We are the word tagalog

This article is about the national language of the Philippines. For an overview of all languages spoken in the Philippines, see Languages of the Philippines.

Tagalog
Wikang Tagalog ᜏᜒᜃᜅ᜔ ᜆᜄᜎᜓᜄ᜔
Pronunciation	[tɐˈɡaːloɡ]
Native to	Philippines
Region	Katagalugan; Metro Manila, Parts of Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Parts of Mimaropa
Ethnicity	Tagalog
Native speakers	28 million (2022)[1] 82 million total speakers (2022)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Philippine Greater Central Philippine Central Philippine Tagalog
Early forms	Proto-Austronesian Proto-Malayo-Polynesian Proto-Philippine Old Tagalog Classical Tagalog
Standard forms	Filipino
Dialects	Bataan Batangas Bulacan Lubang Manila Marinduque Puray Tanay–Paete (Eastern Rizal-Northern Laguna) Tayabas (Quezon)
Writing system	Abakada alphabet (Latin script) Philippine Braille Baybayin (historically)
Official status
Official language in	Philippines (as Filipino) ASEAN (as Filipino)
Recognised minority language in	Philippines (as a regional language; apart from national standard of Filipino)
Regulated by	Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
Language codes
ISO 639-1	tl
ISO 639-2	tgl
ISO 639-3	tgl
Glottolog	taga1280  Tagalogic taga1269  Tagalog-Filipino
Linguasphere	31-CKA
Predominantly Tagalog-speaking regions in the Philippines.
Countries with more than 500,000 speakers   Countries with between 100,000–500,000 speakers   Countries where it is spoken by minor communities

Tagalog (, tə-GAH-log;^[2] [tɐˈɡaːloɡ]; Baybayin: ᜆᜄᜎᜓᜄ᜔) is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages, alongside English.

Tagalog is closely related to other Philippine languages, such as the Bikol languages, the Bisayan languages, Ilocano, Kapampangan, and Pangasinan, and more distantly to other Austronesian languages, such as the Formosan languages of Taiwan, Indonesian, Malay, Hawaiian, Māori, Malagasy, and many more.

Classification[edit]

Tagalog is a Central Philippine language within the Austronesian language family. Being Malayo-Polynesian, it is related to other Austronesian languages, such as Malagasy, Javanese, Indonesian, Malay, Tetum (of Timor), and Yami (of Taiwan).^[3] It is closely related to the languages spoken in the Bicol Region and the Visayas islands, such as the Bikol group and the Visayan group, including Waray-Waray, Hiligaynon and Cebuano.^[3]

Tagalog differs from its Central Philippine counterparts with its treatment of the Proto-Philippine schwa vowel *ə. In most Bikol and Visayan languages, this sound merged with /u/ and [o]. In Tagalog, it has merged with /i/. For example, Proto-Philippine *dəkət (adhere, stick) is Tagalog dikít and Visayan & Bikol dukot.

Proto-Philippine *r, *j, and *z merged with /d/ but is /l/ between vowels. Proto-Philippine *ŋajan (name) and *hajək (kiss) became Tagalog ngalan and halík.

Proto-Philippine *R merged with /ɡ/. *tubiR (water) and *zuRuʔ (blood) became Tagalog tubig and dugô.

History[edit]

The word Tagalog is derived from the endonym taga-ilog («river dweller»), composed of tagá- («native of» or «from») and ilog («river»). Linguists such as David Zorc and Robert Blust speculate that the Tagalogs and other Central Philippine ethno-linguistic groups originated in Northeastern Mindanao or the Eastern Visayas.^[4][5]

Possible words of Old Tagalog origin are attested in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription from the tenth century, which is largely written in Old Malay.^[6] The first known complete book to be written in Tagalog is the Doctrina Christiana (Christian Doctrine), printed in 1593. The Doctrina was written in Spanish and two transcriptions of Tagalog; one in the ancient, then-current Baybayin script and the other in an early Spanish attempt at a Latin orthography for the language.

Throughout the 333 years of Spanish rule, various grammars and dictionaries were written by Spanish clergymen. In 1610, the Dominican priest Francisco Blancas de San Jose published the Arte y reglas de la lengua tagala (which was subsequently revised with two editions in 1752 and 1832) in Bataan. In 1613, the Franciscan priest Pedro de San Buenaventura published the first Tagalog dictionary, his Vocabulario de la lengua tagala in Pila, Laguna.

The first substantial dictionary of the Tagalog language was written by the Czech Jesuit missionary Pablo Clain in the beginning of the 18th century. Clain spoke Tagalog and used it actively in several of his books. He prepared the dictionary, which he later passed over to Francisco Jansens and José Hernandez.^[7] Further compilation of his substantial work was prepared by P. Juan de Noceda and P. Pedro de Sanlucar and published as Vocabulario de la lengua tagala in Manila in 1754 and then repeatedly^[8] reedited, with the last edition being in 2013 in Manila.^[9]

Among others, Arte de la lengua tagala y manual tagalog para la administración de los Santos Sacramentos (1850) in addition to early studies^[10] of the language.

The indigenous poet Francisco Balagtas (1788–1862) is known as the foremost Tagalog writer, his most notable work being the 19th-century epic Florante at Laura.^[11]

Official status[edit]

Tagalog was declared the official language by the first revolutionary constitution in the Philippines, the Constitution of Biak-na-Bato in 1897.^[12]

In 1935, the Philippine constitution designated English and Spanish as official languages, but mandated the development and adoption of a common national language based on one of the existing native languages.^[13] After study and deliberation, the National Language Institute, a committee composed of seven members who represented various regions in the Philippines, chose Tagalog as the basis for the evolution and adoption of the national language of the Philippines.^[14][15] President Manuel L. Quezon then, on December 30, 1937, proclaimed the selection of the Tagalog language to be used as the basis for the evolution and adoption of the national language of the Philippines.^[14] In 1939, President Quezon renamed the proposed Tagalog-based national language as Wikang Pambansâ (national language).^[15] Quezon himself was born and raised in Baler, Aurora, which is a native Tagalog-speaking area. Under the Japanese puppet government during World War II, Tagalog as a national language was strongly promoted; the 1943 Constitution specifying: «The government shall take steps toward the development and propagation of Tagalog as the national language.»

In 1959, the language was further renamed as «Pilipino».^[15] Along with English, the national language has had official status under the 1973 constitution (as «Pilipino»)^[16] and the present 1987 constitution (as Filipino).

Controversy[edit]

The adoption of Tagalog in 1937 as basis for a national language is not without its own controversies. Instead of specifying Tagalog, the national language was designated as Wikang Pambansâ («National Language») in 1939.^{[14][17][better source needed]} Twenty years later, in 1959, it was renamed by then Secretary of Education, José Romero, as Pilipino to give it a national rather than ethnic label and connotation. The changing of the name did not, however, result in acceptance among non-Tagalogs, especially Cebuanos who had not accepted the selection.^[15]

The national language issue was revived once more during the 1971 Constitutional Convention. The majority of the delegates were even in favor of scrapping the idea of a «national language» altogether.^[18] A compromise solution was worked out—a «universalist» approach to the national language, to be called Filipino rather than Pilipino. The 1973 constitution makes no mention of Tagalog. When a new constitution was drawn up in 1987, it named Filipino as the national language.^[15] The constitution specified that as the Filipino language evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. However, more than two decades after the institution of the «universalist» approach, there seems to be little if any difference between Tagalog and Filipino.^{[citation needed]}

Many of the older generation in the Philippines feel that the replacement of English by Tagalog in the popular visual media has had dire economic effects regarding the competitiveness of the Philippines in trade and overseas remittances.^[19]

