"kuya" meaning in Tagalog

See kuya in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈkuja/ [Standard-Tagalog], [ˈk̠uː.jɐ] [Standard-Tagalog] Forms: ᜃᜓᜌ [Baybayin], coya [alternative], cuya [alternative], koya [alternative, colloquial]
Rhymes: -uja Etymology: Borrowed from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá) as per Chan-Yap (1980) and Manuel (1948) with an older obsolete form of the diminutive suffix which historically was a weak form of 囝 (kiáⁿ). Cognate with Cebuano kuya and Kapampangan koya. See also guya and piaya. Etymology templates: {{ety|tl|:af|nan-hbl:哥仔|tree=+}}, {{bor+|tl|nan-hbl|哥仔|tr=*ko-iá}} Borrowed from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá), {{zh-l|囝|tr=kiáⁿ}} 囝 (kiáⁿ), {{cog|ceb|kuya}} Cebuano kuya, {{cog|pam|koya}} Kapampangan koya Head templates: {{tl-noun|b=+}} kuya (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜓᜌ)
  1. elder brother; big brother Synonyms: kuyang
    Sense id: en-kuya-tl-noun-scZA~7j8
  2. (informal) term of address for a male senior (in school, work, etc.) Tags: informal Synonyms: kuyang
    Sense id: en-kuya-tl-noun-pecjaIXZ Categories (other): Pages with 7 entries, Pages with entries, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with etymon, Tagalog entries referencing missing etymons, Tagalog entries with etymon, Tagalog entries with incorrect language header, Tagalog terms with Baybayin script, Tagalog terms with missing Baybayin script entries, Male family members, Siblings Disambiguation of Pages with 7 entries: 1 18 11 13 20 3 25 6 1 1 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 1 19 11 13 20 1 26 7 1 1 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 7 70 16 3 3 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 7 70 16 3 3 Disambiguation of Tagalog entries referencing missing etymons: 7 69 16 5 3 Disambiguation of Tagalog entries with etymon: 7 70 13 6 3 Disambiguation of Tagalog entries with incorrect language header: 4 70 19 5 2 Disambiguation of Tagalog terms with Baybayin script: 5 64 25 4 2 Disambiguation of Tagalog terms with missing Baybayin script entries: 4 68 22 3 2 Disambiguation of Male family members: 5 39 20 27 9 Disambiguation of Siblings: 8 72 12 4 4
  3. (informal) term of address for any young male perceived to be older than the speaker: mister; bro Tags: informal Synonyms: kuyang, kuys
    Sense id: en-kuya-tl-noun-rwFLBamF Categories (other): Tagalog terms with malumay pronunciation Disambiguation of Tagalog terms with malumay pronunciation: 14 30 40 10 7
  4. (dialectal, Bulacan, informal) eldest male cousin Tags: dialectal, informal
    Sense id: en-kuya-tl-noun-tiq4MlzH Categories (other): Bulacan Tagalog
  5. (dialectal, Laguna, Quezon, informal) uncle Tags: dialectal, informal
    Sense id: en-kuya-tl-noun-MQfqAwGi Categories (other): Quezon Tagalog
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: kuyang, kuys, magkuya Related terms: ahiya, diko, sangko, siko, kaka, mama, manong Coordinate_terms: ate
{
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ate"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "kuyang"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "kuys"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "magkuya"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "tl",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "nan-hbl:哥仔",
        "tree": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "ety"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "tl",
        "2": "nan-hbl",
        "3": "哥仔",
        "tr": "*ko-iá"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "囝",
        "tr": "kiáⁿ"
      },
      "expansion": "囝 (kiáⁿ)",
      "name": "zh-l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ceb",
        "2": "kuya"
      },
      "expansion": "Cebuano kuya",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "pam",
        "2": "koya"
      },
      "expansion": "Kapampangan koya",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá) as per Chan-Yap (1980) and Manuel (1948) with an older obsolete form of the diminutive suffix which historically was a weak form of 囝 (kiáⁿ). Cognate with Cebuano kuya and Kapampangan koya. See also guya and piaya.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ᜃᜓᜌ",
      "tags": [
        "Baybayin"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coya",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cuya",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "koya",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "b": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "kuya (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜓᜌ)",
      "name": "tl-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ku‧ya"
  ],
  "hyphenations": [
    {
      "parts": [
        "ku‧ya"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Tagalog",
  "lang_code": "tl",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ahiya"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "diko"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "sangko"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "siko"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "kaka"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "mama"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "manong"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              18
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Our big brother helps our parents do housework.",
          "text": "Tumutulong si kuya sa aming mga magulang sa mga gawaing bahay.",
          "translation": "Our big brother helps our parents do housework.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "elder brother; big brother"
      ],
      "id": "en-kuya-tl-noun-scZA~7j8",
      "links": [
        [
          "elder brother",
          "elder brother"
        ],
        [
          "big brother",
