onesto
onésto with stress marks
honest; truthful
Usage Note
Onesto is borrowed from Spanish 'honesto' and describes a person of integrity. While tapat is the native Tagalog equivalent, onesto remains in use, especially among older generations and in formal or written contexts, reflecting Spanish colonial influence on Filipino moral vocabulary.
Examples
" Onesto siyang tao. "
Natural Translation
He/she is an honest person.
Literal Translation
Honest he/she person.
" Isang onesto at mabait na manggagawa si Juan. "
Natural Translation
Juan is an honest and kind worker.
Literal Translation
One honest and kind worker Juan.
" Kahit mahirap, nanatiling onesto ang matandang mangangalakal at hindi niya dinaya ang kanyang mga suki. "
Natural Translation
Even though it was hard, the old merchant remained honest and did not cheat his regular customers.
Literal Translation
Even hard, remained honest the old merchant and not he cheated the his regular-customers.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
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