What is “kilig” in English? “Kilig” is not equivalent to giggle because a person who experiences “kilig” does not necessarily giggle. “Kilig” is also not entirely synonymous to shiver because, according to Merriam-Webster’s Learners Dictionary, shiver means “to shake slightly because you are afraid, cold or happy.” Perhaps the closest translation to “kilig” using the word shiver is the phrase “feel a shiver of delight, pleasure or excitement.” In this phrase, “shiver” is a noun than a verb.
Example: “She felt a shiver of delight (pleasure or excitement) when she saw her favorite actor on television.” (Kinilig siya nang nakita ang kaniyang paboritong aktor sa telebisyon.)