Ka. [kahn] To mean together or with when paired with a verb.  A title of respect for an elder. For example, Ka Rolly or Ka Teodoro to mean someone wise or
with authority.

Kabig. [kahn´big] To draw towards one’s self. Also means a way of taking from someone a part of a debt (kabigan).

Kabit. [kah bit´] To attach. An add-on. The term for the other woman. In these hard times, you got to be wealthy and nuts to have one.

 
Ka-chat.[kahn-chat]  To talk with. Used in reference to talking with someone on IM, Google Talk or Yahoo Messenger . A brand new way to keep friends or to make new ones. Ka-text is for cell phone friends.

is moneyed.

Kakanin. [kahn kahn nin´] Usually carbohydrate-laden snacks like puto and kutsinta (ricecakes). Different provinces have different versions, all good!

Kagalang-galang. [kahn gah´lang gah´ lang] With a lot of esteem for.  Pinoys are a very respectful (magalang. They say po (our equivalent of ma’m or sir) in every sentence. They put prefixes like manong or ka to acknowledge an older person. We also “knight” people of authority, calling them Sir Luis or Ma’m Thelma. The western mind can’t comprehend this, since everyone is on a first name basis—even if you are Bill Gates.

Kahapis-hapis. [kahn ha´ pis ha´ pis] A place of great sorrow, grief. Pinoys are so resilient they can usually handle living in such a place.

Kain tayo. [kahn´ in tah´yoh] Let’s eat. Another great Pinoy trait. We’ll sincerely share anything we eat. Stumble upon anyone with a snack or a full meal, and the person offers you some, no matter how humble.

Kaingero. [kahn ing eh´ro] A slash and burn farmer who clears a patch of land  by burning. The farmer plants a few times before moving on to do the same in another part of the forest. We were taught in school that the kaingero was the main cause of our denuded forests. It turns out the large, commercial loggers, many of whom do not re-plant the trees, are really to blame.

Kainis! [kahn ee nis´] What a drag or how upsetting! Like when the lotto numbers you normally play come out after you forgot to place your bet.

Kalaguyo. [kah´la goo´yoh] A paramour. Why do we have so many terms for this blight in society? See kabit, kulasis.

Kalan. [kahn lan´] A stove usually of clay where the palayok (clay pot) is put on. This earthen stove runs on firewood, rice husk, dry grass and charcoal.

Kalapating mababa ang lipad. [kahn la pah´ting mah´bah bahng lee pad] Literally, a low-flying dove; figuratively, a loose woman.

Kalat. [kah laht´] Scattered brained. The Pinoy with ADHD. How could I forget to put this in? I have a confession to make...

Kalikasan. [kahn lee kahn´ san] Nature, the environment. A big deal these days, what with climate change and the attending disasters that follow. We cut down trees without replanting, and pig farms pollute big time. Finding alternate fuel sources is good, but proper waste disposal is also critical.

Kaligtaan. [ka lig ta an] To overlook, to omit by accident or even to forget. When you conveniently forget your husband has a golf game so together you can watch a mushy flick.

Kaliwete. [kah lee weh´teh] The left side. Nangangaliwete is an unfaithful person.

Kalog. [kahn log´] Someone funny; happy-go-lucky. The term is a bit dated.

Kaltas. [kal tas´] To remove, to take away—in a wrong or greedy kind of way. Like the way an unscrupulous employer deducts all sorts of fees from a poor laborer’s already meager wages.

Kalualhatian. [kahn loo wal´ ha tee´ an] Heaven, blissful existence. General Carlos P. Romulo—who loved Baguio, the mountain city—named this of his weekend home overlooking Mines View Park.

Kamag-anak. [ka mag ah´ nak] A relative, kinsman. The word kamag is like ka to mean together or with. For example, kamag-aral means fellow student.

Kamay. [kahn mie´] The Filipino word for hand. As kids, we thought Procter & Gamble’s Camay meant hand, but misspelled. Of course it comes from cameo, the logo of the soap.

Kamay na bakal . [kahn mie´ nah bah kul] A strong-handed person, usually a person of authority. Literally, iron-fisted.

Kamayan. [kahn mah´ yan] A handshake, or eating with one’s hands. A Filipino restaurant where patrons are encouraged to eat this way.

