lobo
lóbo with stress marks
balloon; wolf
Also means
Lobo can refer to a wolf in literary or archaic usage, while in everyday modern Filipino it almost exclusively means balloon.
Usage Note
Lobo is borrowed from Spanish lobo (wolf) but shifted meaning in Tagalog to primarily mean balloon, likely through folk association or semantic drift. Balloons called lobo are a staple of Filipino fiestas and children's parties, while the wolf meaning survives mainly in literature and fables.
Examples
" Pula ang lobo ko. "
Natural Translation
My balloon is red.
Literal Translation
Red the balloon mine.
" Pumutok ang lobo. "
Natural Translation
The balloon popped.
Literal Translation
Popped the balloon.
" Bumili ang tatay ng maraming lobo para sa kaarawan ng bunso naming anak. "
Natural Translation
Dad bought a lot of balloons for our youngest child's birthday.
Literal Translation
Bought the father of many balloon for the birthday of youngest our child.
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