Why Learn Some Tagalog
English is widespread — you can travel the Philippines without a single Tagalog word. But a "salamat" earns a smile that "thank you" never quite does. Filipinos appreciate effort hugely. Even mangling the pronunciation gets you warm reception.
Tagalog uses Latin alphabet, mostly phonetic. Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable. Vowels are pure (a as in "father", e as in "bed", i as "ee", o as in "go", u as "oo").
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Greetings
- Kumusta? (koo-MOOS-tah) — How are you?
- Mabuti naman, salamat. (mah-BOO-tee nah-MAHN, sah-LAH-maht) — I am well, thanks.
- Magandang umaga. (mah-gan-DANG oo-MAH-gah) — Good morning.
- Magandang hapon. (mah-gan-DANG HAH-pon) — Good afternoon.
- Magandang gabi. (mah-gan-DANG gah-BEE) — Good evening.
- Paalam. (pah-AH-lahm) — Goodbye.
- Sige. (SEE-geh) — OK / sure / go ahead. Universal filler.
Politeness — "Po" Magic
Po (poh) and opo (OH-poh) are politeness markers. Add "po" to anything when speaking to elders, strangers, or anyone you want to show respect to. It is impossible to overuse.
- Salamat po. (sah-LAH-maht poh) — Thank you (politely).
- Walang anuman. (wah-LANG ah-noo-MAHN) — You are welcome.
- Pasensya na po. (pah-SEN-syah nah poh) — Sorry / excuse me (politely).
- Opo (OH-poh) — Yes (polite). Hindi po (hin-DEE poh) — No (polite).
Numbers
- 1 isa (ee-SAH), 2 dalawa (dah-lah-WAH), 3 tatlo (taht-LOH), 4 apat (AH-paht), 5 lima (LEE-mah)
- 6 anim (AH-nim), 7 pito (PEE-toh), 8 walo (WAH-loh), 9 siyam (see-YAM), 10 sampu (sahm-POO)
- 20 dalawampu, 30 tatlumpu, 50 limampu, 100 isang daan, 1,000 isang libo
- Note: Spanish numbers (uno, dos, tres) are also widely used, especially for prices. "₱1,500" is often "isang libo limang daan" or "uno mil quinientos".
Asking for Things
- Magkano po? (mahg-KAH-noh poh) — How much (politely)?
- Pwede po ba ako...? (PWEH-deh poh bah ah-KO) — May I please...?
- Saan po ang...? (sah-AHN poh ahng) — Where is the...?
- Ano po ito? (ah-NOH poh ee-TOH) — What is this?
- Hindi ko po naiintindihan. — I do not understand (politely).
- Marunong po ba kayo ng English? — Do you speak English? (Almost always yes.)
Food & Restaurants
- Masarap! (mah-SAH-rahp) — Delicious!
- Tubig po, please. (TOO-big) — Water, please.
- Kape (KAH-peh) — coffee.
- Mainit / malamig (mah-EE-nit / mah-LAH-mig) — Hot / cold.
- Maanghang ba ito? — Is this spicy?
- Bill na po. — The bill, please.
- Bayad na po. — Already paid.
Transport & Directions
- Para po! (PAH-rah poh) — Stop please! (jeepneys, tricycles)
- Kanan / kaliwa (KAH-nahn / kah-lee-WAH) — Right / left.
- Diretso lang. (dee-RET-so lang) — Straight ahead.
- Malayo pa po ba? — Is it still far?
- Magkano hanggang...? — How much to...?
Emergencies
- Tulong! (TOO-long) — Help!
- May aksidente. — There is an accident.
- Tawag ng pulis / ambulansya. — Call police / ambulance.
- Nasaktan po ako. — I am hurt.
- Nawalan ako ng pasaporte. — I lost my passport.
Cebuano (Bisaya) Basics
In Cebu, Bohol, Siargao, Davao and most of Mindanao, the local language is Cebuano (also called Bisaya). Tagalog is understood but Cebuano gets warmer reception:
- Maayong buntag. — Good morning.
- Salamat. — Thank you. (Same word as Tagalog!)
- Kumusta ka? — How are you?
- Lami! (LAH-mee) — Delicious!
- Pila man? — How much?
- Wala koy ikabayad. — I do not have small change.
Common Pronunciations
- NG at the start of a word (ngayon, ngiti) — like the "ng" in "sing"
- O and U are interchangeable in many words — buko / boko both fine
- Stress on the second-to-last syllable as a default rule
- No silent letters — say everything you see
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Why Learn Some Tagalog
English is widespread — you can travel the Philippines without a single Tagalog word. But a "salamat" earns a smile that "thank you" never quite does. Filipinos appreciate effort hugely. Even mangling the pronunciation gets you warm reception.
