mabagal
/maˈbaɡal/
The Tagalog word for slow is mabagal.
mabagal is an adjective used to describe something that is not quick in motion.
Meaning: not quick in motion (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the prefix ma-, which indicates an abundance of a quality and the root bagal, meaning slowness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The root bagal can be transformed into different verb forms: bumabagal describes something that is currently slowing down, while the transitive verb pinabagal means that someone or something caused a process or movement to slow down.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈbaɡal/
Did you know?
- To describe someone as 'slow' in the sense of being unintelligent, Tagalog speakers typically avoid mabagal and instead use mahina ang ulo, which literally means 'weak head'.
- In Filipino culture, the concept of 'Filipino Time' often involves being mabagal with punctuality, where arriving late is socially tolerated in informal gatherings.
- The root bagal shares a distant ancestry with many other words across the Pacific through the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language family.
Examples in context
- Mabagal na proseso ito.It's a slow process.This sentence shows how to use mabagal to describe a process.Tatoeba #11463248 by qwertzu, translation #5754541 by CM
- Mabagal siyang tumakbo.She is a slow runner.This sentence shows how to use mabagal to describe a person's running speed.Tatoeba #1125244 by ratatat, translation #315548 by CK
- Uy, bagal mo naman! Late ka na naman.Hey, you're so slow! You're late again.
- Tagal mo namang kumilos!You're so slow in your actions!
- Talagang mabagal ang pag-usad ng trapiko.The traffic is really slow.
- Mabagal ang internet ngayon.The internet is slow today.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jose and Christina are waiting for a webpage to load.
- JoseMabagal ang internet, 'di ba?The internet is slow, right?
- ChristinaOo, Jose. Nakakainis ito.Yes, Jose. This is annoying.
- JoseBaka mabagal talaga ang koneksyon.Maybe the connection is really slow.
- ChristinaSana bumilis na ito.I hope this speeds up soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slow” translations and entries mabagal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mabagal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
