Skip to content

bulok

bulók with stress marks

rotten; decayed

adjective noun bu-LOK Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Bulok refers to organic material that has decayed and produces a foul odor, commonly used for spoiled food or waste. It is also frequently used figuratively to describe poor quality or systemic corruption, such as in the phrase 'bulok na sistema' (corrupt system).

Examples

Beginner

" Bulok na ang saging. "

Natural Translation

The banana is already rotten.

Literal Translation

Rotten already the banana.

Intermediate

" Itapon ang bulok na prutas. "

Natural Translation

Throw away the rotten fruit.

Literal Translation

Throw away the rotten fruit.

Advanced

" Hindi na kakain ang aming lola sa karinderyang iyon dahil minsan ay nakahain doon ang mga prutas na bulok na. "

Natural Translation

Our grandmother won't eat at that eatery anymore because once they served fruits there that were already rotten.

Literal Translation

Not anymore will-eat the our grandmother at eatery that because once was-served there the fruits that rotten already.

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

Derived Words

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

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