26 Filipino Slang Words and English Phrases to Help You Speak Like a Local

The Philippines has a rich vocabulary, with modified words from languages such as English and Spanish. The fun parts are the slang words, which are invented by locals and continue to evolve through time. To better understand the Filipino language and culture, explore the awesome local slang words listed here.

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When you watch romantic films or catch your crush staring at you, what exactly do you feel? In most cases, people will describe the feeling as a kind of loved-up giddiness. But in the Philippines, people refer to this feeling as kilig. Having no direct translation in English, the word describes that butterfly-in-your-stomach kind of excitement during a romantic encounter.

Gigil is another Filipino word which has no direct translation in English, but is commonly used in everyday conversations. You’ll usually hear this from someone who feels overwhelmed by a situation and thus gets the uncontrollable desire to squeeze something. It may refer to a positive feeling – for instance, a Filipino woman who sees a cute, chubby baby would feel a desire to pinch its cheeks out of gigil. Yet in some cases, the word may also refer to something negative – gigil sa galit wherein the person feels extreme anger towards another person or situation.

Susmariosep is a combination of the shortened names of the Holy Trinity – Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It’s an abrupt reaction you’ll most likely hear from Filipino adults who’ve just learned some big or shocking news. For example, your halo-halo shipment just melted in the sun – susmariosep!

While the word nyek has different variations, such as nye, nge, or ngek, they all mean the same. It’s commonly used in situations where you’d feel pleasantly surprised or shocked – usually upon hearing corny jokes or cheesy one-liners. Expect to hear this expression if you deliver a bad ‘knock knock’ joke while on your travels.

This is another popular slang word that Filipinos love to inject into their everyday conversations. When you accidentally say something that you don’t really mean and others think you’re being serious, add this word at the end of the sentence. They’ll instantly believe you are indeed joking. In some cases, Filipinos add the word charot to their jokes. That’s because in Filipino culture you can’t be too direct or blunt.

There are two ways to say this slang word — read it as it is or reverse the syllables and read it as bogchi (bog-chee). Either way, both simply mean food or meal time. You’ll commonly hear this at informal Filipino parties and gatherings. When the guests have arrived and the food is ready, expect to hear the host say “chibugan na” (eating time)!

Jowa is a Filipino slang word used when referring to a friend’s significant other. A closely related slang word is syota (sho-tah)which has a stigma attached to it since itoriginates from the Filipino phrase for “short time,” implying the relationship isn’t a serious one. When asking if a friend is still in the dating phase or they’re now committed to each other, ask “jowa mo na?” (Is he already your boyfriend?)

While this slang word comes from the Spanish interjection which simply means “Enough!,” it has a different meaning in the Philippines. The word basta (which has no direct English translation) means “just because I want to” or “don’t want to.” In some cases, the person is pointing out that an action is important to carry out, no matter the circumstances. Sometimes people also use the word to tell someone to go away.

If you spell this Filipino slang word in reverse, you would get the word “idol.” In short, lodi refers to the person you idolise or look up to. This is a popular word with millennials, who tend to make generous use of it in Facebook posts. Whenever someone has passed board examinations, graduated from college, or makes any significant achievement, you would call that person a “lodi” to congratulate them.

This slang word is famous among Filipino millennials. The word petmalu is a syllabic reversal of the word malupit or malupet, the Tagalog term for cruel. When millennials use the word, the intention is to refer to someone or something that is extremely interesting or cool.

Similar to the two previous slang words mentioned, “werpa” is a millennial product of twisting words and establishing them as part of everyday conversation. This relatively new Filipino slang word reads as pawer or power when reversed. It’s normally used to give support to someone.

Don’t get confused, but moms aren’t the only ones being called mumshies in Filipino culture these days. Another millennial invention, mumshie is a moniker often used to affectionately refer to a close friend.