Use in education[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2018)

Upon the issuance of Executive Order No. 134, Tagalog was declared as basis of the National Language. On April 12, 1940, Executive No. 263 was issued ordering the teaching of the national language in all public and private schools in the country.^[20]

Article XIV, Section 6 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines specifies, in part:

Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system.^[21]

Under Section 7, however:

The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein.^[21]

In 2009, the Department of Education promulgated an order institutionalizing a system of mother-tongue based multilingual education («MLE»), wherein instruction is conducted primarily in a student’s mother tongue (one of the various regional Philippine languages) until at least grade three, with additional languages such as Filipino and English being introduced as separate subjects no earlier than grade two. In secondary school, Filipino and English become the primary languages of instruction, with the learner’s first language taking on an auxiliary role.^[22] After pilot tests in selected schools, the MLE program was implemented nationwide from School Year (SY) 2012–2013.^[23][24]

Tagalog is the first language of a quarter of the population of the Philippines (particularly in Central and Southern Luzon) and the second language for the majority.^[25]

Extent of use[edit]

In the Philippines[edit]

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, as of 2014, there were 100 million people living in the Philippines, where the vast majority have some basic level of understanding of the language. The Tagalog homeland, Katagalugan, covers roughly much of the central to southern parts of the island of Luzon—particularly in Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, and Rizal. Tagalog is also spoken natively by inhabitants living on the islands of Marinduque and Mindoro, as well as Palawan to a lesser extent. Significant minorities are found in the other Central Luzon provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac, Ambos Camarines in Bicol Region, and the Cordillera city of Baguio. Tagalog is also the predominant language of Cotabato City in Mindanao, making it the only place outside of Luzon with a native Tagalog-speaking majority.^[26]

At the 2000 Philippines Census, it is spoken by approximately 57.3 million Filipinos, 96% of the household population who were able to attend school;^[27] slightly over 22 million, or 28% of the total Philippine population,^[28] speak it as a native language.

The following regions and provinces of the Philippines are majority Tagalog-speaking (from north to south):

• Central Luzon Region
  • Aurora
  • Bataan
  • Bulacan
  • Nueva Ecija
  • Zambales
• Metro Manila (National Capital Region)
• Southern Luzon (Calabarzon and Mimaropa)
  • Batangas
  • Cavite
  • Laguna
  • Rizal
  • Quezon
  • Marinduque
  • Occidental Mindoro
  • Oriental Mindoro
  • Romblon (This is one the few provinces in Southern Tagalog area wherein Tagalog is not the majority native language; instead, the majority native languages belong to Visayan group.)
  • Palawan (Historically, Palawan was a non-Tagalog-speaking province; due to waves of cross-migration from various regions, Tagalog is now one of the main spoken languages in Palawan alongside Palawanic and Visayan groups.)
• Bicol Region (While the Bikol languages have traditionally been the majority languages in the following provinces, heavy Tagalog influence and migration has resulted in its significant presence in these provinces and in many communities, Tagalog is now the majority language.)
  • Camarines Norte
  • Camarines Sur
• Bangsamoro
  • Maguindanao (While Maguindanao has traditionally been the majority language of the province, Tagalog is now the main language of «mother tongue» primary education in the province and is the majority language in the regional center of Cotabato City, and is the lingua franca of Bangsamoro.)^[29]
• Davao Region
  • Metro Davao (While Cebuano is the majority language of the region, a linguistic phenomenon has developed whereby local residents have either shifted to Tagalog or significantly mix Tagalog terms and grammar into their Cebuano speech, because the older generations speak Tagalog to their children in home settings, and Cebuano is spoken in everyday settings, making Tagalog the secondary lingua franca.)

Tagalog speakers are also found in other parts of the Philippines and through its standardized form of Filipino, the language serves the national lingua franca of the country.

Outside of the Philippines[edit]

Tagalog serves as the common language among Overseas Filipinos, though its use overseas is usually limited to communication between Filipino ethnic groups. The largest concentration of Tagalog speakers outside the Philippines is found in the United States, wherein 2013, the United States Census Bureau reported (based on data collected in 2011) that it was the fourth most-spoken non-English language at home with almost 1.6 million speakers, behind Spanish, French (including Patois, Cajun, Creole), and Chinese (with figures for Cantonese and Mandarin combined). In urban areas, Tagalog ranked as the third most spoken non-English language, behind Spanish and Chinese varieties but ahead of French.^[30]

A study based on data from the United States Census Bureau’s 2015 American Consumer Survey shows that Tagalog is the most commonly spoken non-English language after Spanish in California, Nevada, and Washington states.^[31]

Tagalog is one of three recognized languages in San Francisco, California, along with Spanish and Chinese, making all essential city services be communicated using these languages along with English.^[32] Meanwhile, Tagalog and Ilocano (which is primarily spoken in northern Philippines) are among the non-official languages of Hawaii that its state offices and state-funded entities are required to provide oral and written translations to its residents.^[33][34] Election ballots in Nevada include instructions written in Tagalog, which was first introduced in the 2020 United States presidential elections.^[35]

Other countries with significant concentrations of overseas Filipinos and Tagalog speakers include Saudi Arabia with 938,490, Canada with 676,775, Japan with 313,588, United Arab Emirates with 541,593, Kuwait with 187,067, and Malaysia with 620,043.^[36]

Dialects[edit]

At present, no comprehensive dialectology has been done in the Tagalog-speaking regions, though there have been descriptions in the form of dictionaries and grammars of various Tagalog dialects. Ethnologue lists Manila, Lubang, Marinduque, Bataan (Western Central Luzon), Batangas, Bulacan (Eastern Central Luzon), Tanay-Paete (Rizal-Laguna), and Tayabas (Quezon) as dialects of Tagalog; however, there appear to be four main dialects, of which the aforementioned are a part: Northern (exemplified by the Bulacan dialect), Central (including Manila), Southern (exemplified by Batangas), and Marinduque.

Some example of dialectal differences are:

• Many Tagalog dialects, particularly those in the south, preserve the glottal stop found after consonants and before vowels. This has been lost in Standard Tagalog. For example, standard Tagalog ngayón (now, today), sinigáng (broth stew), gabí (night), matamís (sweet), are pronounced and written ngay-on, sinig-ang, gab-i, and matam-is in other dialects.
• In Teresian-Morong Tagalog, [ɾ] is usually preferred over [d]. For example, bundók (mountain), dagat (sea), dingdíng (wall), isdâ (fish), and litid (joints) become bunrók, ragat, ringríng, isrâ, and litir, e.g. «sandók sa dingdíng» («ladle on a wall» or «ladle on the wall», depending on the sentence) becoming «sanrók sa ringríng».
• In many southern dialects, the progressive aspect infix of -um- verbs is na-. For example, standard Tagalog kumakain (eating) is nákáin in Aurora, Quezon, and Batangas Tagalog. This is the butt of some jokes by other Tagalog speakers, for should a Southern Tagalog ask nákáin ka ba ng patíng? («Do you eat shark?»), he would be understood as saying «Has a shark eaten you?» by speakers of the Manila Dialect.
• Some dialects have interjections which are considered a regional trademark. For example, the interjection ala e! usually identifies someone from Batangas as does hane?! in Rizal and Quezon provinces.

Perhaps the most divergent Tagalog dialects are those spoken in Marinduque.^[37] Linguist Rosa Soberano identifies two dialects, western and eastern, with the former being closer to the Tagalog dialects spoken in the provinces of Batangas and Quezon.

One example is the verb conjugation paradigms. While some of the affixes are different, Marinduque also preserves the imperative affixes, also found in Visayan and Bikol languages, that have mostly disappeared from most Tagalog early 20th century; they have since merged with the infinitive.

