sumilay
sumílay with stress marks
to appear briefly
From root: silay
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
sumilay
su-MI-lay
appeared briefly
Present (Incomplete)
sumisilay
su-mi-SI-lay
is appearing briefly
Future (Contemplated)
sisilay
si-SI-lay
will appear briefly
Usage Note
Sumilay is the actor-focus -um- form of silay, used for something appearing fleetingly — a smile flickering across a face, a ray of light breaking through clouds, a face glimpsed at a window. It is most at home in literary and poetic registers.
Examples
" Sumilay ang ngiti niya. "
Natural Translation
A smile flickered across her face.
Literal Translation
Appeared-briefly the smile her.
" Inaasahan kong sumilay ang bahaghari pagkatapos ng malakas na ulan. "
Natural Translation
I expected the rainbow to appear briefly after the heavy rain.
Literal Translation
Expected I to-appear-briefly the rainbow after of heavy rain.
" Sa gitna ng madilim na ulap, biglang sumilay ang sinag ng araw na parang nangangakong titila na ang ulan. "
Natural Translation
In the middle of the dark clouds, a ray of sunlight suddenly broke through, as if promising the rain would soon stop.
Literal Translation
In-the middle of-the dark linker cloud, suddenly appeared-briefly the ray of sun linker as-if promising will-stop already the rain.
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 workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Tagalog Question Words: Ano, Sino, Saan & More
Tagalog question words like ano, sino, and saan need the right frame to work. Learn the ang-vs-pronoun rule, confusable pairs, and the ba particle with audio.
Days of the Week and Months in Tagalog
The days of the week and months in Tagalog are Spanish loanwords. Learn all 7 days and 12 months with pronunciation, plus how to say dates and 'every Monday.'
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.
Tagalog Root Words: Learn a Few Hundred, Understand Thousands
Tagalog root words unlock vocabulary fast: learn a few hundred and recognize thousands. Real word families, examples, and a practical study strategy.