Oragon phrases in Bikol you might want to know

Before enjoying the life of a city girl, I was once a probinsyana who spent 18 years at Camarines Sur, the land of Bikolandia. I am one of the Oragons, a ‘magayon’ woman.

Some of you may know how ‘Oragon’ means brave and ‘magayon’ means pretty. But aside from that, there are more ‘magayon’ words from Bikol, and I will gladly share it with you.

10 common Bikol phrases you might want to learn

1. Padangaton ta ka

This phrase means ‘I love you so much’. Some areas in Bikol use ‘Padaba ta ka’ but in my hometown, we commonly use ‘Padangat ta ka’ (I love you) or ‘Padangaton ta ka’ (I love you so much). Furthermore, you can use it to express your love for your grandparents, parents, siblings, cousin, friends, and your special someone.

2. Marhay na aga/hapon/banggi

Greeting someone in Bikol dialect goes like this:

Marhay – good

Aga – morning

Hapon – afternoon

Banggi – night/evening

Combining these words and putting ‘na’ in between means ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ or ‘good evening’. You can also use ‘marhay na aldaw’ which means ‘good day’. Let’s try it. MARHAY NA HAPON, FRIEND!

3. Anong ginigibo mo?

Curious about what your Bikolano friends are doing? Ask them ‘Anong ginigibo mo?’ and they will answer. Sometimes we consider this as how are you. We don’t usually ask someone how are they doing. We used to say what are you doing instead. So, anong ginigibo mo?

4. Madiya na, makakan kita

When you want to invite someone to eat, you will say ‘madiya na, makakan kita’ in Bikol. It means ‘come, let’s eat’. Filipino families are known for being hospitable and kind. Even when a stranger passes by, we tend to ask them to join us to eat, especially when there’s an event or gathering where you prepared a lot of food for guests.

5. Dae ka na mamundo

If you want to cheer someone up, you can say ‘Dae ka na mamundo’. This means ‘don’t be sad’. Also, it can mean ‘it’s okay’.

6. Dae ka magpagutom

My mama always reminds me of this phrase and this means ‘don’t starve yourself‘ since she stays in Bikol while I am in Cavite. She used to cook for me and hated it when I skip my meal. Saying these to someone sounds so sweet. It’s like showing your care.

7. Maging maugma ka

Be happy. That’s what it means. Commonly, this can be a break-up message. But still, it depends on the situation. Furthermore, it may mean a piece of advice to be happy no matter what, that you need to ‘maging maugma ka’.

8. Nahihidaw ako saimo

When you’re longing for someone, far or near, you can say ‘nahihidaw ako saimo’ meaning ‘I miss you’. I rarely received this from my family in Bikol or from my friends. I don’t know if it is because Bikolana and Bikolanos are not that sweet, or they are just shy about saying these words. I, myself have never used this phrase.  Because honestly, I am not a sweet nor expressive person. But, you can try it for someone you miss.

9. Dae magpabaya sa sadiri

Saying this to someone means you are telling them to take care of themselves. ‘Dae’ may mean don’t, and ‘magpabaya’ meaning to not care, and ‘sa sadiri’ means to yourself. To combine it ‘Do not not care to yourself.’ It can also mean take care of yourself.

10. Paaram

Sounds like ‘paalam’ in Filipino right? Its meaning is the same too, saying goodbye. When you leave after an event, you can just say ‘paaram!’. Waving at your friend and saying this Bikol word would mean you are informing them you’ll get going.

I still wanted to share more Bikol words or phrases with you. But for now, let’s wrap it up. Some Bikol words are just the same as Filipino words. Like ‘kamusta ka’ (How are you), ‘mag iingat ka’ (take care), ‘salamat’ (thank you), and many more.

Lastly, like the beauty of Bikolandia, people there are also beautiful, physically and at heart.

Explore Bikol and BeCool!