Northern and central dialects form the basis for the national language.

Phonology[edit]

Tagalog has 21 phonemes: 16 of them are consonants and 5 are vowels. Native Tagalog words follow CV(C) syllable structure, though complex consonant clusters are permitted in loanwords. ^{[38][39][40][41][42][43]}

Vowels[edit]

Tagalog has five vowels, and four diphthongs.^{[44][45][46][47][48]} Tagalog originally had three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, and /u/. Tagalog is now considered to have five vowel phonemes following the introduction of two marginal phonemes from Spanish, /o/ and /e/.

Table of the five general Tagalog vowel phonemes

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i ⟨i⟩		u ⟨u⟩
Mid	ɛ ⟨e⟩		o̞ ⟨o⟩
Open		a ⟨a⟩

• /a/ an open central unrounded vowel roughly similar to English «father»; in the middle of a word, a near-open central vowel similar to Received Pronunciation «cup»; or an open front unrounded vowel similar to Received Pronunciation or California English «hat»
• /ɛ/ an open-mid front unrounded vowel similar to General American English «bed»
• /i/ a close front unrounded vowel similar to English «machine»
• /o/ a mid back rounded vowel similar to General American English «soul» or Philippine English «forty»
• /u/ a close back rounded vowel similar to English «flute»

Nevertheless, simplification of pairs [o ~ u] and [ɛ ~ i] is likely to take place, especially in some Tagalog as second language, remote location and working class registers.

The four diphthongs are /aj/, /uj/, /aw/, and /iw/. Long vowels are not written apart from pedagogical texts, where an acute accent is used: á é í ó ú.^[49]

Table of all possible realizations of Tagalog vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i ⟨i⟩		u ⟨u⟩
Near-close	ɪ ⟨i⟩		ʊ ⟨u⟩
Close-mid	e ⟨e/i⟩		o ⟨o/u⟩
Mid	ɛ̝ ⟨e⟩		o̞ ⟨o⟩
Open-mid	ɛ ⟨e⟩		ɔ ⟨o⟩
Near-open		ɐ ⟨a⟩
Open	a ⟨a⟩	ä ⟨a⟩

The table above shows all the possible realizations for each of the five vowel sounds depending on the speaker’s origin or proficiency. The five general vowels are in bold.

Consonants[edit]

Below is a chart of Tagalog consonants. All the stops are unaspirated. The velar nasal occurs in all positions including at the beginning of a word. Loanword variants using these phonemes are italicized inside the angle brackets.

Tagalog consonant phonemes^[49][50]

	Bilabial	Alv./Dental	Post-alv./ Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	m	n		ŋ ⟨ng⟩
Stop	voiceless	p	t		k	ʔ
voiced	b	d		ɡ
Affricate	voiceless		(ts)	(tʃ) ⟨ts, tiy, ty, ç⟩
voiced		(dz)	(dʒ) ⟨dz, diy, dy, c⟩
Fricative		s	(ʃ) ⟨siy, sy, sh⟩		h ⟨h, j⟩
Approximant		l	j ⟨y⟩	w
Rhotic		ɾ ⟨r⟩

• /k/ between vowels has a tendency to become [x] as in loch, German Bach, whereas in the initial position it has a tendency to become [kx], especially in the Manila dialect.
• Intervocalic /ɡ/ and /k/ tend to become [ɰ], as in Spanish agua, especially in the Manila dialect.
• /ɾ/ and /d/ were once allophones, and they still vary grammatically, with initial /d/ becoming intervocalic /ɾ/ in many words.^[49]
• A glottal stop that occurs in pausa (before a pause) is omitted when it is in the middle of a phrase,^[49] especially in the Metro Manila area. The vowel it follows is then lengthened. However, it is preserved in many other dialects.
• The /ɾ/ phoneme is an alveolar rhotic that has a free variation between a trill, a flap and an approximant ([r~ɾ~ɹ]).
• The /dʒ/ phoneme may become a consonant cluster [dd͡ʒ] in between vowels such as sadyâ [sɐdˈd͡ʒäʔ].

Glottal stop is not indicated.^[49] Glottal stops are most likely to occur when:

• the word starts with a vowel, like aso (dog)
• the word includes a dash followed by a vowel, like mag-aral (study)
• the word has two vowels next to each other, like paano (how)
• the word starts with a prefix followed by a verb that starts with a vowel, like mag-aayos ([will] fix)

Stress and final glottal stop[edit]

Stress is a distinctive feature in Tagalog. Primary stress occurs on either the final or the penultimate syllable of a word. Vowel lengthening accompanies primary or secondary stress except when stress occurs at the end of a word.

Tagalog words are often distinguished from one another by the position of the stress and/or the presence of a final glottal stop. In formal or academic settings, stress placement and the glottal stop are indicated by a diacritic (tuldík) above the final vowel.^[51] The penultimate primary stress position (malumay) is the default stress type and so is left unwritten except in dictionaries.

Phonetic comparison of Tagalog homographs based on stress and final glottal stop

Common spelling	Stressed non-ultimate syllable no diacritic	Stressed ultimate syllable acute accent (´)	Unstressed ultimate syllable with glottal stop grave accent (`)	Stressed ultimate syllable with glottal stop circumflex accent (^)
baka	[ˈbaka] baka (‘cow’)	[bɐˈka] baká (‘possible’)
pito	[ˈpito] pito (‘whistle’)	[pɪˈto] pitó (‘seven’)
bayaran	[bɐˈjaran] bayaran (‘pay [imperative]’)	[bɐjɐˈran] bayarán (‘for hire’)
bata	[ˈbata] bata (‘bath robe’)	[bɐˈta] batá (‘persevere’)	[ˈbataʔ] batà (‘child’)
sala	[ˈsala] sala (‘living room’)		[ˈsalaʔ] salà (‘sin’)	[sɐˈlaʔ] salâ (‘filtered’)
baba	[ˈbaba] baba (‘father’)	[baˈba] babá (‘piggy back’)	[ˈbabaʔ] babà (‘chin’)	[bɐˈbaʔ] babâ (‘descend [imperative]’)
labi			[ˈlabɛʔ]/[ˈlabiʔ] labì (‘lips’)	[lɐˈbɛʔ]/[lɐˈbiʔ] labî (‘remains’)

Grammar[edit]

Writing system[edit]

Tagalog, like other Philippines languages today, is written using the Latin alphabet. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1521 and the beginning of their colonization in 1565, Tagalog was written in an abugida—or alphasyllabary—called Baybayin. This system of writing gradually gave way to the use and propagation of the Latin alphabet as introduced by the Spanish. As the Spanish began to record and create grammars and dictionaries for the various languages of the Philippine archipelago, they adopted systems of writing closely following the orthographic customs of the Spanish language and were refined over the years. Until the first half of the 20th century, most Philippine languages were widely written in a variety of ways based on Spanish orthography.

In the late 19th century, a number of educated Filipinos began proposing for revising the spelling system used for Tagalog at the time. In 1884, Filipino doctor and student of languages Trinidad Pardo de Tavera published his study on the ancient Tagalog script Contribucion para el Estudio de los Antiguos Alfabetos Filipinos and in 1887, published his essay El Sanscrito en la lengua Tagalog which made use of a new writing system developed by him. Meanwhile, Jose Rizal, inspired by Pardo de Tavera’s 1884 work, also began developing a new system of orthography (unaware at first of Pardo de Tavera’s own orthography).^[52] A major noticeable change in these proposed orthographies was the use of the letter ⟨k⟩ rather than ⟨c⟩ and ⟨q⟩ to represent the phoneme /k/.

