naimbag a rabii
/naˌʔimbaɡ ˈʔa ɾabiˌʔi/
naimbag a rabii is the Ilocano way to say good evening.
This greeting is used both when arriving in a social setting during the evening and when departing.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of naimbag (good), a (a linker) and rabii (evening/night).
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle a is a linker used to connect the adjective naimbag to the noun rabii.
How do you pronounce it?
/naˌʔimbaɡ ˈʔa ɾabiˌʔi/
Did you know?
- Ilocano is a language of the Austronesian family, meaning the word rabii shares a distant prehistoric ancestor with words in languages spoken as far away as Madagascar.
- The word naimbag can also mean 'healthy' or 'recovered' in other contexts, meaning a 'good evening' literally implies a 'healthy evening'.
- The word rabii is rooted in a Proto-Austronesian term that referred not just to the time of day but also to the evening meal.
Examples in context
- Naimbag nga Rabii.Good evening.
- Naimbag a rabii kadakayo amin.Good evening to you all.
- Naimbag a rabii, kabsat.Good evening, sibling.
- Naimbag a rabii kenka.Good evening to you.
Example conversation
Juan and Angel meet in the hallway of their house.
- JuanNaimbag a rabii, Angel.Good evening, Angel.
- AngelNaimbag a rabii met, Juan.Good evening too, Juan.
- JuanKumanon kan?Are you eating now?
- AngelWen, mangan takon.Yes, I'm going to eat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries naimbag a rabii, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rabii, CC BY-SA 4.0.
