dumi
/duˈmi/
The English phrase 'tae' translates to Tagalog as dumi.
Both terms refer to waste matter discharged from the body during bowel movements.
Which one should you use?
dumi is a more clinical or polite term for waste matter, whereas tae is more direct.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
dumi is commonly used in formal contexts to refer to excrement or feces. tae is a more blunt and informal way to say 'poop' and can be considered vulgar in polite company.
How do you pronounce it?
/duˈmi/
Did you know?
- While tae refers to the waste itself, the word can also be used metaphorically to describe something of very poor quality or a 'piece of junk'.
- Adding the prefix ma- to dumi creates the adjective madumi, which is the standard way to say anything from a shirt to a room is 'dirty'.
- In casual conversation, Filipinos often use the euphemism banyo ('bathroom') or the phrase mag-banyo to avoid saying tae or dumi entirely.
Examples in context
- Linisin mo ang dumi sa sahig.Clean up the waste on the floor.
- Maayos ang dumi ng bata.The child's bowel movement is normal.
Example conversation
Maria and Mark are cleaning the house together.
- MariaMark, tingnan mo itong dumi ng aso.Mark, look at this dog poop.
- MarkNasaan? Hindi ko makita.Where? I can't see it.
- MariaNandito sa gilid ng sofa!It is here beside the sofa!
- MarkSige, ako na ang maglilinis niyan.Alright, I will be the one to clean that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dumi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