In 1889, the new bilingual Spanish-Tagalog La España Oriental newspaper, of which Isabelo de los Reyes was an editor, began publishing using the new orthography stating in a footnote that it would «use the orthography recently introduced by … learned Orientalis». This new orthography, while having its supporters, was also not initially accepted by several writers. Soon after the first issue of La España, Pascual H. Poblete’s Revista Católica de Filipina began a series of articles attacking the new orthography and its proponents. A fellow writer, Pablo Tecson was also critical. Among the attacks was the use of the letters «k» and «w» as they were deemed to be of German origin and thus its proponents were deemed as «unpatriotic». The publishers of these two papers would eventually merge as La Lectura Popular in January 1890 and would eventually make use of both spelling systems in its articles.^[53][52] Pedro Laktaw, a schoolteacher, published the first Spanish-Tagalog dictionary using the new orthography in 1890.^[53]

In April 1890, Jose Rizal authored an article Sobre la Nueva Ortografia de la Lengua Tagalog in the Madrid-based periodical La Solidaridad. In it, he addressed the criticisms of the new writing system by writers like Pobrete and Tecson and the simplicity, in his opinion, of the new orthography. Rizal described the orthography promoted by Pardo de Tavera as «more perfect» than what he himself had developed.^[53] The new orthography was however not broadly adopted initially and was used inconsistently in the bilingual periodicals of Manila until the early 20th century.^[53] The revolutionary society Kataás-taasan, Kagalang-galang Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Bayan or Katipunan made use of the k-orthography and the letter k featured prominently on many of its flags and insignias.^[53]

In 1937, Tagalog was selected to serve as basis for the country’s national language. In 1940, the Balarílà ng Wikang Pambansâ (English: Grammar of the National Language) of grammarian Lope K. Santos introduced the Abakada alphabet. This alphabet consists of 20 letters and became the standard alphabet of the national language.^{[54][better source needed]} The orthography as used by Tagalog would eventually influence and spread to the systems of writing used by other Philippine languages (which had been using variants of the Spanish-based system of writing). In 1987, the ABAKADA was dropped and in its place is the expanded Filipino alphabet.

Baybayin[edit]

Tagalog was written in an abugida (alphasyllabary) called Baybayin prior to the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, in the 16th century. This particular writing system was composed of symbols representing three vowels and 14 consonants. Belonging to the Brahmic family of scripts, it shares similarities with the Old Kawi script of Java and is believed to be descended from the script used by the Bugis in Sulawesi.

Although it enjoyed a relatively high level of literacy, Baybayin gradually fell into disuse in favor of the Latin alphabet taught by the Spaniards during their rule.

There has been confusion of how to use Baybayin, which is actually an abugida, or an alphasyllabary, rather than an alphabet. Not every letter in the Latin alphabet is represented with one of those in the Baybayin alphasyllabary. Rather than letters being put together to make sounds as in Western languages, Baybayin uses symbols to represent syllables.

A «kudlit» resembling an apostrophe is used above or below a symbol to change the vowel sound after its consonant. If the kudlit is used above, the vowel is an «E» or «I» sound. If the kudlit is used below, the vowel is an «O» or «U» sound. A special kudlit was later added by Spanish missionaries in which a cross placed below the symbol to get rid of the vowel sound all together, leaving a consonant. Previously, the consonant without a following vowel was simply left out (for example, bundok being rendered as budo), forcing the reader to use context when reading such words.

Example:

vowels ᜔ a ᜀ i e ᜁ u o ᜂ

b b ᜊ᜔ ba ᜊ bi be ᜊᜒ bu bo ᜊᜓ

k k ᜃ᜔ ka ᜃ ki ke ᜃᜒ ku ko ᜃᜓᜓ

d/r d/r ᜇ᜔ da/ra ᜇ di/ri de/re ᜇᜒ du/ru do/ro ᜇᜓ

g g ᜄ᜔ ga ᜄ gi ge ᜄᜒ gu go ᜄᜓ

h h ᜑ᜔ ha ᜑ hi he ᜑᜒ hu ho ᜑᜓ

l l ᜎ᜔ la ᜎ li le ᜎᜒ lu lo ᜎᜓ

m m ᜋ᜔ ma ᜋ mi me ᜋᜒ mu mo ᜋᜓ

n n ᜈ᜔ na ᜈ ni ne ᜈᜒ nu no ᜈᜓ

ng ng ᜅ᜔ nga ᜅ ngi nge ᜅᜒ ngu ngo ᜅᜓ

p p ᜉ᜔ pa ᜉ pi pe ᜉᜒ pu po ᜉᜓ

s s ᜐ᜔ sa ᜐ si se ᜐᜒ su so ᜐᜓ

t t ᜆ᜔ ta ᜆ ti te ᜆᜒ tu to ᜆᜓ

w w ᜏ᜔ wa ᜏ wi we ᜏᜒ wu wo ᜏᜓ

y y ᜌ᜔ ya ᜌ yi ye ᜌᜒ yu yo ᜌᜓ

Latin alphabet[edit]

Abecedario[edit]

Until the first half of the 20th century, Tagalog was widely written in a variety of ways based on Spanish orthography consisting of 32 letters called ‘ABECEDARIO’ (Spanish for «alphabet»).^[55][56] The additional letters from the 26-letter English alphabet are: ch, ll, ng, ñ, n͠g / ñg, and rr.

Majuscule	Minuscule	Majuscule	Minuscule
A	a	Ng	ng
B	b	Ñ	ñ
C	c	N͠g / Ñg	n͠g / ñg
Ch	ch	O	o
D	d	P	p
E	e	Q	q
F	f	R	r
G	g	Rr	rr
H	h	S	s
I	i	T	t
J	j	U	u
K	k	V	v
L	l	W	w
Ll	ll	X	x
M	m	Y	y
N	n	Z	z

Abakada[edit]

When the national language was based on Tagalog, grammarian Lope K. Santos introduced a new alphabet consisting of 20 letters called ABAKADA in school grammar books called balarilà.^{[57][58][full citation needed][59]} The only letter not in the English alphabet is ng.

Majuscule	Minuscule	Majuscule	Minuscule
A	a	N	n
B	b	Ng	ng
K	k	O	o
D	d	P	p
E	e	R	r
G	g	S	s
H	h	T	t
I	i	U	u
L	l	W	w
M	m	Y	y

Revised alphabet[edit]

In 1987, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports issued a memo stating that the Philippine alphabet had changed from the Pilipino-Tagalog Abakada version to a new 28-letter alphabet^[60][61] to make room for loans, especially family names from Spanish and English.^[62] The additional letters from the 26-letter English alphabet are: ñ, ng.

Majuscule	Minuscule	Majuscule	Minuscule
A	a	Ñ	ñ
B	b	Ng	ng
C	c	O	o
D	d	P	p
E	e	Q	q
F	f	R	r
G	g	S	s
H	h	T	t
I	i	U	u
J	j	V	v
K	k	W	w
L	l	X	x
M	m	Y	y
N	n	Z	z

ng and mga[edit]

The genitive marker ng and the plural marker mga (e.g. Iyan ang mga damit ko. (Those are my clothes)) are abbreviations that are pronounced nang [naŋ] and mangá [mɐˈŋa]. Ng, in most cases, roughly translates to «of» (ex. Siya ay kapatid ng nanay ko. She is the sibling of my mother) while nang usually means «when» or can describe how something is done or to what extent (equivalent to the suffix -ly in English adverbs), among other uses.

• Nang si Hudas ay nadulás.—When Judas slipped.
• Gumising siya nang maaga.—He woke up early.
• Gumalíng nang todo si Juan dahil nag-ensayo siya.—Juan greatly improved because he practiced.

