Uban. [uh ban´] The straggler strands of white hair on
someone´s head.

Ube. [uh beh´] A root crop like camote (sweet potato or yam) naturally colored purple with a flavor all its own. Usually made into a creamy jam made with lots of butter, milk and sugar. The best jam of course is made at the Good Shepherd convent in Baguio City. Diehards have to take a special trip to the convent found in the city’s outskirts near Mines View park. They take a number at the kitchen´s commissary, then wait patiently till they’re called. Mind you the jam
is only made on certain days in the afternoons. Proceeds go to
a good cause: sending orphan girls to college.

Ubo. [uh boh´] A cough or to cough. You just have to put the right prefix. U+ubo means will cough; while um+ubo means coughed. Umu+ubo means coughing.

Ubod. [uh bod´] The tender core of a coconut tree trunk that is ever so good as fresh spring rolls (lumpia); a sautéed vegetable dish; or as a pickled side dish. Ubod can also mean the superlative of something. For example, ubod ng ganda means beautiful or lovely to the max.

Ubos. [uh bos´] This means totally consumed, finished. One can say, ubos na ang pasensiya (patience) ko or ubos na ang pera (money) so it can be used for concrete and non-concrete words.


Ukay-ukay. [uh kay uh kay´] Relief or donated clothes from wealthier countries. The items are sent to us in large carton boxes via container. Instead of being given free to indigents, the boxes
are sold wholesale to enterprising Pinoys. Items are sold retail in stores that have sprung up every where. See also wagwagan.

Ukod-ukod. [uh kod uh kod´] To go around slowly and unsure of one´s fragile steps usually due to old age.

Ukol. [uh kol´] To happen. There´s a Pilipino saying that goes: Kung hindi uukol, hindi bubukol. That´s roughly translated to mean, it won´t happen if it isn’t meant to be.

Ukoy. [uh koy´] Crunchy, cookie-shaped appetizers or hors d´ouevres. They’re made of shredded young papaya, vegetables cut in strips, little shrimps, flour and beaten egg whites, then fried golden brown. Ukoy is eaten with a little vinegar with lots of crushed garlic. Don´t forget to brush your teeth and gargle after eating.

Ugat. [uh gat´] A vein or a root, literally. But like in English, you can say ang ugat ng problema (the root of the problem).

Ulam. [uh lam´] Food. But it really means cooked food or dish, not including the cooked rice that we eat with any meal. Anong ulam? means what’s cooking besides the rice?

Ulan. [uh lan´] Rain. We have only two seasons in this tropical paradise: the wet and the dry. January to April is dry, and the wet season’s the rest of the year. Because of  the effects of greenhouse gases and climate change, our weather patterns are now askew.

Ulas. [uh las´] To mean blanket or a cover. Even light blankets are not used here, except during the cooler months of November to January.


Uling. [uh ling´] Charcoal. Made by burning wood until it chars. Because the price of liquid petroleum gas has soared, many  have gone back to using charcoal to cook. Too bad because it promotes greenhouse gases.

Ulit. [uh lit´] This means repeat either as a verb or as an adjective. We Filipinos have short memories it seems. We forget the transgressions of our politicians who just repeat them year after year, term after term, generation after generation. They say even donkeys do not stumble in the same rut twice. The redeeming factor: we are a forgiving people.

Ulo [uh loh´] This means the head, human heads included. One can say may ulo itong bata to mean a child is intelligent.

Ulol. [oo lol´] Stupid, crazy. You may call someone this, but say it in a teasing way to be sure.

Umadyo. [oo mad yoh´] A pretty deep Tagalog word that means to jump.

Umaga. [uh mah gah´] The morning. Because we live very near the equator, our day and night hours are practically equal. To take advantage of cooler early mornings, most Pinoys wake early—even before sunrise—so that by the time the sun sets, a lot has been done.

Umasa. [uh mah sah´] To count on, or to depend on. Parents like to assume that their offspring will repay the old folks when the time comes. This doesn´t always happen so let´s not count on it.

Umay. [uh my´] This word doesn´t really have an exact English translation. It means you get dizzy or even fed up from eating some kind of food because it is so rich and flavorful.

Umiiling nalang kami. [oo mee ee ling  na  lung  kah mee] We just look the other way or we just shrug our shoulders…when a bachelor uncle decided to leave his fortune to his Siamese cat.

Unan. [uh nan´] A pillow. Pinoys used to gather their own cotton for pillows. My grandmother had tall cotton trees (kapok) in her yard. We harvested the seeds and broke them open to extract the silky fibers.

Under da saya. [un der deh sah yah´] A hen-pecked spouse, usually a husband. Saya is the flowing skirts of old. Need we say more?

Unti. [un tee´] To mean a little, a few. You say unti-unti when you want to say little by little.

Utol. [oo´tol] Short for kaputol, meaning a part of. Natives from Pampanga province use the original word to mean sibling—utol  one’s brother or sister.

Uto-uto. [oo toh´ oo toh] A sucker; a pushover. Little kids usually obey an older sibling’s orders because they still idolize them.

Untog. [oon tog´] The noun bump or the verb to bump.

Upa. [oo´puh] It can mean the rent paid or the actual action
of renting.

Upang. [oo´pung] This can be translated into so that…

Uraro. [oo rah roh´] A cookie-like pastry first made popular in the town of Liliw, Laguna. Uraro is dry but not as dry as puto seco (dry rice cake). It is just-right sweet and is usually shaped like a flower.

Urong sulong. [oo´rong suh´long] Step back, go forward. A wishy-washy person´s dilemma. See atras abante.

Usap. [oo sap´] Something said: A conversation, a speech, a dialogue—no distinction is made. The person is called kausap. Usap-usap is usually negative stuff like rumors or gossip.

US imperialism. The age-old accusation leveled against the US around the world for their being a meddling super power.

Utak-biya. [oo´tak bee yah] Our version of pea-brained.  Or amoeba-brained. Utak is brain and biya is a miniscule fresh water fish. But what do you call someone with a large but empty brain? An utak-lobo (balloon)? Or perhaps an utak-hangin
(air)? Just hoping to add a new term here!

Utang na Loob. [oo tang nah loh ob´] The feeling of gratefulness that a recipient feels for a favor granted. Unfortunately, the guy doing the favor usually expects payback at some point.

Utos. [oo tos´] A command, more than a request. In our culture, a younger person does nor usually make even a polite request to an older person. Nor can a child ever tell his parents what to do.

Uto-uto. [oo toh´oo toh´] A pushover. A patsy.

Utot. [oo tot´] A fart, a stink bomb. The term is so cute that some foreigners are actually able to guess its meaning.

Uwak. [oo wak´] A crow. Would you believe that Pinoys have that same saying: Wait till the crow turns white to mean that something will never happen?

Uy! [oo y] An exclamation like oy. Used also to tease or mock, especially if said in a singsong manner that sounds like oo...ooy..!

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