Kumusta, kaibigan
/kumusˈta kaʔiˈbiɡan/word by word
To say hi friend in Tagalog, say Kumusta, kaibigan.
Kumusta, kaibigan is a warm greeting for a friend. Kumusta works as hello and also asks how someone is.
What does it mean word for word?
Kumusta means hello or how are you and kaibigan means friend.
How do you pronounce it?
Kumusta, kaibigan is said /kumusˈta kaʔiˈbiɡan/. The stress falls on the last syllable of Kumusta. In kaibigan there is a small catch in the throat between the a and the i, and the stress is on bi.
When do people say it?
Kumusta comes from the Spanish question for how are you, a trace of the long Spanish period in the Philippines.
Did you know?
- The word kaibigan is built around the root ibig, which means 'love' or 'desire'. In its deepest sense, a friend is someone who is loved.
- Depending on the level of intimacy, Filipinos may replace the formal kaibigan with 'bes' or 'mare' and 'pare' when saying hi to a close friend.
- In the Philippines, a friendly greeting like Kumusta, kaibigan is often accompanied by a smile and a slight nod of the head to show warmth and respect.
Example conversation
Maria and Juan meet at a park.
- MariaKumusta, kaibigan! Nakakatuwang makita ka rito.Hi friend! It's nice to see you here.
- JuanKumusta rin, Maria! Naglalakad lang ako.Hi too, Maria! I'm just walking.
- MariaGusto mo bang sumama sa akin sa cafe?Do you want to come with me to the cafe?
- JuanSige, tara na!Sure, let's go!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kumusta, kaibigan) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kaibigan, kumusta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
