Bikol to Ilocano Phrasebook

Greetings

The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.

Greetings: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Marhay na agapending review	Naimbag a bigat	Good morningEvery one of these is literally 'good' + 'morning', and the word for 'good' is the giveaway: maayo in the Visayan languages, maupay in Waray, marhay in Bikol, mayap in Kapampangan, maabig in Pangasinan, naimbag in Ilocano.
Marhay na haponpending review	Naimbag a malem	Good afternoon
Marhay na banggipending review	Naimbag a rabii	Good evening
Marhay na aldawpending review	Naimbag nga aldaw	Good day
Kumusta ka?pending review	Kumustaka?	How are you?The one phrase that is effectively identical everywhere, because all eight borrowed it from Spanish '¿cómo está?'. Do not read that as evidence the languages are close.
Marhay manpending review	Nasayaat met	I'm fine
Paarampending review	Agpakadaakon	GoodbyeCebuano 'ayo-ayo' and Hiligaynon 'halong' both mean 'take care' rather than 'farewell'; a bare word for goodbye is uncommon in the Visayan languages, and 'bye' is what people actually say.
Marhay na banggipending review	Naimbag a rabii	Good night (on parting)The word for good behaves here as it does in every greeting on this site; it is the second half worth looking at. Rabii, gabii, gab-i, banggi, bengi and labi are six forms that rhyme more than they match.

Courtesy

Thank you, sorry, yes and no.

Courtesy: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Salamatpending review	Agyamanak	Thank youIlocano is the odd one out. 'Salamat' is understood in Ilocos, but 'agyamanak' — literally 'I am grateful' — is the native form and the one a speaker will use back to you.
Dakulang salamatpending review	Agyamanak unay	Thank you very muchThe intensifier is the tell: daghan (Cebuano), madamo (Hiligaynon), damo (Waray), dakula (Bikol), dakal (Kapampangan), dakel (Pangasinan) — all meaning 'many', none of them the Tagalog 'marami'.
Daing ano manpending review	Awan ania man	You're welcomeWaray's own name comes from this construction — 'waray' is the word for 'none', and the language is named after how often outsiders heard it.
Iyopending review	Wen	YesFour different words for yes across eight languages. Kapampangan 'wa' and Pangasinan 'on' are unrecognisable to a Tagalog speaker, and machine translation frequently passes them through untouched.
Daipending review	Haan	NoIlocano also uses 'saan' for no, which is a genuine trap: 'saan' is 'where' in Tagalog. Hiligaynon 'indi' and Waray 'diri' look alike but Waray 'diri' collides with Hiligaynon 'diri', meaning 'here'.
Patawada akopending review	Pakawanennak	SorryIn everyday speech 'sorry' and 'pasensya' are what most speakers actually say in all eight; the native forms above are what you will see written.
Tabipending review	Pangngaasim	PleaseNone of these behave like English 'please'. They are requests in their own right — Cebuano 'palihug' is closer to 'do me the favour' — and are usually attached to the verb rather than added at the end.
Tabi popending review	Umisu man	Excuse meTabi is the shared form: Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol all build on it and differ only in what follows — lang, anay, po. Tagalog makikiraan and Ilocano umisu man share nothing with it, or with each other.
Mayong problemapending review	Awan problema	No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs.
Mag-ingat kapending review	Agannadka	Take careCebuano ayo-ayo and Hiligaynon halong appear again as those languages' entry for goodbye. A Visayan farewell is usually an instruction to look after yourself rather than a word for parting.

Introductions

Names and first meetings.

Introductions: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Ano an pangaran mo?pending review	Ania ti naganmo?	What is your name?Kapampangan shares no root here at all — 'nanu' for what, 'lagyu' for name — which is a fair summary of how far Central Luzon sits from everything else on this list.
An pangaran ko…pending review	Ti naganko ket…	My name is…
Maugma ako na mamidbid kapending review	Naragsakak a nakaam-ammo kenka	Nice to meet you
Taga-sain ka?pending review	Taga-anoka?	Where are you from?Same frame, eight different question words bolted onto it. This single row is the clearest illustration of why machine translation between these languages fails: the shared 'taga-' makes the sentence look translatable while the word that carries the meaning is unique to each.

Understanding

Getting by when you do not follow.

Understanding: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Dai ko nasasabutanpending review	Diak maawatan	I don't understand
Tataong ka mag-English?pending review	Makasaoka iti Ingles?	Do you speak English?The verb for 'to know how' differs completely: kamao, kabalo, maaram, tataong. None of them is the Tagalog 'marunong'.
Tabi otrohapending review	Uliten yo man	Please say it again
Tabi luway-luwaypending review	In-inuten yo man	Please speak slowly
Ano ini?pending review	Ania daytoy?	What is this?
Nasasabutan kopending review	Maawatak	I understand
Ano an apod kaini?pending review	Ania ti awag daytoy?	What is this called?