In the first example, nang is used in lieu of the word noong (when; Noong si Hudas ay madulas). In the second, nang describes that the person woke up (gumising) early (maaga); gumising nang maaga. In the third, nang described up to what extent that Juan improved (gumaling), which is «greatly» (nang todo). In the latter two examples, the ligature na and its variants -ng and -g may also be used (Gumising na maaga/Maagang gumising; Gumaling na todo/Todong gumaling).

The longer nang may also have other uses, such as a ligature that joins a repeated word:

• Naghintáy sila nang naghintáy.—They kept on waiting» (a closer calque: «They were waiting and waiting.»)

pô/hô and opò/ohò[edit]

The words pô/hô originated from the word «Panginoon.» and «Poon.» («Lord.»). When combined with the basic affirmative Oo «yes» (from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *heqe), the resulting forms are opò and ohò.

«Pô» and «opò» are specifically used to denote a high level of respect when addressing older persons of close affinity like parents, relatives, teachers and family friends. «Hô» and «ohò» are generally used to politely address older neighbours, strangers, public officials, bosses and nannies, and may suggest a distance in societal relationship and respect determined by the addressee’s social rank and not their age. However, «pô» and «opò» can be used in any case in order to express an elevation of respect.

• Example: «Pakitapon naman pô/hô yung basura.» («Please throw away the trash.»)

Used in the affirmative:

• Ex: «Gutóm ka na ba?» «Opò/Ohò«. («Are you hungry yet?» «Yes.»)

Pô/Hô may also be used in negation.

• Ex: «Hindi ko pô/hô alam ‘yan.» («I don’t know that.»)

Vocabulary and borrowed words[edit]

Tagalog vocabulary is mostly of native Austronesian or Tagalog origin, such as most of the words that end with the diphthong -iw, (e.g. giliw) and words that exhibit reduplication (e.g. halo-halo, patpat, etc.). Besides inherited cognates, this also accounts for innovations in Tagalog vocabulary, especially traditional ones within its dialects. Tagalog has also incorporated many Spanish and English loanwords; the necessity of which increases in more technical parlance.

In precolonial times, Trade Malay was widely known and spoken throughout Maritime Southeast Asia, contributing a significant number of Malay vocabulary into the Tagalog language. Malay loanwords, identifiable or not, may often already be considered native as these have existed in the language before colonisation.

Tagalog also includes loanwords from Indian languages (Sanskrit and Tamil, mostly through Malay), Chinese languages (mostly Hokkien, followed by Cantonese, Mandarin, etc.), Japanese, Arabic and Persian.

English has borrowed some words from Tagalog, such as abaca, barong, balisong, boondocks, jeepney, Manila hemp, pancit, ylang-ylang, and yaya. Some of these loanwords are more often used in Philippine English.^[63]

Tagalog has contributed several words to Philippine Spanish, like barangay (from balan͠gay, meaning barrio), the abacá, cogon, palay, dalaga etc.

Tagalog words of foreign origin[edit]

Taglish (Englog)[edit]

Taglish and Englog are names given to a mix of English and Tagalog. The amount of English vs. Tagalog varies from the occasional use of English loan words to changing language in mid-sentence. Such code-switching is prevalent throughout the Philippines and in various languages of the Philippines other than Tagalog.

Code-mixing also entails the use of foreign words that are «Filipinized» by reforming them using Filipino rules, such as verb conjugations. Users typically use Filipino or English words, whichever comes to mind first or whichever is easier to use.

Magshoshopping kami sa mall. Sino ba ang magdadrive sa shopping center?

We will go shopping at the mall. Who will drive to the shopping center?

City-dwellers are more likely to do this.

The practice is common in television, radio, and print media as well. Advertisements from companies like Wells Fargo, Wal-Mart, Albertsons, McDonald’s and Western Union have contained Taglish.

Cognates with other Philippine languages[edit]

Austronesian comparison chart[edit]

Below is a chart of Tagalog and a number of other Austronesian languages comparing thirteen words.

English	one	two	three	four	person	house	dog	coconut	day	new	we (inclusive)	what	fire
Tagalog	isa	dalawa	tatlo	apat	tao	bahay	aso	niyog	araw	bago	tayo	ano	apoy
Tombulu (Minahasa)	esa	zua (rua)	telu	epat	tou	walé	asu	po’po’	endo	weru	kai, kita	apa	api
Central Bikol	sarô	duwa	tulo	apat	tawo	harong	ayam	niyog	aldaw	bâgo	kita	ano	kalayo
East Miraya Bikol	əsad	duwa	tulo	əpat	taw	balay	ayam/ido	nuyog	aldaw	bâgo	kita	unu/uno	kalayō
Rinconada Bikol	əsad	darwā	tolō	əpat	tawō	baləy	ayam	noyog	aldəw	bāgo	kitā	onō	kalayō
Waray	usa	duha	tulo	upat	tawo	balay	ayam/ido	lubi	adlaw	bag-o	kita	anu/nano	kalayo
Cebuano	usa/isa	duha	tulo	upat	tawo	balay	iro	lubi	adlaw	bag-o	kita	unsa	kalayo
Hiligaynon	isa	duha/dua	tatlo	apat	tawo	balay	ido	lubi	adlaw	bag-o	kita	ano	kalayo
Aklanon	isaea, sambilog	daywa	tatlo	ap-at	tawo	baeay	ayam	niyog	adlaw	bag-o	kita	ano	kaeayo
Kinaray-a	sara	darwa	tatlo	apat	tawo	balay	ayam	niyog	adlaw	bag-o	kita	ano	kalayo
Tausug	hambuuk	duwa	tu	upat	tau	bay	iru’	niyug	adlaw	ba-gu	kitaniyu	unu	kayu
Maguindanao	isa	dua	telu	pat	tau	walay	asu	niyug	gay	bagu	tanu	ngin	apuy
Maranao	isa	dowa	t’lo	phat	taw	walay	aso	neyog	gawi’e	bago	tano	tonaa	apoy
Kapampangan	metung	adwa	atlu	apat	tau	bale	asu	ngungut	aldo	bayu	ikatamu	nanu	api
Pangasinan	sakey	dua, duara	talo, talora	apat, apatira	too	abong	aso	niyog	ageo	balo	sikatayo	anto	pool
Ilocano	maysa	dua	tallo	uppat	tao	balay	aso	niog	aldaw	baro	datayo	ania	apoy
Ivatan	asa	dadowa	tatdo	apat	tao	vahay	chito	niyoy	araw	va-yo	yaten	ango	apoy
Ibanag	tadday	dua	tallu	appa’	tolay	balay	kitu	niuk	aggaw	bagu	sittam	anni	afi
Yogad	tata	addu	tallu	appat	tolay	binalay	atu	iyyog	agaw	bagu	sikitam	gani	afuy
Gaddang	antet	addwa	tallo	appat	tolay	balay	atu	ayog	aw	bawu	ikkanetam	sanenay	afuy
Tboli	sotu	lewu	tlu	fat	tau	gunu	ohu	lefo	kdaw	lomi	tekuy	tedu	ofih
Kadazan	iso	duvo	tohu	apat	tuhun	hamin	tasu	piasau	tadau	vagu	tokou	onu	tapui
Malay/Indonesian	satu	dua	tiga	empat	orang	rumah	anjing	kelapa/nyiur	hari	baru/baharu	kita	apa	api
Javanese	siji	loro	telu	papat	uwong	omah	asu	klapa/kambil	hari/dina/dinten	anyar/enggal	kita	apa/anu	geni
Acehnese	sa	duwa	lhèë	peuët	ureuëng	rumoh/balèë	asèë	u	uroë	barô	(geu)tanyoë	peuë	apuy
Lampung	sai	khua	telu	pak	jelema	lamban	asu	nyiwi	khani	baru	kham	api	apui
Buginese	se’di	dua	tellu	eppa’	tau	bola	asu	kaluku	esso	baru	idi’	aga	api
Batak	sada	dua	tolu	opat	halak	jabu	biang	harambiri	ari	baru	hita	aha	api
Minangkabau	ciek	duo	tigo	ampek	urang	rumah	anjiang	karambia	ari	baru	kito	apo	api
Tetum	ida	rua	tolu	haat	ema	uma	asu	nuu	loron	foun	ita	saida	ahi
Māori	tahi	rua	toru	wha	tangata	whare	kuri	kokonati	ra	hou	taua	aha	ahi
Tuvaluan	tasi	lua	tolu	fá	toko	fale	kuri	moku	aso	fou	tāua	ā	afi
Hawaiian	kahi	lua	kolu	hā	kanaka	hale	‘īlio	niu	ao	hou	kākou	aha	ahi
Banjarese	asa	dua	talu	ampat	urang	rumah	hadupan	kalapa	hari	hanyar	kita	apa	api
Malagasy	isa	roa	telo	efatra	olona	trano	alika	voanio	andro	vaovao	isika	inona	afo
Dusun	iso	duo	tolu	apat	tulun	walai	tasu	piasau	tadau	wagu	tokou	onu/nu	tapui
Iban	sa/san	duan	dangku	dangkan	orang	rumah	ukui/uduk	nyiur	hari	baru	kitai	nama	api
Melanau	satu	dua	telou	empat	apah	lebok	asou	nyior	lau	baew	teleu	nama	apui

