Austronesian · Latin
FilipinoFilipino
90M speakers · Southeast Asia
250 terms
Hello; how are you?
The all-purpose Filipino greeting, from the Spanish cómo está.
Good morning
A morning greeting, literally beautiful morning.
Good afternoon
An afternoon greeting, literally beautiful afternoon.
Good evening
An evening greeting, literally beautiful evening.
Goodbye
A farewell; casual Filipino also uses sige or bye.
Thank you
The standard expression of gratitude; maraming salamat means thank you very much.
You're welcome
The standard reply to thanks, literally it is nothing.
Sorry
An apology asking for patience and understanding.
Yes
An affirmative answer; opo is the polite form used with elders.
No; not
A negative answer; also negates verbs and adjectives.
Politeness particle
A small word added to show respect, central to Filipino courtesy.
Fine; good
Well or good; the standard reply to kumusta.
I am (name)
Used to introduce yourself by name.
Nice to meet you
A formal way to say pleased to meet you.
Welcome
Used to welcome guests, literally happy arrival.
Good luck
A wish for luck; Filipinos also simply say good luck.
Cheers
A toast when drinking with friends.
I don't understand
A useful phrase for learners when something is unclear.
One
The number one.
Two
The number two.
Three
The number three.
Four
The number four.
Five
The number five.
Six
The number six.
Seven
The number seven; also means whistle.
Eight
The number eight.
Nine
The number nine.
Ten
The number ten.
Hundred
The number one hundred; daan also means road.
Thousand
The number one thousand.
Today; now
The present day or moment.
Tomorrow
The day after today; with different stress it means open.
Yesterday
The day before today.
Hour; time
An hour, or time in general, from the Spanish horas.
Minute
A period of sixty seconds.
Week; Sunday
A period of seven days; capitalized, Linggo means Sunday.
Year
A period of twelve months.
Day; sun
A day, and also the sun — one word for both.
Family
A group of people related by blood or marriage; the heart of Filipino life.
Mother
The everyday word for mother; also ina.
Father
The everyday word for father; also ama.
Older brother
An older brother; also a respectful address for any older young man.
Older sister
An older sister; also a respectful address for any older young woman.
Sibling
A brother or sister of any age.
Child (son/daughter)
A son or daughter; gender is added if needed.
Grandfather
The father of your parent.
Grandmother
The mother of your parent.
Spouse (husband/wife)
A husband or wife — one word covers both.
Child
A young person.
Friend
A person you know well and like.
Man; male
An adult male person.
Woman; female
An adult female person.
Teacher
A person who teaches; titser is also common.
Student
A person who studies at school or university.
Neighbor
A person who lives next to or near you.
Person; people
A human being.
Water
The clear liquid essential for life.
Tea
A hot drink made from tea leaves.
Coffee
A drink made from coffee beans; kapeng barako is the strong local brew.
Cooked rice
The staple food served with almost every Filipino meal.
Bread
A baked food; pandesal is the beloved breakfast roll.
Meat
The flesh of animals eaten as food, from the Spanish carne.
Chicken
A chicken, or chicken meat; chicken adobo is a national favorite.
Fish
An animal that lives in water, eaten as food.
Egg
An egg laid by a hen, a common breakfast food.
Vegetables
Plants grown for food.
Fruit
Sweet plant foods; the Philippines grows superb tropical fruit.
Mango
A sweet tropical fruit; Philippine mangoes are world-famous.
Milk
A white drink produced by cows.
Sugar
A sweet substance, from the Spanish azúcar.
Salt
A white substance used to season food.
Breakfast
The first meal of the day.
Lunch
The meal eaten in the middle of the day.
Dinner
The meal eaten in the evening, usually shared by the family.
Snack
The cherished Filipino mid-afternoon snack break.
Delicious
Tasty — the word you will say at every Filipino meal.
Airport
A place where airplanes take off and land; airport is also commonly used.
Airplane
A flying vehicle with wings and engines.
Train
A connected line of carriages; Manila's LRT and MRT are commuter trains.
