habas
hábas with stress marks
body type; prudence
Usage Note
Habas is a somewhat formal or literary word with dual senses: it can describe a person's physical build or frame, or it can refer to a quality of measured restraint and good judgment. The prudence sense is more common in older or formal Tagalog writing, while the body-type sense appears in casual and descriptive contexts.
Examples
" Maganda ang habas niya. "
Natural Translation
He has a fine build.
Literal Translation
Good the body-type his.
" Malusog ang habas ng batang lalaki. "
Natural Translation
The young boy has a healthy, sturdy build.
Literal Translation
Healthy the body-type of-the young boy.
" Bagaman payat ang kanyang habas, kilala siya sa kanyang habas sa pagdedesisyon at sa hindi pagmamadali. "
Natural Translation
Although his build is slim, he is known for his prudence in making decisions and his refusal to rush.
Literal Translation
Although thin the his body-type, known he for his prudence in deciding and in not hurrying.
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 Verb Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)
The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.

Ng vs Nang in Tagalog: The Spelling Rule
Ng vs nang sound identical but spell differently. Use ng to mark nouns (of, the object), and nang for how, when, repetition, and counting time.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Tagalog?
Survival Tagalog takes ~3-4 weeks and comfortable conversation 6-12 months. FSI's 1,100 hours is the professional bar, not the talking-to-family bar.

Magkano: How to Ask "How Much" in Tagalog
Magkano means how much in Tagalog. Learn to ask a price, tell it apart from ilan and gaano, sound polite with po, and haggle at the palengke.