Introduction
In English, « sink » can mean a kitchen fixture, a vessel that holds water, or the act of descending beneath a surface. In Tagalog, these senses unfold across different words—lababo for the fixture, lumubog for intransitive sinking, ilubog for making something sink, and nalunod when someone tragically drowns. Mastering these will give you not just vocabulary but a window into Filipino daily life, grammar, and vivid idiomatic expressions that make Tagalog so delightfully expressive.
— Let’s dive in, shall we?
1. The Kitchen Sink: lababo
Lababo (pronounced la-BA-bo) is the direct Tagalog term for the kitchen sink. It’s borrowed from Spanish lavabo, yet it’s fully naturalized in everyday speech.
- Gender-neutral noun
- No change for plural (ang mga lababo)
- Often paired with gripo (“faucet”) or patubig (“water supply”)
When Filipinos say “linisin mo ang lababo,” they mean, “Clean the sink.” Notice the particle ang marking the definite noun.
2. Spanish Roots and Local Tweaks
| Spanish Origin | Tagalog Form | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| lavabo | lababo | la-BA-bo | vowel shift: va → bo |
| fregadero | (rare) | — | mostly unused in Tagalog |
| lavabo | lavabo | la-BA-bo | sometimes seen in writing |
Over time, Filipino speakers opted for lababo instead of fregadero, making the term unmistakably Tagalog in sound—even if its origin is Iberian.
3. Sink (Verb), Intransitive: lumubog
When something sinks by itself—“The canoe sank”—Tagalog uses lumubog (root: lubog).
- Lumubog (present/complete)
- Lumulubog (imperfect/ongoing)
- Lalubog (future)
Example: “Lumulubog ang araw sa kanluran.” (The sun is sinking in the west.)
4. Sink (Verb), Transitive: ilubog
To make something else sink, use the -i focus: ilubog.
- Ilubog mo ang pinggan sa tubig. (Dunk the plate in water.)
- Na-ilubog ang kahoy nang malalim. (The wood was sunk deeply.)
Key difference: lumubog = it sinks; ilubog = you cause it to sink.
5. Drown vs. Sink: nalunod
When a person or animal goes under water and can’t come up, Tagalog says nalunod (root: lunod).
- Nalunod (completed drowning)
- Nalulunod (currently drowning)
- Malulunod (will drown)
Example: “Nalunod ang bata sa ilog.” (The child drowned in the river.)
— This is not interchangeable with lumubog; people don’t “lumubog,” they “nalunod.”
6. Idiomatic Expressions with “Sink”
Fixed phrases enrich your Tagalog—these idioms show how “sink” flavors metaphor:
- “Lulubog-hatid” (sink-or-swim)
- “Bumagsak nang parang bato” (to sink like a rock)
- “Lunod sa utang” (sink in debt)
- “Lumulubog ang loob” (feel sad—literally, “the insides sink”)
Try: “Kung di ka mag-aaral, lulubog-hatid ka sa trabaho.” (If you don’t study, it’s sink-or-swim at work.)
7. Conjugation Table for lumubog vs. ilubog
| Tense/Aspect | Lumubog (intransitive) | Ilubog (transitive) |
|---|---|---|
| Imperfect/Ongoing | lumulubog | inilulubog (ono.) |
| Completed/Perfect | lumubog | inilubog |
| Future/Contempl. | lalubog | ilulubog |
— Memorizing this small matrix unlocks dozens of sentences.
8. Beyond the Kitchen: Cultural Context
In many Filipino homes, the lababo is more than a washing station—it’s a social space. Neighbors gather at the backdoor to scrub dishes and swap stories. Guests who lend a hand “sa lababo” often earn extra goodwill.
Home-improvement shows in Tagalog even spotlight lababo designs—granite countertops, double bowls, hidden water heaters—proving that sinks in the Philippines blend function with festive flair.
9. Technical Uses: Sinkholes & Beyond
Geologists describe sinkholes as “sinkhole” in English, but Filipino science writers often say lugar na lumubog or borrow “sinkhole” directly, italicized: sinkhole.
Example: “Natuklasan ang isang malawak na lugar na lumubog sa Batangas.”
— Note the hyphenation in more formal texts: lumu-bog (root emphasis).
10. Grammar Spotlight: Articles, Particles & Focus
Tagalog uses particles to show focus:
- Ang lababo (the sink)
- Lininisan ng lababo (sank cleaned the sink)
- Sa lababo (at the sink)
Verbal focus changes meaning:
- Ilubog mo → You sink it
- Pinaglubog mo → You made it sink (with emphasis on action)
Playing with these affixes lets you nuance “sink” in dozens of ways.
11. Practical Dialogues
A: “Nasira na naman ang lababo.” B: “Bakit? Nasubukan mo bang ilubog doon ang sponge?” A: “Hindi, pero lumu-bog na yata yung tubo.”
Or if something’s drowning in debt: C: “Lunod na lunod na siya.” D: “Tulongan mo nga siya, baka malubog nang tuluyan.”
Practice these lines out loud—it cements both vocabulary and rhythm.
12. Putting It All Together
We’ve surfed from the Spanish-born lababo to Tagalog’s native lubog —diving through affixes, idioms, and even geological jargon. Now you know:
- When the plates sit in water, that’s lababo.
- When things go under, they lumubog or you ilubog them.
- When people can’t resurface, they nalunod.
- And when your heart feels crushed, your loob lumulubog.
— Far more than a single translation, “sink” in Tagalog offers a microcosm of how language evolves, borrows, and invents to fit every ripple of human experience.
Feeling adventurous? Try writing a short story where your characters’ fortunes “lulubog” and “lulutang” through conflict—and post it to your language‐exchange group. You’ll be amazed how richly Tagalog captures the tides of emotion and meaning.
