suki
súki with stress marks
regular customer; patron
Usage Note
Suki is believed to derive from Hokkien Chinese, reflecting the long history of Chinese trade in the Philippines. A suki relationship involves loyalty and reciprocity — the vendor offers better prices or extra portions, and the customer returns consistently — making it a cornerstone of informal Filipino market culture.
Examples
" Suki ako ng tindahang iyon. "
Natural Translation
I am a regular at that store.
Literal Translation
Regular-customer I of store that.
" Suki na ako sa tindahan nila. "
Natural Translation
I am already a regular customer at their store.
Literal Translation
Regular customer already I at store their.
" Dahil suki na ako sa palengke, madalas akong dagdagan ng tindera ng kaunting gulay nang walang bayad. "
Natural Translation
Because I am already a regular at the market, the vendor often adds a little extra vegetables for free.
Literal Translation
Because regular-customer already I at market, often I added by vendor of little vegetable without payment.
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