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ngabngab

ngábngab with stress marks

to eat greedily; masticate using teeth

verb noun NGAB-ngab Native origin Rare

Usage Note

Ngabngab is an expressive, onomatopoeic-feeling word describing the act of chomping or gnawing at food, often with enthusiasm or greed. Used informally and with a slightly humorous register, it can function as a root for derived verb forms such as ngabngabin and nangabngab.

Examples

Beginner

" Huwag mong ngabngabin ang pagkain. "

Natural Translation

Don't gobble up the food.

Literal Translation

Don't you eat-greedily the food.

Intermediate

" Hindi magandang tingnan ang pagkain niya nang ngabngab sa harap ng bisita. "

Natural Translation

It doesn't look good when he/she eats greedily in front of the guests.

Literal Translation

Not good to-look the eating his/her adverb-, greedily in front of guest.

Advanced

" Gutom na gutom ang bata kaya parang walang modong nangabngab ito sa kanyang pagkain pagkaupo sa mesa. "

Natural Translation

The child was so hungry that he chomped at his food without manners as soon as he sat down at the table.

Literal Translation

Hungry very-hungry the child so like no manners that ate-greedily it on his food upon-sitting at table.

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