Skip to content

ikā

ikâ with stress marks

unstable way of walking

verb i-KA Native origin Rare

Usage Note

Ikā describes a swaying, unsteady, or limping gait caused by injury, uneven terrain, or intoxication. The root extends with affixes — 'umika' for walking unsteadily and 'ikaika' by reduplication for a more pronounced wobble — and is more descriptive than 'pilay', which implies a limp specifically from injury.

Examples

Beginner

" May ikā ang lakad ng lolo. "

Natural Translation

Grandpa's walk has a wobble.

Literal Translation

Has unstable-walk the walk of-the grandpa.

Intermediate

" May ikā ang matanda. "

Natural Translation

The old person has an unstable way of walking.

Literal Translation

Has unstable-walk the old-person.

Advanced

" Pansin kong may ikā ang lakad mo ngayon, kaya baka mas mabuti pang magpahinga ka muna at iwasan ang mahabang paglalakad. "

Natural Translation

I notice your walk is unsteady today, so it might be better for you to rest first and avoid long walks.

Literal Translation

Notice I has unstable-walk the walk your today, so maybe more good still rest you first and avoid the long walking.

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

Explore Tagalog by topic

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