guniguni
gunigúni with stress marks
hallucination, imagination
Usage Note
Guniguni refers to something imagined, hallucinated, or not real — a figment of the mind. It is used to dismiss superstitious fears ('it's just your imagination') or to describe vivid hallucinations. The reduplicated form reinforces the sense of something intangible and illusory.
Examples
" Guniguni mo lang iyan. "
Natural Translation
That's just your imagination.
Literal Translation
Imagination your just that.
" Guniguni lang iyon; wala talagang multo doon. "
Natural Translation
That's just your imagination; there's really no ghost there.
Literal Translation
Imagination just that; none really ghost there.
" Tuwing mag-isa siya sa lumang bahay, lagi niyang naririnig ang mga yabag na, sa katunayan, guniguni lamang ng kanyang takot na isipan. "
Natural Translation
Whenever he's alone in the old house, he always hears footsteps that are, in truth, just figments of his frightened mind.
Literal Translation
Every-time alone he in old house, always he hearing the footsteps that, in truth, imagination only of his frightened mind.
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