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Famous Words & Expressions in Batangas (Part I)

Batangan dialect has rich vocabulary, I must say. It sounds funny for some but if you try to speak these words with conviction, you are a genuine Batangueño.

Are ha, kapag hindi mo alam ang mga salitang nadine ay itanong mo na laang sa iyong mamay. 🙂

Listed below are the 15 most famous Batangas (or Batangan) words we often use. Aside from the famous ala eh! expression and the ano ga?, there are a lot more to be included on the list but I’ll have these 15 for Part I. (Definitions are from en.wikipilipinas.org)

 Batangueño Word  Meaning and Example | Kahulugan at Paggamit sa Pangungusap
 Anlaa!  An expression of disbelief 
I often use this word. “Anlaa naman!”
 Are   This
“Are o, hindi mo ga makita?” Frequently heard by those who are too stubborn to look intently for misplaced things. Haha.
 Damusak   Mess up real bad
Oh man! I wonder where in the world this word came from. Haha. This is associated with the words clumsy, careless, jinx. “Nag-damusak ka na naman? Ay tuong kamalasan na iyan!”
 Gay-on  Like that!
My favorite someone would always, always repeat after me everytime I say this word. Pa-cute daw kasi ako magsabi ng gay-on. Whatever.
 Ganire   Like this!
Instructors (of anything) would often use this. “Ganire ang gawin mo, blah, blah, blah…”
 Hunta    A small talk with someone
When I was in grade school, I had a lot of teachers who are so fond of using this word in scolding noisy students. Wala na kayong ginawa kundi maghuntahan nang maghuntahan!”
 Imis   To clean
Household helpers regularly hear this I suppose. “Imisin mo agad ang pinag-kainan at nang hindi na langawin diyan.”
 Karibok   Minor mayhem
Synonymous with confusion and chaos. “Kuh, karibok na naman ang mga bata sa silong ay iyong sawayin muna!”
 La-ang  Only
Still remember Don Robert from Ober Da Bakod? “Ay hindi laang ako ang may gawa eh, ay dapat sila’y hinuhuli mo rin!” Haha. I can visualize actor Leo Martinez saying this line. By the way, Leo Marinez a.k.a. Don Robert is a native of Balayan.
 Liban   To cross the street
My friend’s sister to her Operations Manager in a Quezon City-based call center: “OM, tara nang lumiban!”
OM’s response: “Ano ka ba? Hindi pwede, may meeting with wave 19 later.”
My friend’s sister: “OM, ano ka ga din? Tatawid tayo sa kalsada!”
 Maas   Stupid
Whoa! Don’t let anyone tell you, “Mamaas-maas ka kasi!”
Reply with “Mamaas-maas your face!”
 Patikar    To run
I remember one time when I was still in LCC, I have this music teacher who acts and dresses like my grandma. One day, I was running upstairs, in my 2.5 inches stilettos, trying to catch my Lit class. Then I heard someone remarked, “Ms. Hernandez, patikar ka na naman!”. Not knowing then what she meant by that, I only smiled.
 Sungaba   Fall flat on the face
I think I’m falling, falling fast again. No, not that one. This often happens with girls who are not too cautious when they are strutting stilettos they don’t normally wear. Oops! “Ingat, baka mag-sungaba.”
 Sya na!  Enough! or Alright!
You would hear this from Batangueños who are mainisin or nakukulitan na. Talk with your grandparents about a topic you know you can win over and for sure he/she would say this expression.
 Tubal   Dirty clothes
This is one word that sounds so odd for non-Batangueños. Who knows the etymology of tubal? And then the clothes hamper or laundry basket is called ‘tubalan’.

This is the first of the two-part (or three-part) rundown of comic and at times odd Batangas words every Batangueño must use (frequency depends on you) in his lifetime! 🙂

Can you comment by using any of these words in a sentence? Or better, in a knock-knock. 🙂

Click here for Famous Words & Expressions in Batangas (Part II)
Click here for more Batangenyo Words and Expressions

Wanna learn more Batangenyo Words thru our Funny Youtube Videos? Check them out here:
Huntawanan Episodes

About Publisher

JR Cantos is the Publisher of WOWBatangas.com. Some of the articles here on the website have been contributed over the years, so please just email us at help (at) wowbatangas.com if you have any concerns. Salamat!

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36 comments

  1. HAHAHA! nakakatwa.. i am a certified batang batangas!

  2. HAHAHA! nakakatwa.. i am a certified batang batangas!

  3. knock knock, who’s there? HUNTA! Hunta who? EHEM, HUNTA yo’y matanda na… sana’y di tayo magbago. char!

  4. knock knock, who’s there? HUNTA! Hunta who? EHEM, HUNTA yo’y matanda na… sana’y di tayo magbago. char!

  5. hihintayin ko po yan!

  6. hihintayin ko po yan!

  7. hahaha…lolll…Batangueña tlga ko:)

  8. hahaha…lolll…Batangueña tlga ko:)

  9. bwahaha! kahiot anung layo mo ate, hindi na mawawala sa sistema ng dila mo yan! haha

  10. bwahaha! kahiot anung layo mo ate, hindi na mawawala sa sistema ng dila mo yan! haha

  11. salamat ha … i can’t wait kapag narating ka na sa mga salita na gaya ba ga ng ‘barik’, utay-utay, or parine .. lol (sorry i was thinking of the bad ones)

  12. salamat ha … i can’t wait kapag narating ka na sa mga salita na gaya ba ga ng ‘barik’, utay-utay, or parine .. lol (sorry i was thinking of the bad ones)

  13. tanda ko ang bilin ng aking mamay… ika ga’y ineng ika’y wag patikar ng patikar at baka ikay’ mabayakir ay pihong bangas ka. Pag nabangasan nama’y atungal ka na.

  14. tanda ko ang bilin ng aking mamay… ika ga’y ineng ika’y wag patikar ng patikar at baka ikay’ mabayakir ay pihong bangas ka. Pag nabangasan nama’y atungal ka na.

  15. .`- I am very thankful to this topic because it really gives up to date information ;,;

  16. kainamang sakit ng tiyan ko, ay sya sandali laang ha at “nagburubot” na pala ako.

  17. Consorcia Carandang-Laconsay

    Ay salamat at merong ganyang Batangas words & expressions. Tuwang-tuwa ako e, dahil dito sa aking tirahan ngayong ay puntong Angono (Rizal)na ako. Kaya, ini-introduce ko naman sa kanila ang mga salita natin na di nila maintindihan kung saang diksyonaryo raw nanggaling. Kaganda ng ginawa nyo. ipagpatuloy nyo yan. Maraming salamat.

  18. Hahaha…kakatuwa nmn eh… totoong totoo areh….
    Proud to be pure blooded batangueño…??

  19. Hehehehe feels like home, i remember getting in an argument with a filipino teacher because of the word tubal

    • Minsan na ding natulala ang aking boss nuon sa Manila noong sinabi kong “Iisod po natin yung tukador dun sa kabila”.

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