Language is never just words; sometimes a single syllable holds an entire universe of feeling. Tagalog, the heart of Filipino expression, is full of rare, breathtaking terms that English can only circle around. Here are 10 poetic Tagalog words so deep and beautiful they deserve to live forever inside your favorite images.
Gigil The irresistible urge to squeeze something extremely cute (often accompanied by clenched teeth and trembling hands). Quote for image: “I love you with gigil— the kind that makes me want to crush you with tenderness until the whole world feels how adorable you are.”
Kilig That fluttering, butterflies-in-the-stomach rush when something romantic happens. Quote for image: “One message from you and the whole day becomes kilig-colored.”
Alimpungatan Waking up because someone you love just entered your dreams. Quote for image: “I woke up smiling— alimpungatan again, because even in sleep you came home to me.”
Tampo The silent, sulky treatment you give someone you love because they hurt you—but you still love them too much to truly walk away. Quote for image: “My tampo is not anger. It is love wearing a pout, waiting for your apology kiss.”
Balisawsaw The bittersweet feeling when rain starts falling while the sun is still shining. Quote for image: “We kissed under balisawsaw— sunlit rain, tears and joy tasting exactly the same.”
Pag-ibig na hinintay Love that was waited for (the sweetest kind, because every second of longing made the arrival divine). Quote for image: “You are my pag-ibig na hinintay— worth every lonely night, every unanswered prayer, every almost.”
Saudade (borrowed but fully adopted in Filipino hearts) + Nawawala sa sarili The Tagalog way: feeling lost in longing for someone absent. Quote for image: “Nawawala ako sa sarili kapag wala ka— I lose myself when you’re not here.”
Lambing The gentle, almost childlike sweetness you show only to the person who feels like home. Quote for image: “Give me your lambing— that soft voice, that playful clinginess— and I will give you my forever.”
Umayaw sa saya When happiness is so overwhelming you almost want to refuse it because it feels too good to be real. Quote for image: “Ang saya ko umayaw na ako— I’m so happy I almost said no, scared that dreams this beautiful wake up and leave.”
Salamisim The quiet, delicious anticipation right before something wonderful happens (like tasting a memory before it arrives). Quote for image: “I can already taste you in the air— salamisim, the sweetest second before your kiss.”
Save these. Screenshot them. Turn them into golden-hour aesthetics, film-grain overlays, or pastel minimalism—because some feelings only Tagalog can hold perfectly.
