bida
bída with stress marks
lead character
Usage Note
Bida comes from Spanish vida (life) but was repurposed in Filipino entertainment to mean the protagonist or hero of a film, TV show, or story. Its antonym is kontrabida (villain), and colloquially bida also describes someone who acts like the center of attention or steals the show.
Examples
" Sino ang bida sa pelikula? "
Natural Translation
Who is the lead in the movie?
Literal Translation
Who the lead-character in movie?
" Ang bida ng pelikula ay isang batang sundalo. "
Natural Translation
The lead character of the film is a young soldier.
Literal Translation
The lead-character of-the film is a young soldier.
" Kahit pangalawang tauhan lang siya, mas gusto ng mga manonood ang kanyang papel kaysa sa tunay na bida. "
Natural Translation
Even though he's only a supporting character, the audience likes his role more than the actual lead.
Literal Translation
Even second character only he, more like of plural viewer the his role than to true lead-character.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.

Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.

Spaced Repetition for Tagalog: How Flashcards Make Words Stick
Cramming Tagalog vocabulary fails. See how spaced repetition — the science behind smart flashcards — makes words stick for the long term.

Philippines Geography for Learners: Islands & Language
Philippines geography for Tagalog learners: 7,641 islands, three island groups, and the Southern Luzon heartland where the Tagalog language was born.