bakbak
bakbák with stress marks
remove bark/skin, peeled off
Usage Note
Bakbak describes the act of peeling or stripping bark from a tree, skin from a fruit, or paint from a wall. The word is reduplicated in form, giving it an onomatopoeic quality that suggests the repetitive scraping action. 'Nag-bakbak ang pintura' describes paint flaking or peeling off.
Examples
" Nagbakbak ang pintura sa pader. "
Natural Translation
The paint peeled off the wall.
Literal Translation
Peeled the paint on-the wall.
" Maraming bakbak na pintura sa kisame. "
Natural Translation
There is a lot of peeled-off paint on the ceiling.
Literal Translation
Many peeled-off that paint in ceiling.
" Dahil sa init ng araw, unti-unting nagbakbak ang luma at tuyong pintura sa lumang bangka. "
Natural Translation
From the heat of the sun, the old and dried-out paint on the old boat slowly peeled off.
Literal Translation
Because of the heat of-the sun, slowly peeled the old and dry paint on-the old boat.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workDerived Words
Actor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.

Ang, Ng, Sa: The 3 Tagalog Case Markers Explained
Ang, ng, sa are the three Tagalog case markers every noun takes. Learn what each does, the personal forms si/ni/kay, plurals with mga, and clear examples.

Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.

Filipino Food: 12 Essential Dishes (With Tagalog Names)
Filipino food, from adobo to halo-halo: learn the Tagalog names, pronunciations, and ingredients behind 12 dishes you'll want to try on your first trip.