tsimay
tsimáy with stress marks
female servant (informal/slang)
Usage Note
Tsimay is colloquial and somewhat dated slang for a female household helper. The term can carry a dismissive connotation — the more respectful word is kasambahay — and is most common among older generations or in humorous contexts. The masculine counterpart is tsimoy.
Examples
" Tinawag niya ang tsimay. "
Natural Translation
She called the helper.
Literal Translation
Called she the helper.
" Tinawag niya ang kanilang tsimay. "
Natural Translation
He/She called their female servant.
Literal Translation
Called he/she the their female servant.
" Sa halip na tawaging tsimay, mas magalang na tawagin ang isang katulong na kasambahay. "
Natural Translation
Instead of calling her a maid, it is more respectful to call a household helper a kasambahay.
Literal Translation
In place of call helper, more respectful to call the one helper as kasambahay.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Tagalog Numbers 1-100: Counting, Time & Money Explained
Learn Tagalog numbers 1-100 and beyond. Master both native and Spanish-derived counting systems, plus telling time, reading prices, and ordinals.

Tagalog Verb Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)
The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.

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.

Ang, Ng, Sa: The 3 Tagalog Case Markers Explained
Ang, ng, sa are the three Tagalog case markers every noun takes. Learn what each does, the personal forms si/ni/kay, plurals with mga, and clear examples.