adobo: chicken or pork cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic
agimat: an amulet or charm
“Alis!”: “Leave!”
anak: gender-neutral term used to refer to one’s children
anak ng Diyos: son of God; also an exclamation similar to “son of a gun”
antipatika: someone unfriendly or disagreeable
arnis: Filipino martial art that incorporates stickfighting
ate (ah-teh): an older sister; used informally to show respect for older women
anting-anting: charm used to ward off curses
bagoong: shrimp paste sauce used as condiment in many Filipino dishes
bibingka: a baked cake made of rice, eggs, and coconut milk
boodle fight: a set of meals placed on a banana leaf–lined table for sharing, eaten using hands instead of cutlery
chicharon bulaklak: popular Filipino street food made of fried pork intestines
dwende: mischievous dwarves of Filipino mythology
Diyos ko: “my God”; also spelled Dyos ko
Heneral: general
kaldereta: meat stew made from either goat, beef, or pork
kulam: a curse
“Nakakamiss”: translated roughly, “I’ve missed this.”
“Natakot ba natin?”: “Did we scare [them] off?”
leche flan: custard coated in a clear caramel sauce
lechon: whole roasted pig, cooked on a spit over charcoal
Lola: (formally) grandmother; also used informally as a term of endearment for older women, as Tala refers to Lola Urduja
lumpiang shanghai: fried spring rolls
mahal: “my love,” one’s beloved
mare (ma-reh): term of endearment to someone you’re close to, of the same social class or age
pangitain: omen
pansit: noodles, often sauteed with vegetables
pinakbet: steamed vegetables cooked in shrimp sauce
punyeta: expletive to express frustration or anger
“Punyetang mga traydor”: “Fucking traitors”
putangina: expletive literally meaning “bitch mother,” but equivalent to “fuck this” in English
puto: Filipino steamed rice cakes
sisig: chopped chicken livers and pork meat (usually from pigs’ heads), served on a sizzling plate with vinegar, chili, and calamansi
“Susmaryosep”: mild expletive; slang for “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph”
takmon: mother-of-pearl sequin-like shells
tangina: derivative of putangina
terno: a stiff blouse made from abaca, often used for formal occasions in the Philippines
torta: omelet-style
“Umalis na kayo.”: “You all better leave.”