Religious literature[edit]

Religious literature remains one of the most dynamic components to Tagalog literature. The first Bible in Tagalog, then called Ang Biblia^[64] («the Bible») and now called Ang Dating Biblia^[65] («the Old Bible»), was published in 1905. In 1970, the Philippine Bible Society translated the Bible into modern Tagalog. Even before the Second Vatican Council, devotional materials in Tagalog had been in circulation. There are at least four circulating Tagalog translations of the Bible

• the Magandang Balita Biblia (a parallel translation of the Good News Bible), which is the ecumenical version
• the Bibliya ng Sambayanang Pilipino
• the 1905 Ang Biblia, used more by Protestants
• the Bagong Sanlibutang Salin ng Banal na Kasulatan (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures), exclusive to the Jehovah’s Witnesses

When the Second Vatican Council, (specifically the Sacrosanctum Concilium) permitted the universal prayers to be translated into vernacular languages, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines was one of the first to translate the Roman Missal into Tagalog. The Roman Missal in Tagalog was published as early as 1982.

Jehovah’s Witnesses were printing Tagalog literature at least as early as 1941^[66] and The Watchtower (the primary magazine of Jehovah’s Witnesses) has been published in Tagalog since at least the 1950s. New releases are now regularly released simultaneously in a number of languages, including Tagalog. The official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses also has some publications available online in Tagalog.^[67] The revised bible edition, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, was released in Tagalog on 2019^[68] and it is distributed without charge both printed and online versions.

Tagalog is quite a stable language, and very few revisions have been made to Catholic Bible translations. Also, as Protestantism in the Philippines is relatively young, liturgical prayers tend to be more ecumenical.

Examples[edit]

Lord’s Prayer[edit]

In Tagalog, the Lord’s Prayer is known by its incipit, Amá Namin (literally, «Our Father»).

Amá namin, sumasalangit Ka,
Sambahín ang ngalan Mo.
Mapasaamin ang kaharián Mo.
Sundín ang loób Mo,
Dito sa lupà, gaya nang sa langit.
Bigyán Mo kamí ngayón ng aming kakanin sa araw-araw,
At patawarin Mo kamí sa aming mga salâ,
Para nang pagpápatawad namin,
Sa nagkakasalà sa amin;
At huwág Mo kamíng ipahintulot sa tuksó,
At iadyâ Mo kamí sa lahát ng masamâ.
[Sapagkát sa Inyó ang kaharián, at ang kapangyarihan,
At ang kaluwálhatian, ngayón, at magpakailanman.]
Amen.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights[edit]

This is Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Pángkalahatáng Pagpapahayag ng Karapatáng Pantao)

Bawat tao’y isinilang na may layà at magkakapantáy ang tagláy na dangál at karapatán. Silá’y pinagkalooban ng pangangatwiran at budhî na kailangang gamitin nilá sa pagtuturingan nilá sa diwà ng pagkakapatiran.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.[69]

Numbers[edit]

Numbers (mga bilang/mga numero) in Tagalog follow two systems. The first consists of native Tagalog words and the other are Spanish-derived. (This may be compared to other East Asian languages, except with the second set of numbers borrowed from Spanish instead of Chinese.) For example, when a person refers to the number «seven», it can be translated into Tagalog as «pito» or «siyete» (Spanish: siete).

Months and days[edit]

Months and days in Tagalog are also localised forms of Spanish months and days. «Month» in Tagalog is buwán (also the word for moon) and «day» is araw (the word also means sun). Unlike Spanish, however, months and days in Tagalog are always capitalised.

Time[edit]

Time expressions in Tagalog are also Tagalized forms of the corresponding Spanish. «Time» in Tagalog is panahón or oras.

Common phrases[edit]

