maykaya
maykayâ with stress marks
wealthy; rich
Usage Note
Maykaya is a compound of may (has) and kaya (capability/means) and describes someone who has financial means, but it is notably softer and more polite than mayaman (rich). Filipinos often use maykaya to avoid directly labeling someone as wealthy.
Examples
" Maykaya ang pamilya nila. "
Natural Translation
Their family is well-off.
Literal Translation
Well-off the family their.
" Galing siya sa isang maykaya na pamilya sa aming probinsya. "
Natural Translation
He/She comes from a wealthy family in our province.
Literal Translation
Coming he/she from one [ng] wealthy [na] family in-the our province.
" Bagaman maykaya na sila ngayon, hindi nila kailanman kinalimutan kung gaano sila kahirap noong bata pa sila. "
Natural Translation
Although they are well-off now, they never forgot how poor they were when they were still young.
Literal Translation
Although well-off already they now, not they ever forgot how they very-poor when child still they.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.

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.

Tagalog Slang Guide: 20 Words You'll Hear on TikTok
Tagalog slang explained: lodi, petmalu, werpa, astig, chika and more. Decode Filipino TikTok comments, group chats, and pop culture with this practical guide.

Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.