          "big brother"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "kuyang"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "1 18 11 13 20 3 25 6 1 1",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 7 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "1 19 11 13 20 1 26 7 1 1",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 70 16 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 70 16 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 69 16 5 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Tagalog entries referencing missing etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 70 13 6 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Tagalog entries with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 70 19 5 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Tagalog entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 64 25 4 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Tagalog terms with Baybayin script",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 68 22 3 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Tagalog terms with missing Baybayin script entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 39 20 27 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "tl",
          "name": "Male family members",
          "orig": "tl:Male family members",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 72 12 4 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "tl",
          "name": "Siblings",
          "orig": "tl:Siblings",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              16,
              20
            ],
            [
              34,
              38
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              17
            ],
            [
              37,
              40
            ]
          ],
          "english": "I asked my senior from high school, \"Bro, What activities do you do in high school?\"",
          "text": "Tinanong ko ang kuya sa hayskul, \"Kuya, ano po ang mga gawain niyo sa hayskul\".",
          "translation": "I asked my senior from high school, \"Bro, What activities do you do in high school?\"",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "term of address for a male senior (in school, work, etc.)"
      ],
      "id": "en-kuya-tl-noun-pecjaIXZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "term of address",
          "term of address#English"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male#English"
        ],
        [
          "senior",
          "senior#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) term of address for a male senior (in school, work, etc.)"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "kuyang"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "14 30 40 10 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Tagalog terms with malumay pronunciation",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              27,
              31
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              28,
              34
            ]
          ],
          "english": "I bought ice cream from the mister.",
          "text": "Bumili ako ng sorbetes kay kuya.",
          "translation": "I bought ice cream from the mister.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "term of address for any young male perceived to be older than the speaker: mister; bro"
      ],
      "id": "en-kuya-tl-noun-rwFLBamF",
      "links": [
        [
          "term of address",
          "term of address#English"
        ],
        [
          "young",
          "young#English"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male#English"
        ],
        [
          "mister",
          "mister"
        ],
        [
          "bro",
          "bro"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) term of address for any young male perceived to be older than the speaker: mister; bro"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "kuyang"
        },
        {
          "word": "kuys"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Bulacan Tagalog",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "eldest male cousin"
      ],
      "id": "en-kuya-tl-noun-tiq4MlzH",
      "links": [
        [
          "eldest",
          "eldest"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ],
        [
          "cousin",
          "cousin"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dialectal, Bulacan, informal) eldest male cousin"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Quezon Tagalog",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "uncle"
      ],
      "id": "en-kuya-tl-noun-MQfqAwGi",
      "links": [
        [
          "uncle",
          "uncle"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Laguna",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dialectal, Laguna, Quezon, informal) uncle"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuja/",
      "tags": [
        "Standard-Tagalog"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈk̠uː.jɐ]",
      "tags": [
        "Standard-Tagalog"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uja"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kuya"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 7 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymon",
    "Rhymes:Tagalog/uja",
    "Rhymes:Tagalog/uja/2 syllables",
    "Tagalog 2-syllable words",
    "Tagalog entries referencing missing etymons",
    "Tagalog entries with etymon",
    "Tagalog entries with incorrect language header",
    "Tagalog lemmas",
    "Tagalog nouns",
    "Tagalog terms borrowed from Hokkien",
    "Tagalog terms derived from Hokkien",
    "Tagalog terms with Baybayin script",
    "Tagalog terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "Tagalog terms with malumay pronunciation",
    "Tagalog terms with missing Baybayin script entries",
    "tl:Male family members",
    "tl:Siblings"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "ate"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "kuyang"
    },
    {
      "word": "kuys"
    },
    {
      "word": "magkuya"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "tl",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "nan-hbl:哥仔",
        "tree": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "ety"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "tl",
        "2": "nan-hbl",
        "3": "哥仔",
        "tr": "*ko-iá"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "囝",
        "tr": "kiáⁿ"
      },
      "expansion": "囝 (kiáⁿ)",
      "name": "zh-l"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ceb",
        "2": "kuya"
      },
      "expansion": "Cebuano kuya",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "pam",
        "2": "koya"
      },
      "expansion": "Kapampangan koya",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Hokkien 哥仔 (*ko-iá) as per Chan-Yap (1980) and Manuel (1948) with an older obsolete form of the diminutive suffix which historically was a weak form of 囝 (kiáⁿ). Cognate with Cebuano kuya and Kapampangan koya. See also guya and piaya.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ᜃᜓᜌ",
