# Patol



## meetmeinnyc

Hello 

What is the meaning of "patol" (pumatol/patulan) and how is it used?


Thanks in advance!


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## DotterKat

*Patol* has no clearly defined equivalent in English. The meaning in English is highly context-dependent.
In a broad sense, patol refers to an antagonistic social interaction. In a narrower sense, patol can mean different things depending on the context. It can mean _facing up to, defying, opposing, confronting, stooping down to the level of someone or in any other way socially interacting with or paying any attention to someone._ More often than not, the other person is deemed to be in some way inferior for instance with regard to age, social status, mental capacity, moral standing, ethical standards or foundation of an argument, among other things. By extension, patol can also be directed towards an object or situation.

Huwag mong patulan ang kapatid mo. Don't confront your brother.
Huwag mong patulan ang nanay mo. Don't defy your mother.
Huwag mong patulan ang mga tsismis na yan. Don't pay any attention to those rumors.
Mas tanga ka kapag pumatol ka sa mga tanga. If you stoop down to the level of stupid people (by confronting them), it makes you more stupid (than they are). (Don't deal or interact with stupid people and never get into an argument with a stupid person).
Huwag kang papatol sa mga nakababata sa iyo. Don't confront people younger than you are. (Don't let those young people annoy you/ get under your skin. They don't know any better).
Huwag mong patulan ang bata. Don't let that kid annoy you. Don't pay any attention to that kid (no matter how much he may irritate or annoy you).
Wala ka talagang puso. Pati mga mangmang at pobre pinapatulan mo. You are truly heartless. You even [oppose/confront] poor, illiterate people.
Huwag mo na lang patulan yan dahil wala naman siyang kaalam-alam tungkol dito. Don't pay any attention to that person since he knows nothing at all about this matter. (Don't argue with him, don't even engage him in a conversation since his theory is totally without foundation or merit). 
Pati basura pinapatulan mo. You confront even the garbage (You are so mad/You are so angry that you even get mad with the garbage itself).

As you can see, patol can mean totally different things depending on the context.


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## meetmeinnyc

Thanks a million, DK, for such a detailed explanation!

I was not familiar with the above usage you just taught me, and now it's clear why I had been always confused when I heard it used in a lot of contexts because all I knew about the word was like the "go for a girl/boy you have a crush on" kind of usage.


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