Which one should you use?
While masama means "bad" in a general sense, such as a bad habit, bad weather or a bad person, it is not used to describe things in terms of quality or skill. To express that something is of poor quality or that someone lacks skill, you would instead use pangit (ugly/poor quality) or hindi magaling (not good). Additionally, if you wish to be more polite when expressing that something is bad, you can use the phrase Hindi maganda, which literally means "not good".
How does it change in a sentence?
Masama is an adjective that does not change its form based on the gender or number of the noun it describes. However, when masama is used immediately before a noun, the linker -ng is attached to the end of the word, becoming masamang.
How do you pronounce it?
/masaˈmaʔ/
Did you know?
- The root of masama may be linked to Sanskrit words like viṣama or duḥṣama, reflecting ancient Indian linguistic influence on the Philippines.
- In Tagalog, the word masama is often used to describe an omen, such as a 'bad' sign that predicts future misfortune.
- In Tagalog, you cannot use masama to describe a 'bad' movie or 'bad' food in terms of quality. If you call a movie masama, a local might think you mean the movie is morally evil or has malicious intent.
Examples in context
- Hindi naman masamang maging kalbo.Being bald isn't so bad.This sentence shows how to use masama to say something is not so bad.Tatoeba #11594647 by qwertzu, translation #6128512 by mailohilohi
- Hindi masamang kombinasyon ang pizza at beer.Pizza and beer aren't a bad combination.This sentence uses masama to describe a combination.Tatoeba #11871805 by qwertzu, translation #4496656 by CK
- May masamang ugali si Tom na magpadalos-dalos.Tom has the bad habit of jumping to conclusions.This sentence uses masamang to describe a habit.Tatoeba #11818699 by qwertzu, translation #1093606 by CK
- Ang pag-uugali niya ay masama.His behavior is bad.
- Sobrang masama ang pakiramdam ko.I feel really bad.
- Ang panahon ngayon ay pangit.The weather today is bad.
- Ang estado ng kalsada ay napakapangit.The condition of the road is really bad.
- Ang resulta ng eksperimento ay hindi maganda.The result of the experiment is not good.
- Ang sitwasyon ay hindi maganda, kailangan nating kumilos.The situation is bad, we need to act.
- Ano ba 'yang perfume mo? Ang sakit sa ilong!What perfume are you using? It really stinks!
- Grabe 'yung pananalita niya, sobrang bastos.His language is so bad, really rude.
- Ang performance niya kahapon sa palabas ay pangit.His performance in the show yesterday was bad.
- Ang lasa ng pagkain ay pangit.The taste of the food is bad.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mark and Christina are talking about the weather.
- MarkMasama ang panahon ngayon, Christina.The weather is bad today, Christina.
- ChristinaOo, baka umulan nang malakas.Yes, it might rain hard.
- MarkMasama bang lumabas ng bahay?Is it bad to go outside the house?
- ChristinaHindi, basta may dala kang payong.No, as long as you have an umbrella.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bad” translations and entries masama, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries masama, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