Station
A place where trains or buses stop for passengers.
Bus
A large road vehicle that carries many passengers.
Jeepney
The iconic Filipino jeepney, king of the road.
Tricycle
A motorbike with a sidecar, the neighborhood taxi of the Philippines.
Taxi
A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.
Hotel
A place where travelers pay to stay overnight.
Restaurant
A place where you pay to eat meals; a small eatery is a karinderya.
City
A large town; siyudad is also used.
Village; barrio
A small rural settlement; the official term is barangay.
Street
A road in a city or town, from the Spanish calle.
Passport
An official document needed for traveling abroad.
Ticket
A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.
Map
A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries.
Bank
A place where people keep and borrow money; also means a bench.
Market
The wet market, heart of Filipino daily shopping.
Beach
A sandy shore by the sea; beach is also commonly used.
Trip; journey
A journey, from the Spanish viaje.
Moon; month
The moon in the night sky; the same word means month.
Star
A point of light in the night sky.
Sky; heaven
The space above the earth; also means heaven.
Sea
The large body of salt water around the 7,000+ Philippine islands.
River
A large natural stream of water flowing to the sea.
Mountain
A very high hill; Mayon's perfect cone is world-famous.
Forest; jungle
A large area covered with trees.
Tree
A tall plant with a trunk; also means full or a leader.
Flower
The colorful blossom of a plant; the sampaguita is the national flower.
Rain
Water that falls from clouds; the rainy season is tag-ulan.
Snow
Soft white frozen water; Filipinos travel abroad to see it.
Wind; air
Moving air; also the air itself.
Weather; time/season
The weather, or a period of time.
Animal
A living creature such as a dog, bird, or fish.
Dog
A common pet animal that barks.
Cat
A small pet animal that meows.
Body
The whole physical structure of a person.
Head
The top part of the body containing the brain and face.
Eye
The part of the body used for seeing.
Ear
The part of the body used for hearing.
Nose
The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.
Mouth
The part of the face used for eating and speaking.
Hand
The part of the body at the end of the arm; mano is the respect gesture.
Foot; leg
The lower limb used for walking.
Heart
The organ that pumps blood, also used for feelings.
Hair
The hair on a person's head.
Stomach; belly
The front part of the body below the chest.
Doctor
A person trained to treat sick people.
Hospital
A place where sick people are treated.
Medicine
Something you take to treat an illness.
Health
The condition of the body and mind.
Sick
Ill, literally having sickness.
Work; job
A job, from the Spanish trabajo.
Company
A business organization that sells goods or services.
Office
A room or building where people work at desks.
Boss
The person in charge at work; boss is also widely used.
Colleague
A person you work with.
Meeting
An occasion when people come together to discuss; miting is also used.
Money
Coins and banknotes; the Philippine currency is the piso.
Salary
The money you receive regularly for your work.
Computer
An electronic machine used for work and entertainment.
Telephone
A device used for calling people; a mobile is cellphone.
Profession
The type of work a person is trained to do.
Project
A planned piece of work with a clear goal.
Customer
A person who buys goods or services; suki is a loyal regular.
Contract
A formal written agreement.
Manager
The person who leads a company, shop, or team.
Factory
A building where goods are made with machines.
Culture
The art, customs, and traditions of a society.
History
The study of past events, or the events themselves.
Language
A system of words; the Philippines has over 170 languages.
Book
Written pages bound together for reading.
Music
Sounds arranged in a pleasing way; karaoke is a national pastime.
Film; movie
A story shown in moving pictures.
Art
Painting, sculpture, and other creative work.
Museum
A building where important objects and art are shown.
Fiesta; festival
The town fiesta, the high point of the Filipino year.
Christmas
Christmas — the Philippines celebrates the world's longest Christmas season.
Religion
Belief in and worship of a god or gods.
Government
The group of people who rule a country.
News
Reports about recent events.
Tradition
A custom passed down through generations; bayanihan is a famous one.
Is/are (linker)
Links the subject to the rest of a formal sentence.