Tagalog uses Latin alphabet, mostly phonetic. Stress is usually on the second-to-last syllable. Vowels are pure (a as in "father", e as in "bed", i as "ee", o as in "go", u as "oo").
🧮
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Greetings
- Kumusta? (koo-MOOS-tah) — How are you?
- Mabuti naman, salamat. (mah-BOO-tee nah-MAHN, sah-LAH-maht) — I am well, thanks.
- Magandang umaga. (mah-gan-DANG oo-MAH-gah) — Good morning.
- Magandang hapon. (mah-gan-DANG HAH-pon) — Good afternoon.
- Magandang gabi. (mah-gan-DANG gah-BEE) — Good evening.
- Paalam. (pah-AH-lahm) — Goodbye.
- Sige. (SEE-geh) — OK / sure / go ahead. Universal filler.
Politeness — "Po" Magic
Po (poh) and opo (OH-poh) are politeness markers. Add "po" to anything when speaking to elders, strangers, or anyone you want to show respect to. It is impossible to overuse.
- Salamat po. (sah-LAH-maht poh) — Thank you (politely).
- Walang anuman. (wah-LANG ah-noo-MAHN) — You are welcome.
- Pasensya na po. (pah-SEN-syah nah poh) — Sorry / excuse me (politely).
- Opo (OH-poh) — Yes (polite). Hindi po (hin-DEE poh) — No (polite).
Numbers
- 1 isa (ee-SAH), 2 dalawa (dah-lah-WAH), 3 tatlo (taht-LOH), 4 apat (AH-paht), 5 lima (LEE-mah)
- 6 anim (AH-nim), 7 pito (PEE-toh), 8 walo (WAH-loh), 9 siyam (see-YAM), 10 sampu (sahm-POO)
- 20 dalawampu, 30 tatlumpu, 50 limampu, 100 isang daan, 1,000 isang libo
- Note: Spanish numbers (uno, dos, tres) are also widely used, especially for prices. "₱1,500" is often "isang libo limang daan" or "uno mil quinientos".
Asking for Things
- Magkano po? (mahg-KAH-noh poh) — How much (politely)?
- Pwede po ba ako...? (PWEH-deh poh bah ah-KO) — May I please...?
- Saan po ang...? (sah-AHN poh ahng) — Where is the...?
- Ano po ito? (ah-NOH poh ee-TOH) — What is this?
- Hindi ko po naiintindihan. — I do not understand (politely).
- Marunong po ba kayo ng English? — Do you speak English? (Almost always yes.)
Food & Restaurants
- Masarap! (mah-SAH-rahp) — Delicious!
- Tubig po, please. (TOO-big) — Water, please.
- Kape (KAH-peh) — coffee.
- Mainit / malamig (mah-EE-nit / mah-LAH-mig) — Hot / cold.
- Maanghang ba ito? — Is this spicy?
- Bill na po. — The bill, please.
- Bayad na po. — Already paid.
Transport & Directions
- Para po! (PAH-rah poh) — Stop please! (jeepneys, tricycles)
- Kanan / kaliwa (KAH-nahn / kah-lee-WAH) — Right / left.
- Diretso lang. (dee-RET-so lang) — Straight ahead.
- Malayo pa po ba? — Is it still far?
- Magkano hanggang...? — How much to...?
Emergencies
- Tulong! (TOO-long) — Help!
- May aksidente. — There is an accident.
- Tawag ng pulis / ambulansya. — Call police / ambulance.
- Nasaktan po ako. — I am hurt.
- Nawalan ako ng pasaporte. — I lost my passport.
Cebuano (Bisaya) Basics
In Cebu, Bohol, Siargao, Davao and most of Mindanao, the local language is Cebuano (also called Bisaya). Tagalog is understood but Cebuano gets warmer reception:
- Maayong buntag. — Good morning.
- Salamat. — Thank you. (Same word as Tagalog!)
- Kumusta ka? — How are you?
- Lami! (LAH-mee) — Delicious!
- Pila man? — How much?
- Wala koy ikabayad. — I do not have small change.
Common Pronunciations
- NG at the start of a word (ngayon, ngiti) — like the "ng" in "sing"
- O and U are interchangeable in many words — buko / boko both fine
- Stress on the second-to-last syllable as a default rule
- No silent letters — say everything you see
🧮
Philippines Trip Cost Calculator
Want a personalised estimate for your own trip? Get an instant breakdown by style, season and islands.