balatan
/baˈlatan/
The Tagalog word pare.
pare is an informal way to address a male friend.
Meaning: To reduce or trim something (as if) by cutting off (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
P're is a shortened version of pare used especially in Manila and surrounding regions.
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈlatan/
Did you know?
- The term pare is actually a linguistic 'loan' from the Spanish word compare, which means 'godparent'.
- While pare is used for friends, the term balatan refers to the physical act of peeling skins or rinds, such as from a fruit or vegetable.
- In some urban slang, the shortened p're can function almost like a punctuation mark in a sentence to add a sense of camaraderie or emphasis.
Examples in context
- Pare, kamusta?Hey, buddy, how are you?
- P're, san tayo pupunta?Hey, buddy, where are we going?
- Pare, ano'ng balita?Hey, buddy, what's the news?
- Pare, wala masyadong bago.Hey, buddy, not much new.
- Kailangan ko ng tulong, pare.I need your help, buddy.
- Tara, pare! Sakay tayo sa bisikleta.Let's go, buddy! Let's ride the bike.
Example conversation
Ricardo and Angela are preparing food in the kitchen.
- RicardoAngela, tulungan mo akong balatan ito.Angela, help me peel this.
- AngelaSige, Ricardo. Ano ang babalatan ko?Sure, Ricardo. What should I peel?
- RicardoPakibalatan mo na lang ang carrots.Just peel the carrots, please.
- AngelaWalang problema, gagawin ko na.No problem, I'll do it now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry balatan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries balatan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
