mababa

Higaonon

Adjective

mababa

1. short

Tagalog

Etymology 1

From ma- +‎ baba (“lowness; descent”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /maˈbabaʔ/ [mɐˈbaː.bɐʔ] (adjective)
    • Rhymes: -abaʔ
  • IPA^(key): /mabaˈbaʔ/ [mɐ.bɐˈbaʔ] (verb)
    • Rhymes: -aʔ
• 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

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

Verb

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

1. to be able to lower something

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		ma-
root word		baba
trigger		object
aspect
infinitive		mababa
complete		nababa
progressive		nabababa
contemplative		mabababa

Further reading

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