ngani

Bikol Central

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Philippine *ŋani. Compare Cebuano gani.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈŋaniʔ/ [ˈŋa.n̪iʔ]
• Hyphenation: nga‧ni

Particle

nganì (Basahan spelling ᜅᜈᜒ)

1. A particle used to soften a command.

   Tama na ngani.

   That's enough, already.

2. A particle used to indicate affirmation.

   Gusto niya nganing mag-iba.

   He really wants to join.

3. A particle used to indicate relief.

   Marhay ngani ta naabotan mo pa.

   It's good that you caught up.

Hanunoo

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *ŋani.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈŋani/ [ˈŋɐ.ni]
• Rhymes: -ani
• Syllabification: nga‧ni

Interjection

ngani (Hanunoo spelling ᜥᜨᜲ)

1. indeed

   Mayad inda unman aw? Mayad ngani!

   This is alright, isn't it? Yes indeed!

Further reading

• Conklin, Harold C. (1953), Hanunóo-English Vocabulary (University of California Publications in Linguistics), volume 9, London, England: University of California Press, →OCLC, page 200
• Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*ŋani”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

Shona

Adjective

-nganí

1. (interrogative) how much, how many

Inflection

Inflected forms

	plural only
class 2		vanganí
class 4		minganí
class 6		manganí
class 8		zvinganí
class 10		nganí
class 13		tunganí

Tagalog

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *ŋani. Compare Remontado Agta ngani, Bikol Central ngani, and Cebuano gani.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈŋaniʔ/ [ˈŋaː.n̪ɪʔ]
• Rhymes: -aniʔ
• Syllabification: nga‧ni

Adverb

nganì (Baybayin spelling ᜅᜈᜒ) (now dialectal, Rizal, Southern Tagalog)

1. Used to indicate something as true: indeed; really

   Near-synonym: nga

   Hanggang ngay-on ngani ay di ko alam kung ako baga ay nananag-inip.

   Even really up to now, I do not know if I am dreaming.

   • 1704, Gaspar Aquino de Belen, “Aral”, in Passion ni Iesu Christong Panginoon natin:

     Maganda'y ang magkakasakit dito na ngani tumangis nang kusang di pinipilit, kung sa Diyos idarangpit, doon luluag sa langit.

     What's good is that ones who would be ill, here indeed they weep with a will not forced, if to God you shall ask, there in heaven shall be free.

Interjection

nganì (Baybayin spelling ᜅᜈᜒ) (now dialectal, Rizal, Southern Tagalog)

1. indeed; truly

   Synonym: mandin

Usage notes

• The word ngani has a greater degree and more appropriate in providing reasons than nga.
• As of 2025, the word's usage has seen a resurgence among speakers outside Southern Luzon due to social media.

Further reading

• “ngani”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2025
• “ngani”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Serrano Laktaw, Pedro (1914), Diccionario tagálog-hispano (overall work in Tagalog and Spanish), Intramuros, Manila: Ateneo de Manila., page 865
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de; Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860), Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves, y coordinado por…, ultimamente aumentado y corregido por varios religiosos de la Orden de Agustinos calzados.‎^[1] (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: Ramírez y Giraudier.
• Santos, Fr. Domingo de los (1835), Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala, primera y segunda parte. En la primera, se pone primero el Castellano, y despues el Tagalo. Y en la segunda al contrario, que son las raíces simples con sus acentos.‎^[2] (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: La Imprenta nueva de D. José María Dayot, por Tomás Oliva.
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613), Vocabulario de lengua tagala. El romance castellano puesto primero. Primera, y segunda parte.‎^[3] (overall work in Early Modern Spanish and Classical Tagalog), as directed by Gov. Gen. Juan de Silva, Pila, Laguna: La noble Villa de Pila, por Tomás Pinpin y Domingo Loag.
  • page 252: “Deuerdad) Ng̃ani (pp) adver)”
  • page 616: “Zierto) Ng̃ani (pp) adver)”
• Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*ŋani”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

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