pakwan
/pakˈwan/
The Tagalog word for watermelon is pakwan.
pakwan is used to refer to the watermelon fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/pakˈwan/
Did you know?
- In the Philippines, it is common to eat pakwan with a sprinkle of salt to enhance its natural sweetness.
- The word pakwan is closely related to the word pakuan used in Kapampangan, which is a distinct language spoken in the province of Pampanga.
- Local vendors may use rhythmic chants featuring the word pakwan as a traditional marketing technique to draw in crowds.
Examples in context
- Mahilig ako sa pakwan.I like watermelon.Tatoeba #8660613 by artemio, translation #1575786 by human600
- Hinati ni Doni ang pakwan.Doni split the watermelon.Tatoeba #12149801 by qwertzu, translation #11541515 by Pacific
- Kumain ako ng isang hiwa ng pakwan.I ate a slice of watermelon.Tatoeba #11659335 by qwertzu, translation #5175084 by CK
- Gusto kong kumain ng pakwan.I want to eat watermelon.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Christina and Mark are at a fruit stand.
- ChristinaGusto mo ba ng pakwan, Mark?Do you want some watermelon, Mark?
- MarkOo, mukhang matamis ang pakwan na iyan.Yes, that watermelon looks sweet.
- ChristinaBibili ako ng isang buong pakwan.I will buy one whole watermelon.
- MarkSige, paborito ko talaga ang pakwan.Okay, watermelon is really my favorite.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “watermelon” translations and entries pakwan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pakwan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
