yerba buwena
yérba buwéna with stress marks
mint; peppermint
Usage Note
Yerba buwena comes from Spanish 'hierba buena' and is a common medicinal plant in the Philippines used to relieve headaches, toothaches, and stomach pain. It is among the ten traditional herbal medicines endorsed by the Philippine Department of Health as an officially recognized alternative remedy.
Examples
" Mabango ang yerba buwena. "
Natural Translation
The peppermint smells fragrant.
Literal Translation
Fragrant the peppermint.
" Inabot niya sa akin ang dahon ng yerba buwena para sa aking sakit ng ulo. "
Natural Translation
He/She handed me a leaf of peppermint for my headache.
Literal Translation
Handed he/she to me the leaf of-the peppermint for the my headache.
" Tuwing sumasakit ang ulo ko, nagpapakulo ang lola ko ng yerba buwena na pinipitas pa sa likod-bahay. "
Natural Translation
Whenever I get a headache, my grandmother boils peppermint that she picks fresh from the backyard.
Literal Translation
Every-time aches the head my, boils the grandmother my of peppermint that is-picked still at back-house.
Take Tagalog with you
The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.
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.
Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.
Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.
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.
Filipino Food: 12 Essential Dishes (With Tagalog Names)
Filipino food, from adobo to halo-halo: learn the Tagalog names, pronunciations, and ingredients behind 12 dishes you'll want to try on your first trip.