heavy-handed person)

mabigat ang loob — di-makagiliwan; a person with whom one could not get along with

mabilis ang kamay – mandurukot; a snatcher, pickpocket (literal=fast-handed)

madilim ang mukha — taong simangot, problemado; a problematic person (literal=dim-faced)

magaan ang dugo — madaling makapalagayan ng loob; a person with whom one gets along easily (literal=light-blood)

magaan ang kamay — madaling manuntok, manapok, manakit, one who easily hits another person, easily provoked (literal=light-handed person)

magdilang anghel — magkatotoo sana; to wish that what has been said will come true

mahaba ang buntot — laging nasusunod ang gusto, kulang sa palo, salbahe; a person who is a spoiled brat

mahabang dulang – kasalan; wedding

mahangin ang ulo – mayabang; arrogant person (literal=air-headed)

mahapdi ang bituka — nagugutom, a hungry person (literal=sore intestine)

mahina ang loob – duwag; a coward (literal=weak-willed)

mainit ang ulo — pangit ang disposisyon; in a bad mood (literal=hot-headed)

maitim ang budhi — masamang tao, tuso; an evil or bad person (literal=dark-souled)

maitim ang dugo — salbahe, tampalasan; an evil or bad person (literal=dark-blooded)

makalaglag-matsing — nakaka-akit; enchanting look

makapal ang bulsa — maraming pera; rich, wealthy (literal = with a thick pocket)

makapal ang mukha — di marunong mahiya; a shameless person (literal= dense-faced)

makapal ang palad – masipag; a busy-body, industrious person (literal=thick-palmed)

makati ang dila — madaldal, mapunahin; talkative person (literal = one with itchy tongue)

makati ang paa — mahilig sa gala o lakad; a person who is fond of going places (literal=itchy feet)

makitid ang isip — mahinang umunawa, walang masyadong nalalaman; someone incapable of understanding (literal=narrow-minded)

makuskos-balungos — mareklamo, mahirap amuin, mahirap pasayahin; hard to please, always complaining

malakas ang loob – matapang; a brave person (literal=strong-willed)

malamig ang ulo — maganda ang sariling disposisyon; in a good mood (literal=cool-headed)

malapad ang papel — maraming kakilala na makapagbibigay ng tulong; a person who is very influential

malawak ang isip — madaling umunawa, maraming nalalaman; someone who easily understands (literal=broad-minded)

malikot ang kamay — kumukuha ng hindi kanya; one who has the habit of stealing things (literal=listless hand)

manipis ang mukha – mahiyain; a shy person (literal= thin-faced)

maputi ang tainga – kuripot; miser, scrooge (literal=white-eared)

masama ang loob – nagdaramdam; a person with a grudge, painful or ill feelings against someone (literal=bad feelings)

matalas ang dila — masakit mangusap; one who talks offensively (literal = sharp-tongued person)

matalas ang mata – madaling makakita; someone who could easily spot something (literal=sharp-eyed)

matalas ang tainga — madaling makarinig; one who easily hears the news (literal=sharp-eared)

matalas ang ulo – matalino; bright, intelligent (literal=sharp-headed)

matalas ang utak – matalino; bright, intelligent person (literal=sharp-brained)

matamis ang dila — mahusay mangusap, bolero; a fast talker (literal = sweet-tongued person)

matigas ang buto — malakas, a strong person

matigas ang katawan – tamad; a lazy person (literal=stiff-bodied)

matigas ang leeg — mapag-mataas, di namamansin; snobbish person (literal=stiff-necked)

matigas ang ulo — ayaw makinig sa pangaral o utos; one who is stubborn (literal=hard-headed)

may ipot sa ulo — taong pinagtaksilan ng asawa; a person who has been cheated by his/her spouse (literal=one with shit on his/her head)

may krus ang dila – nakapanghihimatong; one who could foretell an event

may magandang hinaharap — may magandang kinabukasan; a person with a bright future

may sinasabi — mayaman, may likas na talino; a wealthy person or a talented person

nagbabatak ng buto — nagtatrabaho ng higit sa kinakailangan; one who works hard

nagbibilang ng poste – walang trabaho; someone who is jobless, literally counting posts

nagbukas ng dibdib — nagtapat na nais pakasalan ang kasintahan; a man who proposed marriage (literal=opened his heart)

nagmumurang kamatis — matandang nag-aayos binata o dalaga; an old man/woman insecure about his/her looks and dresses up like a young person

nagpupusa — nagsasabi ng mga kuwento ukol sa isang tao; telling on somebody

nakahiga sa salapi/pera – mayaman; rich, connotes someone who is spoiled by wealth

nakapinid ang tainga — nagbibingi-bingihan; one who plays deaf (literal=closed-eared)

namamangka sa dalawang ilog – salawahan; a person who is unfaithful

namuti ang mata — nainip sa kahihintay, matagal nang naghihintay; a person who was stood up (literal=one whose eyes turned white)

naniningalang-pugad – nanliligaw; a man courting a woman

ningas-kugon — panandalian, di pang-matagalan; something that is not permanent, usually connotes a behavior or action not meant to last

pag-iisang dibdib – kasal; wedding (literal=to be of one heart)

pagkagat ng dilim — pag lubog ng araw; twilight

panis ang laway — taong di-palakibo; a very quiet person

pantay ang mga paa — patay na; one who just died (literal=level feet)

patay-gutom – matakaw; glutton

pulot-gata — pagtatalik ng bagong; kasal honeymoon

putok sa buho — anak sa labas; an illegitimate child; out-of-wedlock child

saling-pusa — pansamantalang kasali sa laro o trabaho; temporarily included in a game or work

samaing palad — malas na tao; an unfortunate person, unlucky person

sampay-bakod — taong nagpapanggap, hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang sinasabi; a false, pretentious person

sampid-bakod — nakikisunod, nakikikain, o nakikitira; someone who is privileged to lodge and board in house for free

sanga-sangang dila – sinungaling; a liar

sira ang ulo/sira ang tuktok — taong maraming kalokohan ang nasa isip; a crazy or foolish person

sukat ang bulsa — marunong gumamit ng pera; someone who knows his ability to pay

taingang kawali — nagbibingi-bingihan; one who plays deaf (literal=wok-eared: uses metaphor of the handle of a wok)

takaw-tulog — mahilig matulog; a person who always wants to stay in bed

takipsilim – paglubog ng araw; twilight

talusaling – manipis ang balat; a very sensitive person

talusira — madaling magbago; a person who easily changes

tatlo ang mata — maraming nakikita, mapaghanap ng mali; a fault-finder, cynical person (literal=three-eyed person)

tawang-aso — nagmamayabang, nangmamaliit; a person who sneers

tulak ng bibig — salita lamang, di tunay sa loob; insincere words (literal=pushed-by-the-mouth)

utak-biya — bobo, mahina ang ulo; stupid, brainless (literal=fish-brained)

utang na loob — pasasalamat na hindi kayang bayaran ng ano pa man; (as noun) debt of gratitude

Source: http://www.tagalog-dictionary.com

Filed under: Pinoy Culture