Skip to content

dusa

dúsa with stress marks

suffering; pain

noun DU-sa Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Dusa is a deeply expressive word for suffering, hardship, or affliction — physical, emotional, or existential — frequently found in poetry, song, and religious language. The phrase tiisin ang dusa reflects the Filipino virtue of tiis, patient endurance, which is a culturally significant ideal.

Examples

Beginner

" Malaki ang dusa niya. "

Natural Translation

His suffering is great.

Literal Translation

Big the suffering his.

Intermediate

" Ito ay malaking dusa para sa amin. "

Natural Translation

This is a great suffering for us.

Literal Translation

This is big suffering for to us.

Advanced

" Tinitiis niya ang dusa nang tahimik dahil ayaw niyang madagdagan ang alalahanin ng kanyang pamilya. "

Natural Translation

He endures the suffering quietly because he doesn't want to add to his family's worries.

Literal Translation

Endures he the suffering quietly because not-want he-to be-added the worry of his family.

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.