Kambing. [kam bing´] Goat or goat meat.Kampi. [kam pee´] An ally; someone on your side. Denotes oneness and solidarity.

Kanan. [kahn´nan] Right hand, right side. Kanan kamay is another term for a deputy.

Kanto. [kan´toh] This means corner. If one is called a kanto boy, it means he loiters at street corners doing heaven knows what.

Kangkong. [kang kong´] A leafy green water-grown vegetable that has a hollow stem. It goes well with sinigang (sour soup). On its own—sautéed in garlic, soy sauce and vinegar; or deep friend after dipped in a flour and beaten egg mixture—is tasty, too. Also called an unappealing swamp cabbage by some restaurants.

Kapal naman! [ka pal´ nah mun´] How presumptuous! or the
audacity! The term is from kapal meaning thick, or thick-skinned. Kapal mukha (ormuks) is used to mean unabashed.

Kapangpangan. [kahn pang´pang an] Inhabitants of the province of Pampanga and portions of the province of Tarlac. They speak Pampango. Their idiosyncrasies include being a bit too clannish, a bit too loud, and a bit too uppity for their own good. Their women are generally good cooks.  The men are spoiled, expecting their wives, daughters, mothers and sisters to serve them. I can say this only because my dad and husband
come from Pampanga!

Kaparingot. [ka pah ring ot´] A miniscule piece; practically nothing. What the Philippines got back from the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses after expensive legal battles that spanned the globe.

Kape. [kahn peh´] Corrupted from café. To Pinoys, coffee is anything from barako, Cafe Puro, or Starbucks, depending on how deep one’s pocket is.

Kapit sa patalim. [kah pit´ sah  pah tah lim] Holding on to the blade of a knife. To describe people who are desperate.

Kapre. [kap´reh] A mythical character of the underworld. When our nanny warned us about the kapre,she couldn’t tell us what it looked like, because she said only unbelieving children saw them!

Karamdaman. [kahn ram dah´man] Feelings, physical
or mental.

Karaoke/Videoke. [kah rah oh keh/vee dee oh keh]. Called a sing-a-long a few years ago. How can anyone not usethis electrical contraption that can make divas out of anyone?

Karitela or Caritela. [kahn ree teh´la] A horse-drawn carriage that seats two plus the driver. A calesa is a less fancy version, and the cariton being the
most humble. Often depicted as a Filipino icon in tourist brochures. Still used in Manila’s Chinatown and Intramuros primarily for tourists.

Karma. [kar´mah] From the Hindu religion roughly translated as fate. Filipinos have embraced this to mean life’s consequences dependent one’s behavior.
It’s really the Asian belief in divine justice.

Kasagwat. [kahn sag wat´] In cahoots with.

Kasintahan. [kahn sin tah´ han] From the verb and noun sinta, meaning the beloved. We have at least three words for love: sinta, irog and mahal.

Katalo [kah tah loh´] A rival or a competitor. Di katalo means not in the running.

Katas [kahn tas´] The juice, the sap. Occasionally one finds a passenger jeepney roaming the streets with a sign that reads, katas ng Saudi. This means that the owner’s hard earned money abroad allowed him to buy
the vehicle.

Katakut-takot. [ka tah koo ta´ kot] A mob; a terrible number of people. In February, 1986, a peaceful mob (an oxymoron right there), of one million, stood between two military camps to protect former President Fidel Ramos et al from troops loyal to the Marcos dictatorship. Not a single shot was fired, nor a single life lost.

Katiting. [kahn tee ting´] Hardly anything. Very little.

Katok. [kahn tok´] An idiosyncrasy that can hamper normal thinking, but not severe enough to be an impairment. It’s like having just a few screws missing. Also means to knock or a knock.

Katumbas. [kahn tum bas´] Similar to, identical to, alike. It may also mean, equal to.

Katutubong lahi. [kahn too too´ bung] One’s cultural heritage or cultural roots.

[May] katuwiran ka rin. [kahn too wee´ ran] You have a point. Use this when you must concede that you are wrong, but want to do it subtly.

Kaunti or konti. [kahn oon´ tee] Meaning a small portion, or very little.

Kawali. [kahn wah´lee] A large metal frying pan. A wok that beats any teflon-coated pan any day.

