Skip to content

bakás

footprints, marks, trails

noun ba-KAS Native origin Rare

Also means

Bakas with stress on the first syllable (bákas) refers to a gambling or business partnership.

Usage Note

Bakás refers to physical traces left behind — footprints, tire tracks, scorch marks, or impressions on a surface — and extends metaphorically to the lasting impression a person leaves on others or on history. The metaphorical sense is deeply embedded in Filipino literary and motivational language, where leaving a lasting bakás is a measure of a meaningful life.

Examples

Beginner

" May bakas ng paa sa buhangin. "

Natural Translation

There are footprints in the sand.

Literal Translation

There-is mark of feet in-the sand.

Intermediate

" Makikita pa ang mga bakás ng paa sa putik. "

Natural Translation

The footprints in the mud are still visible.

Literal Translation

Can-see still the marks of feet in-the mud.

Advanced

" Bawat gurong tunay na nagmamahal sa kanyang mga estudyante ay nag-iiwan ng bakas na hinding-hindi nila malilimutan. "

Natural Translation

Every teacher who truly loves his/her students leaves a mark they will never forget.

Literal Translation

Every teacher-that truly loves to-the his/her students leaves of mark that never they will-forget.

Free · iOS & Android

Take Tagalog with you

The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.