Grabe

seriousadjective / interjection

Alternative meanings

serious; severe; grave; intense; extreme; very strong; expression of surprise, depending on context

Pronunciation

GRAH-beh

Root and affixes

Loanword related to Spanish grave. In Bisaya/Cebuano it is used as an adjective for something serious or severe, and in conversation also as an intensifier.

Variants or conjugations

garabe; grabeng; grabe kaayo

Related words and expressions

seryoso = serious; delikado = dangerous or delicate; bug-at = heavy or serious; kusog = strong

Meaning and usage notes

Grabe can sound formal or colloquial depending on context. For a serious person, seryoso may fit better; for a serious illness or problem, grabe works very well.