Skip to content

hawi

part hair/grass; clear a path

noun verb HA-wi Native origin Rare

Usage Note

Hawi describes the act of parting or pushing aside something — hair, tall grass, a crowd — to make way, used both literally and figuratively for clearing a path through difficulty. In poetry and literature it often evokes the image of someone making a way where there was none.

Examples

Beginner

" Hinawi niya ang damo. "

Natural Translation

He parted the grass.

Literal Translation

Parted he/she the grass.

Intermediate

" Maayos ang hawi ng iyong buhok. "

Natural Translation

The parting of your hair is neat.

Literal Translation

Orderly the part of your hair.

Advanced

" Dahan-dahan niyang hinawi ang matataas na damo upang makita kung saan nagtatago ang nawawalang aso sa likod ng bukid. "

Natural Translation

He slowly parted the tall grass to see where the lost dog was hiding behind the field.

Literal Translation

Slowly he/she parted the tall grass so-that to-see where hiding the lost dog at back of-the field.

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

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

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