serbilyeta
serbilyéta with stress marks
a napkin
Usage Note
Serbilyeta comes from Spanish servilleta and is used for both cloth and paper napkins at the table. In casual Filipino dining at home or in small eateries, tissue paper often substitutes and is simply called tisu, but serbilyeta remains the standard word in formal settings.
Examples
" Pakiabot ang serbilyeta. "
Natural Translation
Please pass the napkin.
Literal Translation
Please-pass the napkin.
" Pakiabot naman ang serbilyeta, may natumagas sa aking damit. "
Natural Translation
Please pass the napkin, something spilled on my clothes.
Literal Translation
Please-pass the napkin, has spilled on my clothes.
" Bago kami kumain, inihanda ng katulong ang mga kubyertos at maputing serbilyeta sa bawat tabi ng plato. "
Natural Translation
Before we ate, the helper prepared the cutlery and white napkins at each side of the plate.
Literal Translation
Before we ate, prepared by helper the cutlery and white napkins at each side of plate.
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