tigas
tigás with stress marks
hardness; rigidity
Usage Note
Tigas refers to physical rigidity and is the base for the common adjective matigas. It is also frequently used metaphorically to describe a person's stubbornness, as in the popular idiom "matigas ang ulo," or their emotional resilience.
Examples
" Ang tigas ng batong ito. "
Natural Translation
This stone is so hard.
Literal Translation
The hardness of this stone.
" Ang tigas ng tinapay na ito. "
Natural Translation
This bread is very hard.
Literal Translation
The hardness of bread this.
" Dahil sa tigas ng kaniyang ulo, ayaw niyang makinig kahit alam niyang mali ang ginagawa. "
Natural Translation
Because of his stubbornness, he refuses to listen even though he knows what he's doing is wrong.
Literal Translation
Because of the hardness of his head, refuses he to listen even knows he wrong the doing.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workDerived Words
Actor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Tagalog Affixes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Word Building
Tagalog affixes turn one root word into dozens of meanings. Learn prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes with clear examples for beginners.

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.

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.

Tagalog Pronouns Explained: Complete Chart with Examples
Every Tagalog pronoun explained with clear charts: ang/ng/sa forms, tayo vs kami, ikaw vs ka, politeness markers, and the mistakes beginners make.