Taking a trip to the Philippines? Whether you’ll be relaxing on a beautiful white-sand beach in Cebu, trying interesting new delicacies in Bicol (I’d recommend the super sweet and refreshing dessert called “halo halo”!), or embarking on any other adventure under the hot Filipino sun, knowing some key Tagalog (the national language) words and phrases might just come in handy.
There are countless reasons why learning the local lingo wherever you travel is worthwhile: it’s a great way to immerse yourself in a new culture and expand your worldview; you can sleep soundly knowing that you’re equipped in case of medical emergencies or if you need to ask for directions, and you can foster greater connections with the new people that you meet along your journey.
Exploring a new place is one of the best parts of travelling! However, getting lost is certainly a risk. Get to know the following words and phrases to make sure you know where you’re going and where you’ve been!
Top 10 Tagalog words and phrases
Let’s begin with some everyday phrases, words, and greetings that you can use throughout your entire tropical escape…
Greetings and salutations in Tagalog
1. “Kamusta”
“Kamusta,” pronounced [kah • muu • STAH], means “hi” or “hello”!
Hopping onto a brightly decorated jeepney, a staple of Filipino public transport, on your way through the city? Say kamusta with a big smile and a wave to the driver as you hop on, and your adventure begins.
Fun fact: Many of the jeepneys you can see across the Philippines are decked out with striking colours, stickers, and a wide variety of artistic designs and illustrations.
2. “Ang pangalan ko”
To introduce yourself, say your name followed by “ang pangalan ko,” pronounced [ahng pahng • AH • lahn ko]; it directly translates to “____ is my name.” The perfect opportunity to use this phrase is when you’re checking into your hotel. You can impress the front desk staff with your amazing Tagalog! Keen on going the extra mile? Put what we’ve learned so far altogether: “Kamusta! ____ ang pangalan ko.”
3. “Salamat”/ “Salamat po”
“Salamat,” pronounced [sah • LAH • maht], or “salamat po,” pronounced [sah • LAH • maht po], means “thank you”! Make sure to say salamat po to your servers as you prepare to dig into some crispy lumpia shanghai or turon for a delicious, handheld afternoon snack!
4. “Po”
“Po,” pronounced [po] with a short o sound, is an important Tagalog word that’s used to show respect, often reserved for addressing elders. Used similarly to the words “sir” or “ma’am” in English, po is added to all sorts of Tagalog speech and reflects the importance of respect that’s entrenched in the Filipino culture. Look out for po used in some of the phrases to come!
Hot tip: When in doubt, add po to the end of whatever it is you want to say. You’re better off showing extra respect rather than not enough, right? Po is typically tacked onto the end of certain words or phrases but can be found in the middle of them from time to time as well!
5. “Oo”/ “Opo” and “Hindi”/ “Hindi po”
“Oo,” pronounced [o • O], means “yes,” while “hindi,” pronounced [hihn • DIH], means “no.” Speaking to someone older than you? Say “opo,” pronounced [O • po], or “hindi po,” pronounced [hihn • DIH po], instead.
6. “Magkano to?”/ “Magkano po ito?”
“Magkano to,” pronounced [mahg • KAH • no to], or “magkano po ito,” pronounced [mahg • KAH • no po ih • TO], means “How much does this cost?”. Buying souvenirs for your friends and family at home or some fresh mangoes from a street market? You can ask the vendors, ‘Magkano po ito?’ to find out how much you have to pay!
Help or assistance needs in Tagalog
7. “Saklolo”
“Saklolo,” pronounced [sahk • LO • LO], means “help.” Got lost and need a hand in finding your way back to your hostel? Your airline lost your luggage, so you need to get to the nearest drugstore to restock on toiletries? These are instances when knowing how to ask for help could be your saving grace.
8. “Nasan ang ospital?”
I really hope you won’t need this one! But in the case you have a medical emergency like an injury or illness, and need to see a doctor, you can ask, “Nasan ang ospital.” Pronounced [NAH • sahn ahng aws • pih • TAL], this means “Where is a hospital?”.
Directions in Tagalog
9. “Kaliwa” and “Kanan”
“Kaliwa,” pronounced [kah • lee • WAH], means “left” and “kanan,” pronounced [KAH • nahn], means “right.” You can’t always depend on Google Maps or Waze to get you everywhere, so make sure to listen for these words when asking locals for directions on your way to the beach or your next sight-seeing spot.
10. “Doon” or “Nandoon”
“Doon,” pronounced [duu • UUN], or “nandoon,” pronounced [nahn • duu • UUN], means “there” or “over there.” If someone is directing you somewhere nearby, they may point at it and say, doon. Watch out for this and getting around the Philippines will be a breeze!
Looking to explore outside of the city? The Philippines has seemingly endless white-sand beaches to explore. Some of the best can be found in Boracay, El Nido, or Coron. There are also many historical landmarks to visit where you can learn more about the rich local culture including the Batad Rice Terraces in Ifugao and the San Agustin Church in Manila. Whichever you choose, you absolutely cannot go wrong. For more inspiration, check out our post “Mati, Philippines: Exploring a surfing and skimboarding haven”.
Interacting in the Philippines
Learning a new language can certainly be difficult, as is overcoming language barriers when travelling! As someone who sat through many a French class, over the course of 7 years and came out of it anything but fluent, I totally get it. On that note, here’s something I think you’d be glad to hear: Many people in the Philippines are actually fluent in English (or “Taglish” as we say) so don’t worry if you don’t get it perfect. What really matters is that you give it a go and I’m sure you’ll be happy that you did!
As we know, travel emergencies can and do happen! In the case that crisis strikes, these words and phrases could really help you and your travel buddies out along the way.
Looking for more travel ideas to explore the Philippines? Leave your questions below and we’ll get back to you!
Happy travels,
Jacqueline
