lila
/ˈlila/
The English word "purple" is lila in Tagalog. Wiktionary also lists haban.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| lila | /ˈlila/ (Standard Tagalog) /ˈlilaʔ/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| haban | /haˈban/ (Standard Tagalog) |
Both lila and haban are used to refer to the color purple as a noun or as an adjective.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlila/
Did you know?
- The root of lila can be traced back to the Sanskrit word nīla, which actually meant 'dark blue'.
- While lila refers to the color purple, it is also the Tagalog word for the 'lilac' flower, which is a direct linguistic descendant of the same French and Spanish-influenced root.
- If you were looking for the color 'violet', you would likely find that lila serves as a broad umbrella term covering a range of similar shades in everyday Tagalog conversation.
Examples in context
- Puti at lila ang maskara.The mascara is white and purple.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the color of an object using lila.Tatoeba #6547677 by nonong, translation #9795874 by eleutherothentes1
- Ang damit na iyon ay kulay lila.That dress is purple.
- Gusto ko ng bagong damit. Pwede bang kulay lila?I want a new dress. Can it be purple?
- Gusto ko ang kulay na lila.I like the color purple.
- Ang paborito niyang lila ay malambot tingnan.Her favorite purple is soft to look at.
Example conversation
Jose and Angela are shopping for fabric at a local market.
- JoseAngela, mayroon ka bang lila na tela?Angela, do you have any purple fabric?
- AngelaMeron dito, Jose, tingnan mo ito.There is some here, Jose, look at this.
- JoseAng ganda ng shade ng lila na ito.This shade of purple is beautiful.
- AngelaOo, bagay ito sa iyo.Yes, it suits you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “purple” translations and entries lila, haban, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lila, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
