“Help!” in every Philippine language
Help! across 9 languages, and what the differences tell you.
Last updated
Side by side
| Language | Help! |
|---|---|
| English | Help! |
| Tagalog | Tulong! |
| Ilocano | Tulong! |
| Cebuano | Tabang! |
| Hiligaynon | Bulig! |
| Waray | Bulig! |
| Bikol | Tabang! |
| Kapampangan | Saup! |
| Pangasinan | Tulong! |
What the pattern shows
Worth memorising the local form before you need it. Cebuano 'tabang' is help; Hiligaynon 'tab-ang' is bland or tasteless, which is a poor thing to shout.
Where they agree
- Tulong! — Tagalog, Ilocano, Pangasinan
- Tabang! — Cebuano, Bikol
- Bulig! — Hiligaynon, Waray
Kapampangan stands alone with Saup!.
In a phrase
From the Ilocano to Tagalog phrasebook, where every row was checked against published references:
I need your help
Ilocano Kasapulak ti tulongmo
Tagalog Kailangan ko ang tulong mo
More health & emergency
The whole category as a word list: Ilocano Emergency and Health Phrases · Tagalog Emergency and Health Phrases
Where this comes from
This row is one of 161 concept pages drawn from a parallel set of everyday vocabulary held across nine languages. You can browse all of them, download the whole set under CC BY-SA 4.0, or paste text to find out which language it is.
Compiled from published general reference and pending review by native speakers. If something here is wrong in a language you speak, please tell us.