English	Tagalog (with Pronunciation)
Filipino	Pilipino [pɪlɪˈpino]
English	Inglés [ʔɪŋˈɡlɛs]
Tagalog	Tagálog [tɐˈɡaloɡ]
Spanish	Espanyol/Español/Kastila [ʔɛspɐnˈjol]
What is your name?	Anó ang pangálan ninyó/nila*? (plural or polite) [ʔɐˈno: ʔaŋ pɐˈŋalan nɪnˈjo], Anó ang pangálan mo? (singular) [ʔɐˈno: ʔaŋ pɐˈŋalan mo]
How are you?	Kumustá [kʊmʊsˈta] (modern), Anó pô ang lagáy ninyó/nila? (old use) [ʔɐˈno poː ʔɐŋ lɐˈgaɪ̯ nɪnˈjo]
Knock knock	Táo pô [ˈtɐʔo poʔ]
Good day!	Magandáng araw! [mɐɡɐnˈdaŋ ˈʔɐɾaʊ̯]
Good morning!	Magandáng umaga! [mɐɡɐnˈdaŋ ʔʊˈmaɡɐ]
Good noontime! (from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)	Magandáng tanghali! [mɐɡɐnˈdaŋ tɐŋˈhalɛ]
Good afternoon! (from 1 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)	Magandáng hapon! [mɐɡɐnˈdaŋ ˈhɐpon]
Good evening!	Magandáng gabí! [mɐɡɐnˈdaŋ ɡɐˈbɛ]
Good-bye	Paálam [pɐˈʔalɐm]
Please	Depending on the nature of the verb, either pakí- [pɐˈki] or makí- [mɐˈki] is attached as a prefix to a verb. Ngâ [ŋaʔ] is optionally added after the verb to increase politeness. (e.g. Pakipasa ngâ ang tinapay. («Can you pass the bread, please?»))
Thank you	Salamat [sɐˈlamɐt]
This one	Ito [ʔɪˈto], sometimes pronounced [ʔɛˈto] (literally—»it», «this»)
That one (close to addressee)	Iyan [ʔɪˈjan]
That one (far from speaker and addressee)	Iyon [ʔɪˈjon]
Here	Dito [‘dito], heto [‘hɛto] («Here it is»)
Right there	Diyan [dʒan], hayan [hɐˈjan] («There it is»)
Over there	Doon [doˈʔon]
How much?	Magkano? [mɐɡˈkano]
How many?	Ilan? [ʔɪˈlan]
Yes	Oo [ˈʔoʔo] Opò [ˈʔopoʔ] or ohò [ˈʔohoʔ] (formal/polite form)
No	Hindî [hɪnˈdɛʔ] (at the end of a pause or sentence), often shortened to dî [dɛʔ] Hindî pô [hɪnˈdiː poʔ] (formal/polite form)
I don’t know	Hindî ko alám [hɪnˈdiː ko ʔɐˈlam] Very informal: Ewan [ˈʔɛwɐn], archaic aywan [ʔaɪ̯ˈwan] (closest English equivalent: colloquial dismissive ‘Whatever’ or ‘Dunno’)
Sorry	Pasénsiyá pô [pɐˈsɛnʃɐ poʔ] (literally from the word «patience») or paumanhín pô [pɐʔʊmɐnˈhin poʔ], patawad pô [pɐˈtawɐd poʔ] (literally—»asking your forgiveness»)
Because	Kasí [kɐˈsɛ] or dahil [‘dɐhɪl]
Hurry!	Dalí! [dɐˈli], Bilís! [bɪˈlis]
Again	Mulî [mʊˈˈliʔ], ulít [ʔʊˈlɛt]
I don’t understand	Hindî ko naíintindihán [hɪnˈdiː ko nɐˌʔiʔɪntɪndɪˈhan] or Hindî ko naúunawáan [hɪnˈdiː ko nɐˌʔuʔʊnɐˈwaʔɐn]
What?	Anó? [ʔɐˈno]
Where?	Saán? [sɐˈʔan], Nasaán? [ˌnɐsɐˈʔan] (literally – «Where at?»)
Why?	Bakit? [ˈbɐkɪt]
When?	Kailan? [kaɪ̯ˈlan], [kɐʔɪˈlan], or [ˈkɛlɐn] (literally—»In what order?/»At what count?»)
How?	Paánó? [pɐˈʔano] (literally—»By what?»)
Where’s the bathroom?	Nasaán ang banyo? [ˌnɐsɐˈʔan ʔɐŋ ˈbanjo]
Generic toast	Mabuhay! [mɐˈbuhaɪ̯] (literally—»long live»)
Do you speak English?	Marunong ka bang magsalitâ ng Inglés? [mɐˈɾunoŋ kɐ baŋ mɐɡsɐlɪˈtaː nɐŋ ʔɪŋˈɡlɛs] Marunong pô ba kayóng magsalitâ ng Inglés? [mɐˈɾunoŋ poː ba kɐˈjoŋ mɐɡsɐlɪˈtaː nɐŋ ʔɪŋˈɡlɛs] (polite version for elders and strangers) Marunong ka bang mag-Inglés? [mɐˈɾunoŋ kɐ baŋ mɐɡʔɪŋˈɡlɛs](short form) Marunong pô ba kayóng mag-Inglés? [mɐˈɾunoŋ poː ba kɐˈjoŋ mɐɡʔɪŋˈɡlɛs](short form, polite version for elders and strangers)
It is fun to live.	Masayá ang mabuhay! [mɐsɐˈja ʔɐŋ mɐˈbuhaɪ̯] or Masaya’ng mabuhay (contracted version)

*Pronouns such as niyo (2nd person plural) and nila (3rd person plural) are used on a single 2nd person in polite or formal language. See Tagalog grammar.

Proverbs[edit]

Ang hindî marunong lumingón sa pinánggalingan ay hindî makaráratíng sa paroroonan.

(— José Rizal)

One who knows not how to look back to whence he came will never get to where he is going.

Unang kagat, tinapay pa rin.
First bite, still bread.
All fluff, no substance.

Tao ka nang humarap, bilang tao kitang haharapin.
You reach me as a human, I will treat you as a human and never act as a traitor.
(A proverb in Southern Tagalog that has made people aware of the significance of sincerity in Tagalog communities.)

Hulí man daw (raw) at magalíng, nakáhahábol pa rin.
If one is behind but capable, one will still be able to catch up.

Magbirô ka na sa lasíng, huwág lang sa bagong gising.
Make fun of someone drunk, if you must, but never one who has just awakened.

Aanhín pa ang damó kung patáy na ang kabayo?
What use is the grass if the horse is already dead?

Ang sakít ng kalingkingan, damdám ng buóng katawán.
The pain in the pinkie is felt by the whole body.
In a group, if one goes down, the rest follow.

Nasa hulí ang pagsisisi.
Regret is always in the end.

Pagkáhabà-habà man ng prusisyón, sa simbahan pa rin ang tulóy.
The procession may stretch on and on, but it still ends up at the church.
(In romance: refers to how certain people are destined to be married. In general: refers to how some things are inevitable, no matter how long you try to postpone it.)

Kung ‘dî mádaán sa santóng dasalan, daanin sa santóng paspasan.
If it cannot be got through holy prayer, get it through blessed force.
(In romance and courting: santóng paspasan literally means ‘holy speeding’ and is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. It refers to the two styles of courting by Filipino boys: one is the traditional, protracted, restrained manner favored by older generations, which often featured serenades and manual labor for the girl’s family; the other is upfront seduction, which may lead to a slap on the face or a pregnancy out of wedlock. The second conclusion is known as pikot or what Western cultures would call a ‘shotgun marriage’. This proverb is also applied in terms of diplomacy and negotiation.)

See also[edit]

• Dambana
• Abakada alphabet
• Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
• Filipino alphabet
• Old Tagalog
• Filipino orthography
• Tagalog Wikipedia
• Filipino language

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Tupas, Ruanni (2015). «The Politics of «P» and «F»: A Linguistic History of Nation-Building in the Philippines». Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. 36 (6): 587–597. doi:10.1080/01434632.2014.979831. S2CID 143332545.

External links[edit]

• Tagalog Dictionary
• Tagalog verbs with conjugation
• Tagalog Lessons Dictionary
• Tagalog Quotes
• Patama Quotes
• Tagalog Translate
• Tagalog Forum
• Kaipuleohone archive of Tagalog

Tagalog is one of the most exciting Asian languages to learn. It is unique, yet it shares some similarities with some of the other languages like English, Spanish, and Chinese. Perhaps, this is why many are interested in mastering the common Tagalog vocabulary and sentence structure. If you are one of them, you landed on the right post! Check out below to learn more about this awesome language.

The Tagalog Language

In the past, the Austronesian language has been universally used in the Philippines when the country is not yet colonized by other countries like Spain, Japan, and America. But as time went by, the English language became one of the national and official languages of the Philippines, together with the Filipino language. Another thing is, learning Tagalog is like learning the English language because these two languages both use the Latin alphabet with almost the same pronunciation and structures.

Since Filipinos are known for being friendly and one of the most hospitable people from the Asia Pacific region, the way they speak Tagalog like ‘Mabuhay!’ as their formal way of welcoming visitors from other countries sounds honorable and alluring. This is also why other beginners of the Tagalog language who visited the country are passionate about learning Tagalog and want to use it to communicate with the locals in the Philippines.

Below are the common Tagalog phrases and familiar words used in the Philippines. Let’s start learning!

100+ Common Tagalog Vocabulary

Want to impress the locals with your skills in Tagalog? Be sure to add these words in your basic sentences when conversing with the locals. If there’s one tip that we can give then you should try memorizing some of these words if you want to instantly connect with the Filipinos. Why? Simply because the locals appreciate it when you try to speak with them in a language close to their heart.