Kawawa ka naman. [kahn wah´ wah kahn na mun´] Poor you! Say this to someone who just won millions in Deal or No Deal  but has to pay 50% tax on
his winnings.

Kawawang nilalang. [kahn wah´ wang nee la lung´] The unfortunate one.

Kaya? [kahn´yah] Can this be done? Asked of your printer whether he can deliver 10,000 copies of your book in 72 hours. Kaya? with the accent on the
second syllable means, really?

Kayang kaya. [kahn´ yang kahn´ yah] A braggart’s mantra: no sweat! Or worse, leave it to me!Kaya ‘to [kahn yah toe´] We can hack this. This time without the cockiness of a braggart, but the assurance of someone credible that the task can be done.

Kiaw-kiaw. [kee yaw´-kee yaw´] Beating around the bush. Circuitous.Too much talk.

Kidlat. [kid lat´] The Filipino word for lightning.

Kikay. [kee´kay] Someone too conscious about her looks and bearing to the point of being silly, but not yet annoying.  

Kiko. [kee koh´] One of the nicknames for Francisco. Pako is the other one. Not used much these days as little boys are named Anton, Michael or Brad.

Kilay. [kee´lay] An eyebrow. Parents of old would say, Ayusin mo ang kilay niya to figuratively mean, fix that person’s problem.

Kilatis. [kee la´tis] The Filipino word for carat or the Spanish quilate. In today’s lingo, it refers to the worth of a person or  object. May K ba siya? means, is this person worth his salt? While may K ba yan? means is this of any value?

Kilig. [kee lig´] To get terribly excited while shuddering from it. Kilig to the bones: deep-seated adulation

Kili kili. [kee lee kee´lee] One’s underarm. Smelly armpits are said to have kili kili power used to ward off enemies.

Kill joy.  Someone or something that rains on your parade. The initials KJ mean the same. Used before bummer became popular.

Kintab. [kin tab] A gloss or shine. Add ma+ and it becomes makintab or shiny, like a person’s head that needs Rogaine.

Kipot. [kee´pot] Narrow. Grandmother-disapproved tight-fitting clothes that may
stop circulation.

Kirot. [kee root´] An annoying muscle pain that is not enough to get one to a doctor, but signals the need for a senior citizen’s card.

Kislap. [kis lap´] To sparkle, not just shine. The name of a popular comic book in the 50s and 60s.

Kotong [koh´tong] A bribe of any kind. One hundred pesos for being caught “swerving”. One thousand for driving without a license. Two thousand a week for being allowed to sell at a street corner. Twenty thousand for an expired business permit. Ten per cent of one’s income so one won’t be taxed properly… And the list goes on…

KSP. Kulang sa Pansin. (lack of notice!) The bratty younger sister of your fiancé who wants your attention—or else.

Kuba. [koo´bah] A hunchback. Can also refer to being stooped.

Kubo. [koo´boh] A small one-room, elevated dwelling usually made of thatched grass and bamboo. The quintessential bahay kubo—the best kind of housing in this tropical paradise.

Kuchi-kuchi. [koo´chee koo´ chee] Bits and pieces. The older version of abubot.

Kuha. [koo´ha] To take; to get. Kunin is the imperative verb.

Kula. [kuh lah´] To bleach under the sun instead of using environment-ruining chemicals. Figuratively, to bring out into the open.

Kulam. [koo´lam] To hex; to put a spell on. When you have the mangkukulam (witch doctor) put pins into a rag doll that resembles your boss.

Kulang. [koo´lang] This is the word to mean lack of something. As lacking screws in one’s head (kulang-kulang). Also sinto-sinto. February-born are said to be—because their month lacks the usual 30 or 31 days.

Kulas. [koo las´] The Pinoy cousin of American Joe. When you don’t know someone’s name, use this—although the person’s real name may be Nicolas—and you’ll be right on target.Kulasis [koo lah see´see] . A small bird. In the parlance of our elders, the other woman.

Kulay. [koo´lay] The verb or noun that means color. Makulay ang buhay niya is a polite way of saying that a person’s life is way out!

Kulelat. [koo leh´lut] The goat. The guy who lost the race to the turtle.

[Pag] kuli. [koo lee´] To change one’s mind or to retract.