To have; there is
Expresses possession or existence; shortened to may.
To go
To move from one place to another.
To come; to arrive
To move toward a place or arrive there.
To eat
To put food in your mouth; kumain ka na ba is a daily greeting.
To drink
To take liquid into your mouth and swallow it.
To see
To notice something with your eyes.
To listen
To pay attention to sounds or speech.
To speak
To say words, to talk.
To read
To look at words and understand them.
To write
To form letters and words on paper or a screen.
To buy
To get something by paying money.
To sell
To give something in exchange for money.
To do; to make
To perform an action or create something.
To work
To do a job, especially for money.
To think
To use your mind to form ideas or opinions.
To want; to like
To want or like something — one of the most useful Tagalog words.
To love
To feel deep affection; mahal kita means I love you.
To learn
To gain knowledge or skill.
To know (facts)
To have information in your mind.
To know (people); to meet
To be familiar with a person, or to meet for the first time.
To give
To hand something to someone.
To take; to get
To pick something up or obtain it.
To look for
To try to find something.
To help
To make something easier for someone; bayanihan spirit in action.
To begin
To start doing something.
To finish
To bring something to an end.
To sleep
To rest with your eyes closed at night.
Kind; good (person)
Kind in character; for things use maganda or mahusay.
Bad
Of poor quality or morally wrong.
Big
Of great size.
Small
Of little size.
New
Recently made or bought; also means before.
Old (things)
Having existed for a long time; for people use matanda.
Old (person)
Advanced in age; respect for elders is central to Filipino culture.
Tall; high
Of great height.
Short; low
Of little height.
Long
Of great length.
Short
Of little length or duration.
Hot
Having a high temperature; Philippine summers are very mainit.
Cold; cool
Having a low temperature.
Fast
Moving or happening quickly.
Slow
Moving or happening without speed.
Expensive; dear
Costing a lot; the same word means beloved — mahal kita, I love you.
Cheap
Costing little money.
Beautiful
Very pleasing to look at; appears in every Filipino greeting.
Easy
Not difficult to do or understand.
Difficult; poor
Hard to do; the same word means poor.
Important
Having great value or significance.
Clean
Free from dirt.
What
Used to ask about things.
Who
Used to ask about people.
Where
Used to ask about places.
When
Used to ask about time.
Why
Used to ask about reasons.
How
Used to ask about manner or way.
How much (price)
Used to ask about price — essential at the palengke.
How many
Used to ask about quantity.
Which
Used to ask about a choice between things.
Whose
Used to ask about ownership.
House; home
A building where people live, or your home.
Apartment
A set of rooms for living in, part of a larger building.
Room; bedroom
A room, especially a bedroom, from the Spanish cuarto.
Kitchen
The room where food is prepared.
Bathroom
The room for washing; the toilet is also called CR, comfort room.
Door
The entrance to a room or building.
Window
An opening in a wall with glass, from the Spanish ventana.
Table
A piece of furniture with a flat top.
Chair
A seat with a back, from the Spanish silla; upuan is the native word.
Bed
A piece of furniture for sleeping.
Clothes
Things you wear, such as shirts and trousers.
Shoes
Footwear, from the Spanish zapatos.
Key
A metal object used to open locks.
Clock; watch
A device that shows the time, from the Spanish reloj.
Television
A device for watching programmes; TV is the everyday word.
Light; lamp
A device that gives light.
Bag
A container with handles for carrying things.
To cook
To prepare food by heating it.
To go shopping
To buy things; also means to choose.
Happy; fun
Feeling joy; also describes something enjoyable.
Sad
Feeling unhappy.
Angry
Feeling strong displeasure.
Afraid
Feeling fear.
Tired
Needing rest after work or activity.
Hungry
Feeling the need to eat.
Thirsty
Feeling the need to drink.
Worried
Feeling anxious about something.
Bored
Feeling restless because something is not interesting.
Excited; eager
Full of anticipation.
Surprised
Feeling wonder because of something unexpected.
Love
A deep feeling of affection.
Hope
The feeling that something good will happen.