mapili
picky or selective
From root: pili
Usage Note
Mapili describes a person who is very selective or hard to please. Mapili siya sa mga kaibigan means she is very selective about her friends.
Examples
" Mapili siya sa pagkain. "
Natural Translation
She is picky with food.
Literal Translation
Picky she in food.
" Ang bata ay mapili sa pagkain. "
Natural Translation
The child is picky with food.
Literal Translation
The child is picky in food.
" Kahit mapili siya sa mga kasama sa trabaho, napamahal pa rin siya sa lahat dahil sa kabaitan niya. "
Natural Translation
Even though she is selective about her coworkers, everyone still grew fond of her because of her kindness.
Literal Translation
Even-though picky she in the companions in work, became-dear still she to all because of kindness her.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
pili has 8 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 Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.

Filipino Family Words and Honorifics: Ate, Kuya & Tita
Filipino family words like ate, kuya, tita, tito, lolo, and lola go far beyond family — learn how Filipinos use them with strangers, plus mano po etiquette.

Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.

Philippines Geography for Learners: Islands & Language
Philippines geography for Tagalog learners: 7,641 islands, three island groups, and the Southern Luzon heartland where the Tagalog language was born.