What Pinoys really are saying when you play Dota 2 with them

Filipino players in Dota 2 have earned themselves a reputation for swearing a lot, playing badly, and flat-out refusing to type or speak in English. It’s come to a point where anything that isn’t English or Chinese in the Southeast Asian servers is almost automatically dismissed as Tagalog. It’s annoying, of course, and embarrassing for other Pinoys who actually speak in English to communicate with their team.

(See: 7 kinds of players on the Dota 2 SEA server)

Now I won’t say that Pinoys don’t trash-talk or don’t swear, but here’s something to ponder on: they don’t do it all the time. Oftentimes, it’s just “Pinoys not speaking in English” as opposed to “Pinoys trash-talking in a language other than English”. So here are some Tagalog expressions and in-game language for your reference. The goal isn’t to teach you the language, but it might lessen the rage if you knew they aren’t trash-talking. We even added some in-game terms to help with gameplay communication (somehow).

h3>Swear words and general slang

h3>

• Tangina/Tangina mo

  – A swear word, which literally means “your mother is a whore”

• Bobo/Tanga/Gago/Engot

  – Stupid

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• Puta/Pucha

  – Whore

• Aw/Awts/Wew

  – An expression for surprise, disappointment or disagreement

• Rak na itu!

  – Let’s rock!

• San punta?

  – Where are you going?

• Rapsi

  – A slang word, which means “tastes good” and is often used after gaining anything significant such as a kill, Roshan, or a big item

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(See: The Facebook video of a kid trash talking is not okay)

Basic communication

• Teka

  – Wait

• Tara

  – Let’s go

• Oo/Uu

  – Yes

• Hindi

  – No

• Wag

  – Don’t

• Sige/Ge

  – Can mean “okay” (agreeing to something) or “go ahead/do it” (opposite of “wag”)

• Kuya

  – older brother

• Paps/Pare/Tol/Brad/Bart

  – Dude

• Dito/D2

  – Here

• Doon/Don/Dun

  – There

• Ano

  – What

• Takbo

  – Run

• Wala/La

  – Missing. For example, “wala mid” means “Mid is missing” or “wala Axe” means “Axe is missing”. It can also mean “none” as in “wala mana” means “no mana” or “wala boots” means “no boots”.

(See: The 7 kinds of noobs you will encounter in Dota 2)

Gameplay terms

• FF

  – Focus fire. This doesn’t refer to Windranger’s skill. This means to focus on one hero until he goes down. So saying “FF Luna” means to focus all skills and attacks on Luna until she dies.

• OM

  – Everyone should go and push the mid lane with the intention of taking high ground and finishing the game. It comes from the game mode “only mid”, hence “OM”.

• Rekta

  – Go straight for. For example, “rekta mid” or “rekta Radiance”

• Pugak

  – To split push.

• Quiapo gaming

  – A playstyle or strategy that consists of running away or avoiding team fights.

• Basag

  – Means “to break”. In-game, it means to “do damage to or take the tower”.

• Kati/Makati

  – Means “itchy”, but generally used to describe heroes that have high damage and are generally annoying.

(See: 5 signs that you’re still a Dota 2 noob (and how to cure it))

Heroes, items, and skills

• Miming

  – Mirana

• Jumong

  – Mirana’s Sacred Arrow

• Dora

  – Roam, Crystal Maiden

• Talon

  – Mirana’s Leap, Faceless Void’s Timewalk, Blink

• Puno

  – Treant Protector, Nature’s Prophet’s Treants

• Ahas

  – Shadow Shaman’s Serpent Wards

• Kagat

  – Pudge’s Dismember

• Aso

  – Lycan’s Shapeshift

• Mumu/moomoo/multo

  – Death Prophet’s Excorcism

• Tulog

  – Sleep as in the status, but may also refer to Naga Siren’s Song of the Siren or Bane Elemental’s Nightmare

• Ikot

  – Juggernaut’s Blade Fury

• Barko/Bangka

  – Kunkka’s Ghost Ship

• Jeje boots/Jeje

  – Arcane boots

Did you learn anything useful? Of course, this isn’t to say that it’s okay for Pinoys or any other nationality to refuse to communicate in English with their teammates. After all, Dota 2 relies much on communication. However, let’s keep in mind that just because a person isn’t speaking your language doesn’t mean he’s trash talking. Even if he is Pinoy.

Here’s some food for thought before you trash-talk:

UPDATE 28-08-14: This article has been updated to correct Kagat; add San Punta?, Aso, Talon, Rak Na Itu, Wew, Kati, and Jumong; and add “Roaming” to Dora.