ala eh

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• ala ay
• ala e

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔaˌla ˈʔe/, [ʔɐˌla ˈʔɛ]
• Rhymes: -e
• Syllabification: a‧la eh

Interjection

alá eh (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎ ᜁ)

1. (Batangas) expression of doubt, hesitation, uncertainty, or disapproval

   Synonyms: hala, (Batangas, Quezon) anla, aba eh

   Ala eh, magkano ga ang hihiramin mo? Parang kulang din ako eh.

   Uhmm.. How much would you borrow? It seems like I also don't have enough funds.

   Ala eh, sabi mo narito ka kahapon, wala ka naman dini sa litrato?

   But erm... you said you were here yesterday, but you aren't in this picture?

   Nabasag mo yung mga pinggan? Ala eh, anong gagawin ko?

   So you broke the plates? Uh.. what will I do?

Usage notes

• Despite being commonly attributed to Batangueños, some areas in Batangas rarely use this expression. The usage of ala or anla is more common.
• More commonly, the expression is split with ala at the start of the sentence, while eh is at the end.

  Ala, ayaw ko na eh?

  But uh.. I don't want.