From root: niya
Usage Note
Pagkakaniya is a formal term for the sense of prioritizing one's own self or possessing things solely for oneself. It is less common in casual speech than the word makasarili.
Examples
" Masama ang pagkakaniya. "
Natural Translation
Selfishness is bad.
Literal Translation
Bad the selfishness.
" Masama ang pagkakaniya. "
Natural Translation
Selfishness is bad.
Literal Translation
Bad the selfishness.
" Sa isang pamilyang nagkakaisa, walang lugar ang pagkakaniya dahil lahat ay natutong magbahagi sa isa't isa. "
Natural Translation
In a united family, there is no room for selfishness because everyone has learned to share with one another.
Literal Translation
In a united family, no place the selfishness because all is learned to-share to one-another.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
niya has 2 related forms built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

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.

Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.

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.

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.