Hindi vs. Wala

There are two kinds of “no” here. It’s helpful to know them both and when to use them.

“Hindi” (hin-DEH) or just “‘di” (DEH) is purely the negative equivalent of the English no. It is used when there is nothing to be missed (this will be clearer in a moment.) So, if someone asks you if you like One Direction, you answer, “Hindi.” or “Hindi, po,” if it’s an older person or social superior (like a boss).

“Wala” means “all out” or “there is not any” or “absence of.” So, if someone asks you if you have some money, you answer, “Wala,” or “Wala, po.” If they asked if you had dinner tonight, you would also answer with wala rather than hindi, because there was an absence of dinner in your life.Ā  They may ask, “May loyalty card?” (Do you have a loyalty card?)Ā  You would answer “Wala”.

 

3 thoughts on “Hindi vs. Wala

  1. hi, anne… i see that you may be loving right now in or around the manila area because of at least two of your posts on the tagalog language… i’m sorry to bother you again on this one with a similar observation on “wala” and ” walaNG”… the correct stand-alone reply is simply “wala”… i wish you luck on your exploration of the language… šŸ™‚

  2. no problem at all… i do have a liking for languages and culture and i just find it pleasing to have a ‘chat’ on these things whenever a chance comes up… šŸ™‚ enjoy! šŸ™‚

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