      "tags": [
        "Baybayin"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coya",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cuya",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "koya",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "colloquial"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "b": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "kuya (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜓᜌ)",
      "name": "tl-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ku‧ya"
  ],
  "hyphenations": [
    {
      "parts": [
        "ku‧ya"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Tagalog",
  "lang_code": "tl",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "ahiya"
    },
    {
      "word": "diko"
    },
    {
      "word": "sangko"
    },
    {
      "word": "siko"
    },
    {
      "word": "kaka"
    },
    {
      "word": "mama"
    },
    {
      "word": "manong"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Tagalog terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              18
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Our big brother helps our parents do housework.",
          "text": "Tumutulong si kuya sa aming mga magulang sa mga gawaing bahay.",
          "translation": "Our big brother helps our parents do housework.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "elder brother; big brother"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "elder brother",
          "elder brother"
        ],
        [
          "big brother",
          "big brother"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "kuyang"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Tagalog informal terms",
        "Tagalog terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              16,
              20
            ],
            [
              34,
              38
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              17
            ],
            [
              37,
              40
            ]
          ],
          "english": "I asked my senior from high school, \"Bro, What activities do you do in high school?\"",
          "text": "Tinanong ko ang kuya sa hayskul, \"Kuya, ano po ang mga gawain niyo sa hayskul\".",
          "translation": "I asked my senior from high school, \"Bro, What activities do you do in high school?\"",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "term of address for a male senior (in school, work, etc.)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "term of address",
          "term of address#English"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male#English"
        ],
        [
          "senior",
          "senior#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) term of address for a male senior (in school, work, etc.)"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "kuyang"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Tagalog informal terms",
        "Tagalog terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              27,
              31
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              28,
              34
            ]
          ],
          "english": "I bought ice cream from the mister.",
          "text": "Bumili ako ng sorbetes kay kuya.",
          "translation": "I bought ice cream from the mister.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "term of address for any young male perceived to be older than the speaker: mister; bro"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "term of address",
          "term of address#English"
        ],
        [
          "young",
          "young#English"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male#English"
        ],
        [
          "mister",
          "mister"
        ],
        [
          "bro",
          "bro"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) term of address for any young male perceived to be older than the speaker: mister; bro"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "kuyang"
        },
        {
          "word": "kuys"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Bulacan Tagalog",
        "Tagalog dialectal terms",
        "Tagalog informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "eldest male cousin"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "eldest",
          "eldest"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ],
        [
          "cousin",
          "cousin"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dialectal, Bulacan, informal) eldest male cousin"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Quezon Tagalog",
        "Tagalog dialectal terms",
        "Tagalog informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "uncle"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "uncle",
          "uncle"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Laguna",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dialectal, Laguna, Quezon, informal) uncle"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuja/",
      "tags": [
        "Standard-Tagalog"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈk̠uː.jɐ]",
      "tags": [
        "Standard-Tagalog"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-uja"
    }
  ],
  "word": "kuya"
}

Download raw JSONL data for kuya meaning in Tagalog (4.9kB)

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: dialectal, Bulacan, informal",
  "path": [
    "kuya"
  ],
  "section": "Tagalog",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "kuya",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: dialectal, Bulacan, informal",
  "path": [
    "kuya"
  ],
  "section": "Tagalog",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "kuya",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: dialectal, Laguna, Quezon, informal",
  "path": [
    "kuya"
  ],
  "section": "Tagalog",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "kuya",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: dialectal, Laguna, Quezon, informal",
  "path": [
    "kuya"
  ],
  "section": "Tagalog",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "kuya",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Tagalog dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.