sorbetes
/soɾˈbetes/
The Tagalog word for ice cream is sorbetes. Wiktionary also lists ayskrim.
Meaning: dessert (noun)
Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| sorbetes | /soɾˈbetes/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| ayskrim | /ˈʔajskɾim/ (Standard Tagalog) |
The term is used to refer to the dessert known as ice cream.
Which one should you use?
sorbetes often refers specifically to traditional Filipino style ice cream, whereas ayskrim is a phonetic Tagalog spelling of the English word used for modern, commercial varieties.
How do you pronounce it?
/soɾˈbetes/
When do people say it?
sorbetes is famously sold by street vendors who use a colorful, hand-cranked cart known as a sorbetes cart.
Did you know?
- In the Philippines, sorbetes is affectionately known as 'dirty ice cream' because it is sold on the streets.
- Street vendors selling sorbetes often serve the treat in a small bread bun instead of a cone.
- The term sorbetes travelled a massive linguistic circle, starting from Arabic roots meaning 'to drink', moving through Persian and Turkish, and eventually arriving in the Philippines via Spanish.
Examples in context
- Kumakain sila ng sorbetes.They're eating ice cream.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use sorbetes in a simple statement.Tatoeba #11725890 by qwertzu, translation #9510395 by sundown
- Sino may gusto ng sorbetes?Who's up for some ice cream?This sentence shows how to use sorbetes when asking a question.Tatoeba #5296221 by katalex, translation #5295354 by tabular
- Kumakain po sila ng sorbetes.They are eating ice cream.This sentence shows the use of sorbetes in a polite sentence using the marker po.Tatoeba #11725891 by qwertzu, translation #9939533 by sundown
- Tara, kain tayo ng ice cream!Come on, let's eat ice cream!
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ricardo and Maria are walking past a street vendor.
- RicardoGusto mo ba ng sorbetes, Maria?Do you want some ice cream, Maria?
- MariaOo, gusto ko ng flavor na mango.Yes, I want the mango flavor.
- RicardoSige, bibili ako ng dalawang sorbetes.Okay, I will buy two ice creams.
- MariaSalamat, Ricardo!Thank you, Ricardo!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice cream” translations and entries sorbetes, ayskrim, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ayskrim, sorbetes, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