English Word	Tagalog Word	Sound
I	ako
this	ito
right	kanan
left	kaliwa
goodbye	paalam
yes	oo
no	hindi
want	gusto
correct	tama
true	totoo
free	libre
hand	kamay
need	kailangan
election	eleksyon
change	pagbabago
newspaper	dyaryo
news	balita
thank you	salamat
teach	magturo
computer	kompyuter
read	basahin
book	libro
pencil	lapis
travel	paglalakbay
neighbor	kapit-bahay
kill	pumatay
act	kumilos
example	halimbawa
war	digmaan
dead	patay
afraid	takot
play	maglaro
slow	mabagal
loud	malakas
large	malaki
delicious	masarap
where	saan
smile	ngiti
love	pag-ibig
why	bakit
how	paano
when	kailan
fat	taba
hair	buhok
bank	bangko
money	pera
smell	amoy
road	kalsada
rain	ulan
bed	kama
eat	kumain
sugar	asukal
egg	itlog
bread	tinapay
milk	gatas
ice	yelo
heart	puso
blood	dugo
summer	tag-araw
buy	bumili
store	tindahan
ask	magtanong
run	tumakbo
write	sulat
cool	malamig
soil	lupa
winter	taglamig
climb	umakyat
hill	burol
glass	salamin
grass	damo
job	trabaho
class	klase
song	kanta
sound	tunog
visit	pagbisita
soft	malambot
fun	magsaya
million	milyon
rich	mayaman
plane	eroplano
world	mundo
hat	sumbrero
truck	trak
nose	ilong
hear	pakinggan
listen	makinig
house	bahay
picture	larawan
us	atin
self	sarili
near	malapit
sky	langit
pay	bayaran
clock	orasan
radio	radyo
ring	singsing
chair	silya
iron	bakal
street	kalye
office	opisina
trip	paglalakbay
flower	bulaklak
hope	umaasa
place	lugar
where	saan
live	mabuhay
after	pagkatapos
man	tao
came	dumating
good	mabuti
name	pangalan
very	napaka
tired	pagod

Other Tagalog Vocabulary: Essential Phrases

English Translation	Tagalog Phrases	Sound
beautiful day	magandang araw
how are you?	kamusta ka?
good morning	magandang umaga
good afternoon	magandang hapon
good evening	magandang gabi
may I ask a question?	p’wede po magtanong?
please pass my payment to the driver	pakiabot po ng bayad.
this is my payment	bayad po
this is my stop	para po
how much?	magkano?
this is expensive! can you give me a cheaper price?	ang mahal naman! wala na bang tawad?
have you eaten?	kumain ka na ba?
I will just take a shower	maliligo lang ako.
It’s too hot outside	sobrang init sa labas
It’s time to go home	uwian na
I’m full	busog na ako
I’m tired	pagod na ako
I want it too	gusto ko din
thank you	salamat

Time To Practice These Common Tagalog Words And Phrases

Learn More About The Tagalog Language With The Ling App

If you wonder more about some of the common Tagalog words, here are other related blog posts that you can study and master, like the Tagalog cooking utensils, Tagalog animal names, and Tagalog shapes which can help you to speak like the locals in the Philippines. Check this out in the Ling app by Simya Solutions today!

Learning Tagalog with the Ling app is made fun and easy because this app is equipped with several language activities that help you understand common Tagalog phrases, simple sentence structure and grammar, pronunciation and fluency, meanings of a particular word, and other language-related skills. You can learn these by answering interactive quizzes and flashcards. Also, the app has a fun chatbot feature to practice having real life conversations.

Aside from that, you can learn other countries’ different languages because the Ling app offers 60+ languages.

You can also explore other blog posts related to your target language written by various native speakers with topics like history, cultures, slang words and phrases, different parts of speech, famous clothing and foods, and others. Moreover, you can read several honest reviews and feedback concerning other language learning applications written by several language specialists of the Ling app.

Can’t wait to improve your language skills? Hurry and download the Ling app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store now, and prepare to be fluent in Tagalog soon!

The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Tagalog language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.

View other word lists here

tagalog people origins(some facts and theories)

When localizing content to enter the Philippines, many companies get confused about whether they should translate their content into Tagalog or Filipino. As one of the Tiger Cub Economies and the third-largest economy in ASEAN, the Philippines offers thousands of opportunities for foreign companies that are going global.

In today’s post, we will discuss the differences between Tagalog and Filipino to help you make the right decision for your upcoming localization project into the Philippines market.

The Brief History of Tagalog and Filipino

In the 1930s, the Philippine Commonwealth Constitution wanted to choose one among many languages spoken in the archipelago (including Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilokano, etc.) to become the national language of the Philippines.

As Tagalog was spoken widely in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, it was a leading candidate. Unfortunately, due to the objections from some representatives, the concept of a lingua franca was postponed and considered as a future goal. Tagalog was then renamed “Pilipino” in 1959.

Later in the 1970s, Pilipino was developed and enriched by modifying and incorporating words from other languages such as Spanish, English, Chinese, and Malay. For example, “silya” – a Spanish-derived word was adopted to refer to a chair to replace the use of the Tagalog word “salumpuwit” which was thought to be less pleasant-sounding. This evolved language was known as Filipino.

In 1987, the government finally labelled Filipino as the national language. Some new Western letters were included in the official Filipino alphabet.

What are the Differences Between Tagalog and Filipino?

The Tagalog alphabet has 20 letters while the Filipino alphabet consists of 28 letters – 20 letters from Tagalog and 8 extra letters from Western languages such as c, f, j, x, and z. Filipino only takes words from other languages, thus, the grammatical structure, verbal affixes, pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, and linkers of two languages are the same.

Tagalog and Filipino Alphabet

It is estimated that about 80-90% of Filipino are Tagalog and the remaining are comprised of Spanish, English, and other Philippines languages. In general, it is safe to say that Filipino is an updated version of the Tagalog language.

In terms of usage, Filipino is mostly used in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, and some urban centers of the archipelago. Meanwhile, regions and provinces such as Central Luzon Region, Southern Luzon, Bangsamoro, and Bicol Region are mostly Tagalog-speaking.

When are Tagalog and Filipino Used?

To answer this question accurately, we thought it would be best for you to hear from an experienced native Filipino linguist. Ted Leonardo – a senior translator from our team informed us that “Tagalog may sound profound and deep and is often used in formal documents. Meanwhile, Filipino, a conversational language, sounds more natural, modern, and adaptive.”

Here are some key criteria that help define whether you should translate your content into Tagalog or Filipino:

	Tagalog	Filipino
Target Audience’s Age	Tagalog is more familiar to older audiences as Filipino consists of some loan words from other languages that older generations might not understand.	For younger target audiences, you should consider using Filipino.
Types of Documents	Educational materials or formal documents, usually legal ones are written in Tagalog.	Filipino is usually used in daily conversations as it sounds more natural, modern, and adaptive.
Locations	Tagalog-speaking regions and provinces such as Central Luzon Region, Southern Luzon, Bangsamoro, and Bicol Region.	Filipino is mostly used in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, and some urban centres of the archipelago.

In general, if you need to translate your company’s business documents such as contracts and product information or your target locale is at provincial markets as listed above, we recommend using Tagalog translation services. Otherwise, you can consider Filipino.

You might also like these articles:

• Asian Languages – The Origin and Overview of Major Languages
• The Key Differences Between British And American English
• The Difference Between Simplified Chinese And Traditional Chinese

To Wrap Up

In case you are still wondering whether Tagalog or Filipino is the best choice for your plan to enter the Philippines market, contact GTE Localize for a free consultancy. With extensive regional knowledge and years of experience in Tagalog and Filipino translation, we give you a great suggestion on what language you should use for your project and the best translation solutions from a team of talented native translators from the Philippines.

If you want to find out more vital tips on Asian languages and localizations, download our white paper here.