kuskos
kúskos with stress marks
scrub
Usage Note
Kuskos refers to the act of scrubbing vigorously — washing clothes, cleaning floors, or exfoliating skin — and is a practical, everyday word in Filipino household language. The reduplicated form kuskusin reflects the repetitive physical action and is the standard way to direct the scrubbing of a specific surface.
Examples
" Kuskusin mo ang sahig. "
Natural Translation
Scrub the floor.
Literal Translation
Scrub you the floor.
" Isang mabilis na kuskos lang sa plato. "
Natural Translation
Just a quick scrub on the plate.
Literal Translation
One fast that scrub only on-the plate.
" Matagal kong kinuskos ang kaldero dahil hindi matanggal ang sunog na dumikit sa ilalim nito. "
Natural Translation
I scrubbed the pot for a long time because the burnt residue stuck to its bottom would not come off.
Literal Translation
Long-time I-link scrubbed the pot because not removable the burnt that stuck on-the bottom of-it.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workActor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Tagalog Pronouns Explained: Complete Chart with Examples
Every Tagalog pronoun explained with clear charts: ang/ng/sa forms, tayo vs kami, ikaw vs ka, politeness markers, and the mistakes beginners make.

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.

Tagalog Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.

Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More
Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.