asawa ko
/ʔaˈsawa ko/word by word
The English phrase "my wife" is translated into Tagalog as asawa ko.
The phrase is used to refer to the woman to whom a person is married. Note that the term asawa is gender-neutral. It can mean "my wife" or "my husband" depending on the context.
What does it mean word for word?
This phrase is composed of asawa, meaning spouse and ko, the possessive pronoun for "my".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because asawa is gender-neutral, you would typically add babae (woman) or lalaki (man) if you need to specify the gender of your spouse, though asawa ko remains the standard expression.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔaˈsawa ko/
Did you know?
- In very formal or traditional contexts, a husband might refer to his wife as maybahay, which literally translates to 'owner of the house'.
- In the Philippines, you will often hear the word misis used to refer to a wife, which is a phonetic adaptation of the English word 'Mrs'.
- In casual conversation, Filipinos often use the term asawa for long-term partners even if they are not legally married, as the word emphasizes the bond over the legal contract.
Examples in context
- Buntis ang asawa ko!My wife is pregnant!The first sentence is useful for conveying that the speaker's wife is pregnant.Tatoeba #13847942 by kangkong, translation #2040063 by Spamster
- Asawa ko ang pinsan niya.Her cousin is my wife.The second sentence is useful for identifying a cousin as the speaker's wife.Tatoeba #13889194 by qwertzu, translation #11707849 by ddnktr
- Saktan mo ang asawa ko, papatayin kita.You hurt my wife, and I'll kill you.The third sentence is useful for expressing a threat involving the speaker's wife.Tatoeba #13823072 by kangkong, translation #11591589 by CK
- Gusto kong magluto ng masarap na pagkain para sa aking misis.I want to cook delicious food for my wife.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jose and Jasmine are talking at a social gathering.
- JoseNasaan ang asawa ko?Where is my wife?
- JasmineNasa kusina ang asawa mo.Your wife is in the kitchen.
- JoseSalamat, Jasmine.Thanks, Jasmine.
- JasmineWalang anuman, Jose.You're welcome, Jose.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (asawa, ko) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