Kulit. [koo lit´] The annoying trait of repeating one’s self either to ask a question or to emphasize a point. You can excuse little kids who are makulit, but older kulits you want to muzzle!

Kulo. [koo loh´] It means boiling or something boiling. But when they say nasa ilalim ang kulo niya (this one’s temper is simmering underneath)head for the nearest exit when you agitate him or her.

Kulog. [koo lug´] Thunder; a loud, rumbling sound.

Kulot. [koo lut´] The word for curly. Pinoys believe that people with curly hair are hot headed, just the way Caucasians think red heads are.

Kung. [koong] This means if.  Used frequently in the beginning of a sentence because Filipinos (and other Asians as well) tend to be more tentative
than westerners.

Kundiman. [kun dee´man] Love ballads of old. These songs are usually melancholy, pining about lost loves. Although some times depressing to hear, they truly show off Filipino artistry.

Kung gusto mo. [kung goos´to mo] Here’s a good example of leaving it to others to decide: if you want to…

Kung puede lang. [kung pu weh deh lang] Since kung means if, this phrase means: if this is possible… When said in a beseeching tone, it’s pretty hard to say no to such a request.

Kung sabagay. [kung sah bah´guy] Well, as I think about it… A graceful way to admit you’re beat.

Kung sakali. [kung sa kahn´lee] Just in case…

Kung tutuusin. [kung too´too ooh sin] If you think about it…

Kuno. [koo noh´]  It’s added at the end of a statement to say that it isn’t exactly believable or one attributes the statement to someone else.

Kupas. [koo pas´] To fade or faded. The word can also be used euphemistically just as in English: a faded beauty is kupas na.

Kuripot. [koo ree´pot] Thrifty, or at worst, miserly. May denote a positive trait but being kuripot may border on selfishness.

Kurot. [koo rot´] To pinch; a pinch. A form of corporal punishment popular in my
generation. My ears were the most vulnerable. I tried it on my kids, but I was warned I could be reported to social services for child abuse!

Kusina. [koo see´nah] The kitchen: the heart of many Filipino homes because we love to cook and eat a lot. The first thing one is asked when visiting a home is, have you eaten? or may I feed you? Guess we really don’t know what obese is yet.

Kusing. [koo sing´] During my grandmother’s childhood, the one-half centavo was her allowance for the day.

Kuskus. [koos koos´] Another Pinoy onomatopoeia to mean rub.

Kutis. [koo´tis] Complexion. Filipinas are concerned about how fair they must be when their Caucasian counterparts pay tanning salons.

Kuto. [koo´toh] Lice, usually of the head variety. I thought those pesky creatures thrived only in poor countries. You can imagine our surprise when the school nurse in a Connecticut private school regularly checked all students’ hair to see if anyone was hosting these critters!

[May] kutob ako. [my koo tob´ a ko´] I have a feeling…usually a bad one, it seems.

Kutsinta. [koot sin´tah] Bite-size cakes that usually uses brown sugar, lye and glutinous rice. The mixture is formed into flat circles about half an inch thick then steamed just right.

Kuya. [koo´yah] Title given to the oldest brother. Now used for any older male as a sign of respect. Notice how respectful teenagers call their drivers, gardeners, maids and cooks kuya for the men and ate (pronounced ah´teh) for the women. Unheard of in North America. We have friends whose own children call them by their first names!

Kwan. [koo wan´] Not a Chinese family name, but the best translation for thingy, stuff, or a person one can’t recall the name of. Consider this frequent order from your forgetful grandpa: Get this thing from what’s his name who is there in this place sometime tomorrow. Kunin mo nga ang kwan (the object) kay kwan (the person) na nasa kwan (the place) bukas ng kwan (the time).

Kwenks. [koo wenks´] More than tacky. Clownish. Stupid without knowing it.

[Ma]+kwenta. [koo wen´ ta] Someone who wants all the figures right, or makes certain that one’s share is not a centavo more nor less. One you’d hate on a split-everything vacation.

Kwentong kutsero. [kwen´tong koot se´ro] The tales spun by the calesa (horse drawn carriage) driver who apparently has had the reputation of a rumor
monger. There was once a radio show by the same name and later a revival TV program. It parodied the life of the kutsero, his community and the country at large—from a socio-political point of view.