bitso

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• bicho
• bichu

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Hokkien, possibly either:

• 米粞 (bí-chhòe / bí-chhè, “rice dough; rice flour”), according to Manuel (1948).
• 米棗 / 米枣 (bí chó, literally “rice ball”), according to Chan-Yap (1980).

Compare Philippine Spanish vicho-vicho.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈbit͡ʃo/ [ˈbiː.t͡ʃo]
  • IPA^(key): (no palatal assimilation) /ˈbitso/ [ˈbit̪.so]
• Rhymes: -it͡ʃo, (no palatal assimilation) -itso
• Syllabification: bit‧so

Noun

bitso (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜒᜆ᜔ᜐᜓ)

1. youtiao (elongated deep-fried Chinese doughnut pastry fritter made from rice flour, especially the Philippine version usually rolled in sugar)

   Synonym: bitso-bitso

Derived terms

• bitso-bitso
• bitso-bitsuhan
• bitso-bitsuhin
• magbibitso
• magbitso

Related terms

• bihon
• biko
• bithay

See also

• bilo-bilo
• pinisi
• siyakoy

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Hokkien 米漿 / 米浆 (bí-chiuⁿ, “rice milk starch made by grinding rice with water”), according to Manuel (1948).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /biˈt͡ʃo/ [bɪtˈt͡ʃo]
  • IPA^(key): (no palatal assimilation) /bitˈso/ [bɪt̪ˈso]
• Rhymes: -o
• Syllabification: bit‧so

Noun

bitsó (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜒᜆ᜔ᜐᜓ)

1. a kind of starchy sauce for fried food (such as palabok for pancit noodles)

Related terms

• am
• suam

See also

• palabok

Further reading

• “bitso”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2025
• “bitso”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Santos, Vito C. (1978), Vicassan's Pilipino-English Dictionary, Revised edition (overall work in Tagalog and English), With an Introduction by Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Metro Manila: National Book Store, →ISBN, page 175
• Panganiban, José Villa (1973), Diksyunaryo-Tesauro Pilipino-Ingles (overall work in Tagalog and English), Quezon City: Manlapaz Publishing Co., page 173
• Chan-Yap, Gloria (1980), “Hokkien Chinese borrowings in Tagalog”, in Pacific Linguistics, volume B, number 71 (PDF), Canberra, A.C.T. 2600.: The Australian National University, page 137
• Manuel, E. Arsenio (1948), Chinese elements in the Tagalog language: with some indication of Chinese influence on other Philippine languages and cultures and an excursion into Austronesian linguistics, Manila: Filipiniana Publications, page 18
• Douglas, Carstairs (1873), “bí-chiuⁿ”, in Chinese-English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy, With the Principal Variations of the Chang-chew and Chin-chew Dialects. (overall work in Hokkien and English), London: Trübner & Co., page 57; New Edition, With Corrections by the Author., Thomas Barclay, Lîm Iàn-sîn 林燕臣, London: Publishing Office of the Presbyterian Church of England, 1899, page 57

Anagrams

• bisto