Just like the Filipino word mumshie, bes is an endearment between friends. It comes from the word best friend and has resulted in other variations such as besh, beshie, or even beh. It’s widely used in daily conversation and social media. However, in some cases, people don’t limit the word to their friends and use it to refer to anyone.

The slang word chika can mean two things — either something that’s not entirely true (e.g., gossip, rumors, etc) or some new information that your friends are expecting to hear from you. For example, “Have you heard about the latest chika (gossip)?” or “Ano’ng chika mo?” (What’s new with you?)

You’re probably wondering why Filipinos would use the word “carry” as a slang word. Turns out, they’re not really referring to carrying an object. Keri is often an answer to the question: “Can you do it?” It basically means a person is able to handle anything that comes their way.

To the surprise of many first-time travellers to the Philippines, English is widely spoken in the country. In fact, alongside Tagalog, it is the official language of the country. It has, however, its own variant of English, containing several English words and phrases that are used and understood differently than in other English-speaking countries. Read on to avoid getting lost in translation should you encounter any of these terms when travelling to the Philippines.

This is very frequently used by Filipinos, and is said out of courtesy before leaving. It is actually a literal translation of the Tagalog Mauna na ako, which is a polite way of asking permission to leave before the other person during a get together. Travellers to the country encounter this phrase a lot and are oftentimes confused, but really all it means is, “I’ll be going now, see you!”

Don’t be confused upon seeing signs or doors labelled “C.R.”. This is an acronym for “comfort room”, so this simply means restroom or washroom.

Don’t make the mistake of calling the female host of the Filipino party you attended a “hostess”, because this word takes on a whole new meaning in the Philippines: it is widely used as a euphemism for a prostitute. The acronym G.R.O., meaning Guest Relations Officer, is another term meaning the same.

By definition, the word tomboy simply refers to girls who enjoy things and activities usually associated with boys. But in the Philippines, tomboy is usually used to refer to lesbians.

No, this does not refer to the make of car. Instead, it refers to a very common form of local public transport that was originally made from U.S. military Jeeps left behind after WWII. They’re long and brightly-colored, and have become a cultural icon. Often referred to as the “King of the Road”, the Philippine jeep is the local version of a jitney.

Again, this isn’t the cute little vehicle you used to pedal around your neighborhood as a child. A tricycle in the Philippines is another form of public transport made by attaching a motorcycle to a sidecar. It can fit anywhere from two to five passengers, depending on size and design.

This phrase is often used in the country’s service industry, and it means the exact opposite in the Philippines as it would in any other country. Don’t blow your top or get impatient when told to wait “for a while”, because instead of meaning you’ll be waiting for a long time, it means the person will get back to you in just a short while.

English-speaking foreigners will likely encounter this while conversing with Filipinos who are less adept with the English language. This is a term used in self-deprecating humor, and means the Filipino can’t keep up with the other person’s English, or has difficulty understanding his accent. It implies that the the Filipino has used up all his English vocabulary and is thinking so much, his nose might just begin to bleed—metaphorically, of course. Some foreigners could find this annoying and take it as rudeness (since a Filipino might just cut you off mid-sentence and say “wait, nosebleed”), but it’s really just a funny, self-mocking way of saying “I don’t understand”. So laugh along with them and just repeat yourself, preferably with simpler words.

Another word that means the complete opposite when used in the Philippines is salvage. While it really means “to save” something, here, it means “to kill” someone, usually extrajudicially. This term was used widely during the Marcos dictatorship, when he ordered the deaths of a long list of people, without legal proof, cause, or trial. The term is believed to stem from the Tagalog word salbahe (derived from the Spanish salvaje), which means brutal or savage.

Aside from the piece of cloth used to wipe your mouth at the dinner table, napkin can also refer to sanitary pads for that time of the month.

When a Filipino says he’s getting “high blood” amidst a stressful situation, don’t immediately rush him to the hospital. He’s probably not referring to his blood pressure. Instead, he’s likely trying to tell you he’s getting really angry and flustered.

Additional reporting by Katrina Escalona.