mababa

Higaonon

Adjective

mababa

1. short

Tagalog

Etymology 1

From ma- +‎ baba (“lowness”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /maˈbabaʔ/ [mɐˈbaː.bɐʔ]
• Rhymes: -abaʔ
• Syllabification: ma‧ba‧ba

Adjective

mababà (plural mabababa, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜊᜊ)

1. low

   Antonym: mataas

2. of low stature (of a person)

   Synonym: pandak

3. below a level (of a place)

   Synonyms: lubog, malalim

4. shallow (of water in rivers, pools, etc.)

   Synonyms: di-malalim, mababaw

5. low (of price)

   Synonym: mura

6. low (of voice)

   Synonym: mahina

7. inferior; poor (of quality)

   Synonym: mahina

8. lowly; of low stature (in society)

   Synonyms: hamak, aba

Inflection

    Degrees of mababa

positive			singular	plural	root
			mababa	mabababa	baba
	superiority		inferiority		equality
	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
comparative	mas mababa	mas mabababa	hindi gaanong mababa	hindi gaanong mabababa	kasimbaba
	relative		absolute
	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
superlative	ang pinakamababa	ang pinakamabababa	napakamababa	napakamabababa	pagkababa	pagkababa-baba

Derived terms

• ibong mababa ang lipad
• kalapating mababa ang lipad
• mababa ang luha
• mababang kapulungan
• mababang paaralan
• mababang-loob

 

See also

• mura

 

Etymology 2

From ma- +‎ baba (“piggyback”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /mabaˈba/ [mɐ.bɐˈba]
• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: ma‧ba‧ba

Verb

mababá (complete nababa, progressive nabababa, contemplative mabababa, Baybayin spelling ᜋᜊᜊ)

1. to be able to carry someone piggyback

Conjugation

Verb conjugation for mababa

Affix	Root word		Trigger
ma-	baba		object
Aspect
Infinitive	Complete	Progressive	Contemplative
mababa	nababa	nabababa	mabababa

Further reading

• “mababa”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018