“One” in every Philippine language
One across 9 languages, and what the differences tell you.
Last updated
Side by side
| Language | One |
|---|---|
| English | One |
| Tagalog | Isa |
| Ilocano | Maysa |
| Cebuano | Usa |
| Hiligaynon | Isa |
| Waray | Usa |
| Bikol | Saro |
| Kapampangan | Metung |
| Pangasinan | Sakey |
What the pattern shows
Cebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer.
Where they agree
- Isa — Tagalog, Hiligaynon
- Usa — Cebuano, Waray
Standing alone: Ilocano (Maysa), Bikol (Saro), Kapampangan (Metung) and Pangasinan (Sakey).
In a phrase
From the Ilocano to Tagalog phrasebook, where every row was checked against published references:
Eleven
Ilocano Sangapulo ket maysa
Tagalog Labing-isa
A glass of water, please
Ilocano Maysa man a baso ti danom
Tagalog Isang baso ng tubig nga po
Twenty-one
Ilocano Duapulo ket maysa
Tagalog Dalawampu't isa
Watch out
usa does not mean the same thing everywhere:
- A deer in Tagalog
- One — the numeral in Cebuano, Waray
One of the first words anyone learns in either language, and they could not be further apart.
More numbers
The whole category as a word list: Ilocano Numbers · Tagalog Numbers
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.