ngilo
ngílò with stress marks
pain or tooth sensitivity
Usage Note
Ngilo is the very specific sensation of tooth sensitivity — the sharp, electric discomfort triggered by cold, sweet, or acidic stimuli on exposed tooth surfaces. It is a household word in the Philippines and frequently appears in toothpaste advertising. It can also be used metaphorically for any sharp, cringing discomfort.
Examples
" Ngilo ang ngipin ko. "
Natural Translation
My tooth is sensitive.
Literal Translation
Sensitive the tooth my.
" Nakaramdam siya ng ngilo matapos kumain ng sorbetes. "
Natural Translation
He/she felt tooth sensitivity after eating ice cream.
Literal Translation
Felt he/she of tooth sensitivity after eat of ice-cream.
" Lagi akong nakakaramdam ng ngilo kapag uminom ako ng malamig na tubig, kaya iniwasan ko na ang yelo. "
Natural Translation
I always feel tooth sensitivity whenever I drink cold water, so I've started avoiding ice.
Literal Translation
Always I-that feel of sensitivity when drink I of cold that water, so avoided I already the ice.
Take Tagalog with you
The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.
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.
How to Say Sorry in Tagalog: Patawad vs Pasensya
How to say sorry in Tagalog: patawad, pasensya na, and paumanhin compared on a simple severity-and-formality ladder so you pick the right word every time.
Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.
Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.
Filipino Food: 12 Essential Dishes (With Tagalog Names)
Filipino food, from adobo to halo-halo: learn the Tagalog names, pronunciations, and ingredients behind 12 dishes you'll want to try on your first trip.