bulaan
bulaán with stress marks
liar
Usage Note
Bulaan is a person who habitually lies, derived from the root bula (lie, falsehood) with the -an suffix indicating a characteristic agent. It carries a strong moral judgment and is considered an insult. In Filipino culture, where 'hiya' (shame) is a core social value, being labeled a bulaan is a serious social stigma.
Examples
" Bulaan ang batang iyon. "
Natural Translation
That child is a liar.
Literal Translation
Liar the child that.
" Ang taong iyon ay bulaan. "
Natural Translation
That person is a liar.
Literal Translation
The person that is liar.
" Mahirap na siyang paniwalaan ng kahit sino dahil isa na siyang kilalang bulaan sa buong baryo namin. "
Natural Translation
It's hard for anyone to believe him now because he has become a well-known liar in our whole village.
Literal Translation
Hard already him to-be-believed by even who because one already he known liar in whole village our.
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 workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.
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.
Tagalog vs Filipino: What's the Difference & Which to Learn
Tagalog and Filipino aren't the same language — but they overlap almost completely. Here's the real difference and which one you should actually 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.