From root: tigas
Usage Note
Katigasan refers to the state of being hard or stubborn. It is most often used in the phrase katigasan ng ulo to describe a person's stubbornness.
Examples
" Grabe ang katigasan ng bato. "
Natural Translation
The hardness of the rock is intense.
Literal Translation
Intense the hardness of rock.
" Hindi ko maputol ang tinapay dahil sa katigasan nito. "
Natural Translation
I cannot cut the bread because of its hardness.
Literal Translation
Not I able to cut the bread because of the hardness of it.
" Dahil sa katigasan ng kaniyang ulo, hindi siya nakinig kahit pinagsabihan na siya ng marami. "
Natural Translation
Because of his stubbornness, he didn't listen even though many people had already warned him.
Literal Translation
Because of the hardness of his head, not he listened even-if warned already he by many.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
tigas has 5 related forms built from the same root.
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.

Tagalog Slang Guide: 20 Words You'll Hear on TikTok
Tagalog slang explained: lodi, petmalu, werpa, astig, chika and more. Decode Filipino TikTok comments, group chats, and pop culture with this practical guide.

Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.

Tagalog Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.