Skip to content

nilay

niláy with stress marks

to meditate

verb noun ni-LAY Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Nilay means to reflect, contemplate, or meditate — to quietly turn something over in the mind. The derived form 'magnilay' or 'nagninilay' is commonly used in religious and philosophical contexts, and 'pagninilay' appears frequently in church homilies and retreat materials to encourage introspection.

Examples

Beginner

" Gusto kong magnilay nang tahimik. "

Natural Translation

I want to meditate quietly.

Literal Translation

Want I-that meditate quiet.

Intermediate

" Kailangan ko ng oras para sa tahimik na nilay. "

Natural Translation

I need time for quiet meditation.

Literal Translation

Need I of time for quiet meditation.

Advanced

" Tuwing umaga, naglalaan siya ng ilang minuto upang magnilay sa mga bagay na dapat niyang pasalamatan. "

Natural Translation

Every morning, she sets aside a few minutes to reflect on the things she ought to be grateful for.

Literal Translation

Every morning, sets-aside she of several minute to meditate on plural thing that should she-that be-thankful-for.

Free · iOS & Android

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 work

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.