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ngamba

ngambá with stress marks

fear; doubt; misgiving

noun nga-MBA Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Ngamba blends anxiety, doubt, and uneasy foreboding into a single concept. It is commonly used when someone has a nagging worry about an outcome — closer to 'misgiving' than outright fear — and appears frequently in both casual and literary Tagalog.

Examples

Beginner

" May ngamba ako sa biyahe. "

Natural Translation

I have a misgiving about the trip.

Literal Translation

Have misgiving I about-the trip.

Intermediate

" May kaunting ngamba sa aking puso habang hinihintay ang resulta ng pagsusulit. "

Natural Translation

There is a little fear in my heart while waiting for the test results.

Literal Translation

Have little fear in my heart while waiting the result of test.

Advanced

" Kahit masaya ang okasyon, hindi niya maiwasan ang ngamba na baka may mangyaring di-maganda sa kanyang pamilya. "

Natural Translation

Even though the occasion was joyful, she couldn't shake the misgiving that something bad might happen to her family.

Literal Translation

Even-though happy the occasion, not she can-avoid the misgiving that maybe have happen not-good to her family.

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