Thursday, March 12, 2026

"Matibunek" (Matambok)

"Matibunek" (Matambok)

Someone from the Facebook group page Saray Taga-Pangasinan asks, "Antoy talos na matibunek?" In Tagalog, "Ano ang ibig sabihin ng matambok?"

Of course, we all know what matambok means in Tagalog: maumbok, mabukol, malusog, malaman, and siksik. In other words, it means plump or rotund and other equivalents in English.

In comparison, the answers the poster got in Pangasinan language were overwhelming in number and variety.

Pangasinan language is endlessly surprising. Look at this unexpected haul from random group members.

abisog

abutit (too full)

aliwan kapit

amogkak

amogkal, amugkal

amosyak

amuknel

aneksek (nagsiksik)

atibugkol, tinmibugkol, binmugkol (bumukol; protruded)

bimmogkog

bimmokegkeg

bimmokel

binmungol

bunaknak, abunaknak

mabogkok

maiyan (full of pulp or flesh)

makarga (full of content), makarkarga

malaman, nakno'y laman (fleshy, full of flesh)

malapa-lapa

malikliknew, malitliknew

malimlimpek

manpugpugkok

mantampuwag, manlepwa?

mapangpangkol

mapatnag (obvious)

mapetnel, mapuknel

mapugkok

marindintek

mataba (fat)

matibunek

matibunel

matiboknek

matibukel

matimbukel

matimbuko

matmatyan

naing-ingkek

naitet

naksel, naknaksel (so full)

natnatno (filled up)

pager?

pineng?

seksek (Tagalog siksik), aseksek, aneksek

tibtibukel

timmambuo, tinmambuko

Other, more literal expressions:

mairap ya sakuban (mahirap takpan; hard to cover)

mapagew

maubet

ngalngali naputatan (halos maputukan?)

naglngali unpultak (halos pumutok)

masanting ya laman (nice body)


Metaphors and Similes

binmakokol (turned into a turtle)

bugian (has eggs)

bukel-bukel (seeds)

pinmalandey

pinmungol (turned into an anthill)

plapla (a rotund kind of tilapia)

Something that is matibunek is likened to a fat piglet (mataban belek), ripe camachile fruit, the pan de coco, monay, or pagong/pinagong bread, turtle (bakukol), buyog (earthen pot), siopao (Chinese meat bun), pakwan (watermelon), popcorn ya bimmota (popcorn that popped), sinakob (molasses disc), baklayan (?), bukel na maloko (like a cashew nut), lapis (coconut shell).

Someone else said singa angibulsay karag (like someone put a toad in his pocket) and singa angibulsay uken (like someone put a puppy in his pocket),

The term matibunek is, of course, most popularly used in salacious, sexual context, to refer to the female breast and/or genitals.


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