Skip to content

silbi

sílbi with stress marks

use; worth; to serve

noun verb SIL-bi Spanish origin Less Common

Usage Note

Silbi comes from Spanish servir and is versatile and very common in Filipino — walang silbi is one of the most frequently heard put-downs in colloquial speech. It can refer to practical utility, a person's worth or role, or the act of serving someone.

Examples

Beginner

" Walang silbi ang sirang payong. "

Natural Translation

The broken umbrella is useless.

Literal Translation

No use the broken umbrella.

Intermediate

" Walang silbi ang sirang relo. "

Natural Translation

The broken watch has no use.

Literal Translation

No use the broken watch.

Advanced

" Kahit gaano kaganda ang plano, walang silbi iyon kung walang gustong magsakripisyo para isakatuparan ito. "

Natural Translation

No matter how good the plan is, it's useless if no one is willing to sacrifice to carry it out.

Literal Translation

Even how beautiful the plan, no use that if no-one wants to-sacrifice for to-fulfill this.

Free · iOS & Android

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 work

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.