mabaho ka
/maˈbahoʔ ka/word by word
In Tagalog, "you stink" is said as mabaho ka.
This phrase is used to tell someone that their body or breath has an unpleasant smell. If you want to express the opposite and say someone smells good, use mabango.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase mabaho ka, ka is the enclitic pronoun for 'you' (singular/informal), which follows the adjective. To address more than one person or to use a more polite/formal tone when telling someone they stink, replace ka with kayo.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈbahoʔ ka/
Did you know?
- In certain Philippine contexts, describing a situation as mabaho can be used metaphorically to describe a 'stinky' or corrupt political atmosphere.
- While mabaho ka is direct, Filipinos often use indirect hints or 'pahiwatig' to suggest someone smells, as the direct phrase is considered too harsh.
- The pronoun ka can be traced back to the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language, making it a linguistic relative of many other languages in the archipelago.
Examples in context
- Mabaho ka na!You stink already!
- Mabaho ka.You stink.
- Huwag kang lumapit, mabaho ka.Don't come close, you stink.
- Mabaho ka dahil sa pawis mo.You stink because of your sweat.
Example conversation
Mark and Christina are hanging out at home.
- MarkChristina, mabaho ka.Christina, you stink.
- ChristinaAno? Hindi ah!What? I don't!
- MarkAmoy sibuyas ka talaga.You really smell like onions.
- ChristinaSige, maghihilamos lang ako.Fine, I will just wash my face.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mabaho, ka) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ka, mabaho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
