Funny in Tagalog

“Funny” in Tagalog is “nakakatawa” – the go-to word for anything that makes you laugh. But Tagalog offers a rich variety of expressions to describe humor, from silly jokes to witty comebacks. Let’s explore the different ways Filipinos express what’s funny!

Definition:

• Funny /ˈfʌni/
• Adjective 1: Causing laughter or amusement; humorous.
• Adjective 2: Difficult to explain or understand; strange or peculiar.
• Adjective 3: Suspicious or questionable in nature.

Synonyms in Tagalog:

• Nakakatawa
• Nakakatuwa
• Katawa-tawa
• Komedya
• Pambihira
• Kakaiba

Examples:

• EN: That joke was so funny that everyone couldn’t stop laughing.
• PH: Ang biro na iyon ay napaka-nakakatawa na ang lahat ay hindi mapigilan ang pagtawa.

• EN: He always tells funny stories about his childhood adventures.
• PH: Lagi siyang nagkukuwento ng mga nakakatuwa na istorya tungkol sa kanyang mga pakikipagsapalaran noong bata pa siya.

• EN: There’s something funny about his behavior today; he seems different.
• PH: May kakaiba sa kanyang asal ngayon; mukhang iba siya.

• EN: The comedian’s funny expressions made the audience roar with laughter.
• PH: Ang mga nakakatawa ng ekspresyon ng komedyante ay nagpahagalpak ng tawa sa mga manonood.

• EN: It’s funny how life works out sometimes in unexpected ways.
• PH: Nakakatuwa kung paano minsan gumagana ang buhay sa mga hindi inaasahang paraan.