Translate Tagalog Idioms into English
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| Meaning among the Tagalog | |||
| Para It seemed as if | Siyang she or he [were] | basang-sisiw a drenched chick | He or she looked pitiful |
| Mahilig siyang He or she is fond of | magbuhat ng sariling lifting his own | bangko bench | He or she is boastful |
| Aanhin pa What is the use for ang kabayo. | ang damo the grass | kung patay na if dead [already] | Goodwill won’t benefit those who are already dead or gone. (or near the expression “too late the hero”) |
| Ginigisa ka You are sautéed | sa sarili mong in your own | mantika fat. | What you have or know is being used against you. |
| Magpapantay muna [They will be] levelled first | ang aking my | mga paa … feet… | Only when I’m dead or akin to saying “Over my dead body” |
| Daig pa niya You are worse than ang lipad. | ang kalapating the dove | mababa low | He or she is worse than a prostitute. |
| Nagmumurang-kamyas Ripening sour-fruit | si lolo. Grandfather. | Grandfather acts or tries to look much younger than his real age. |
Capture exact meaning using tagalog idioms
| Meaning in English | |||
| You are Ikaw ay | over lampas | the top sa ibabaw o itaas | You exaggerate. Sobra ka naman (popular use) |
| You have got Ikaw ay mayroong | too many irons napakaraming bakal | in the fire [na hinihinang?] sa apoy | You are involved with too many different things at the same time. Isa-isa lang, mahina ang kalaban (nearest colloquial idiom) |
| I think we are Sa palagay namin kami ay | over the hill lampas [na] sa burol | now. ngayon | We’re past the most difficult part. Nalampasan na namin ang pinakamahirap na bahagi (formal) |
| We were calm and quiet Kami ay payapa at tahimik | before bago | he rocked the boat. niya inuga ang bangka. | We were calm and quiet before he spoiled it all. Tahimik sana kami at walang gulo kung di siya dumating. (dynamic equivalence: changed emphasis) |
| She decided Nagpasiya siyang | to take hawakan | the bull by the horns. ang tamaraw sa sungay nito. | She decided that she will face her problems squarely. Nagpasiya siyang harapin ang problema. |
| Please Pakiusap | don’t be a huwag maging isang | doubting Thomas nagdududang Tomas | Please don’t be skeptical Pakiusap (lang), huwag sana kayong magduda katulad ni Tomas (literal) |
| He knew Alam niya | his alibi na ang kanyang dahilan (nearest equivalent). | Didn’t hold water. ay hindi makakahawak (malalagyan?) ng tubig. | He couldn’t prove that what he’s saying is true. Hindi niya kayang patunayang totoo ang kanyang sinabi. (dynamic equivalent). |
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