From root: taba
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
tumaba
tu-ma-BA
got fat
Present (Incomplete)
tumataba
tu-ma-ta-BA
getting fat
Future (Contemplated)
tataba
ta-ta-BA
will get fat
Usage Note
Tumaba is used to describe the process of gaining weight or becoming larger. In Filipino social contexts, it is frequently used as a casual observation or greeting, though learners should be aware of the recipient's sensitivity to weight-related comments.
Examples
" Tumaba ako nitong bakasyon. "
Natural Translation
I got fatter this vacation.
Literal Translation
Got-fat I this vacation.
" Gusto kong tumaba nang kaunti. "
Natural Translation
I want to get a little fat.
Literal Translation
Want I get-fat a-little.
" Mula nang tumigil siya sa pag-eehersisyo, unti-unti siyang tumaba kaya hindi na kasya ang dati niyang mga damit. "
Natural Translation
Since he stopped exercising, he gradually gained weight, so his old clothes no longer fit.
Literal Translation
Since when stopped he at exercising, little-by-little he got-fat so not anymore fit the former his clothes.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
taba 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.

Magkano: How to Ask "How Much" in Tagalog
Magkano means how much in Tagalog. Learn to ask a price, tell it apart from ilan and gaano, sound polite with po, and haggle at the palengke.

Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.

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.

Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.