napintas
/naˈpintas/
The Ilocano word for pretty is napintas.
Napintas is used to describe someone or something as pleasant or attractive. While it is most commonly used to describe the appearance of women and children, it can also be used to describe objects, clothes or scenery that are aesthetically pleasing.
Meaning: especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by the prefix na-, which indicates an adjective state and the root word pintas, meaning beauty.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective napintas is invariant, meaning it does not change its form based on the gender or the number of people being described.
How do you pronounce it?
/naˈpintas/
When do people say it?
When referring to a person as one who is beautiful or pretty, the phrase Ti maysa nga napintas can be used as a polite way to identify them.
Did you know?
- A person's facial features might be described as napintas, but the same word can also be used to praise the 'beauty' of a person's singing voice or melodic tone.
- If you are admiring a view in the northern Philippines, you might use napintas to describe the scenery, but a local might also use it to describe the 'beauty' of a well-organized task or event.
- Unlike English, where 'pretty' can sometimes feel diminutive or less intense than 'beautiful', napintas carries a strong, respectful weight when used to describe someone's elegance.
Examples in context
- Agpayso a napintas isuna, ngem bagbagina la ti napateg kenkuana.It is true that she is pretty, but she is selfish.This sentence shows how to use napintas to describe a person's appearance while contrasting it with their character.Tatoeba #4683497 by saluyot, translation #21690 by Eldad
- Napintas ti maysa a ubing a balasang.A young lady is pretty.
- Napintas ti rupa ni Maria.Maria's face is pretty.
Example conversation
Cristina and Manuel are looking at a photo of a child.
- CristinaNapintas aya daytoy a dua?Aren't these two pretty?
- ManuelWen, napintas ida a mapuon.Yes, they are very pretty.
- CristinaKasla ni inana ida.They look like their mother.
- ManuelAgpayso, napintas met ni inana.True, their mother is also pretty.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry napintas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
