mahina
/maˈhinaʔ/
The Filipino word for weak is mahina.
mahina is used to describe a lack of physical strength, a lack of skill in a subject or a low intensity of sound or light.
Meaning: lacking in force or ability (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈhinaʔ/
Did you know?
- The root word hina shares a common ancestor with the Sanskrit word hīna, which means 'low' or 'inferior'.
- While mahina describes a lack of strength, the Filipino word mahina ang loob literally means 'weak inside' and refers to being timid or cowardly.
- If you are describing a slow or weak internet connection, Filipinos often use mahina rather than a word for 'slow'.
Examples in context
- Mahina si Tom sa Pranses.Tom is weak in French.This sentence shows how to describe being weak in a language.Tatoeba #8689804 by artemio, translation #8599819 by CK
- Mahina siya sa sipnayan.Mathematics is her weak point.This sentence shows how to express that a subject is a weak point.Tatoeba #743798 by gracefully, translation #271017 by CK
- Madali kaming naming nanalo dahil mahina yung aming katungali.We won hands down, because the other players were weak.This sentence shows how to describe opponents as being weak.Tatoeba #11315176 by zmah47jr, translation #23130 by zmah47jr
- Medyo mahina pa ako.I'm still a bit weak.
- Sobrang malambot kasi.It was too weak/soft.
- Mahinang bosesWeak voice
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man is feeling unwell after a long day.
- MariaBakit parang mahina ang pakiramdam mo, Juan?Why do you feel weak, Juan?
- JuanMahina ang katawan ko dahil sa lagnat.My body feels weak because of the fever.
- MariaKailangan mong magpahinga nang mabuti.You need to rest well.
- JuanSalamat, Maria.Thanks, Maria.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weak” translations and entries mahina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mahina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
