hika
híka with stress marks
asthma
Usage Note
Hika is the common Tagalog term for asthma, a widespread respiratory condition in the Philippines partly due to urban air pollution. It is used in both medical contexts and everyday family conversation, and occasionally applied figuratively to anything that makes breathing difficult.
Examples
" May hika ang bata. "
Natural Translation
The child has asthma.
Literal Translation
Has asthma the child.
" Mahirap lumabas ng bahay si Lola dahil sa kanyang hika. "
Natural Translation
Grandma has a hard time leaving the house because of his/her asthma.
Literal Translation
Hard leave house Grandma because-of his/her asthma.
" Dahil sa kanyang hika, lagi siyang nagdadala ng inhaler tuwing maalikabok o malamig ang paligid. "
Natural Translation
Because of his asthma, he always carries an inhaler whenever the surroundings are dusty or cold.
Literal Translation
Because-of his asthma, always he carrying of inhaler every dusty or cold the surroundings.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
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