Numbers

Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.

Numbers: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Saropending review	Maysa	OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer.
Duwapending review	Dua	Two
Tulopending review	Tallo	Three
Apatpending review	Uppat	Four
Limapending review	Lima	FiveThe one numeral that survives intact across all eight — and in Pangasinan 'lima' is also the word for 'hand', which is where the numeral came from in the first place.
Anompending review	Innem	Six
Pitopending review	Pito	SevenPito is unchanged in six of the eight. The two that look different are not: Kapampangan pitu is the u-for-o that runs through its whole numeral set, and Pangasinan pitora is pito carrying the -ra counting suffix that makes its numerals longer than everyone else's.
Walopending review	Walo	EightWalo survives untouched in six languages. Kapampangan walu and Pangasinan walora are the same word wearing each language's habits — the u for o, and the -ra that Pangasinan attaches to every numeral.
Siyampending review	Siam	NineSiyam everywhere, and the differences are spelling rather than vocabulary: Ilocano writes siam without the y, Pangasinan siamira adds its counting suffix to the same root. Nine is one of the numerals no language here replaced.
Sampulopending review	Sangapulo	TenPangasinan numerals carry a counting suffix -ra that none of the others use, so 'limara' and 'samplora' look longer than their neighbours for a structural reason rather than a phonetic one.
Kagsaropending review	Sangapulo ket maysa	ElevenThree different strategies for building teens: Tagalog and Kapampangan prefix labing-, the Visayan languages say 'ten and one', and Bikol has a dedicated form (kagsaro).
Kagduwapending review	Sangapulo ket dua	TwelveTwo ways of building it. Tagalog labindalawa, Kapampangan labingadwa and Pangasinan labinduara use a labi- prefix; the Visayan languages and Ilocano spell it out as ten and two — napulog duha, sangapulo ket dua. Bikol kagduwa contracts the same idea.
Duwang pulopending review	Duapulo	TwentyCebuano and Hiligaynon 'kaluhaan' bears no visible relation to their own word for two, duha. Waray's 'karuhaan' shows the same form after its regular l→r shift.
Tulong pulopending review	Tallopulo	ThirtyThe Visayan languages wrap the root for three in ka- and -an and get katloan. Everyone else counts it out as three tens: tatlumpu, tallopulo, tulong pulo, atlungpulu, talomplo.
Limang pulopending review	Limapulo	FiftyKalim-an is the same Visayan ka- -an circumfix seen on thirty, this time around lima. The others say five tens, and Ilocano limapulo shows that construction at its plainest.
Sanggatospending review	Sangagasut	One hundredKapampangan 'dinalan' and Pangasinan 'sanlasus' share nothing with the gatos/daan the rest use — another reminder that the Luzon languages are not a group.
Sangribopending review	Sangaribu	One thousandSeven of the eight share libo and differ only in the counter in front of it — isang, usa ka, isa ka, sang-, san-. Ilocano sangaribu swaps the l for an r; Kapampangan drops the counter and says libu on its own.

Question words

Who, what, where and when — the words that differ most and trip up readers most.

Question words: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Anopending review	Ania	WhatAno covers Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol, and Pangasinan anto is close enough to guess. Cebuano unsa, Kapampangan nanu and Ilocano ania are separate words entirely. Question words open most sentences, which is why this is where comprehension between these languages tends to fail first.
Siisaypending review	Siasino	WhoHiligaynon 'sin-o' and Waray 'hin-o' differ by a single consonant, and that s→h shift runs through the whole of Waray. It is the single most reliable way to tell the two apart.
Sainpending review	Sadino	WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone.
Nuarinpending review	Kaano	WhenSix of the eight begin with ka-, and three of those carry a glottal stop written as a hyphen — kanus-a, san-o, kakan-o. Bikol nuarin is the outlier, sharing its shape with none of them.
Pira?pending review	Mano?	How much?Two different questions. Tagalog magkano and Kapampangan magkanu ask about price directly. Cebuano and Hiligaynon tagpila, Waray tagpira, Bikol pira, Pangasinan pigara and Ilocano mano are all built on that language's word for 'how many' instead.
Pira?pending review	Mano?	How many?Cebuano and Hiligaynon 'pila' means 'how many'. In Tagalog 'pila' is a queue — which makes 'Pila?' one of the most commonly misread words between Manila and Cebu.
panopending review	kasano	How

Time & days

Today, tomorrow, day and night.

Time & days: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Ngonyanpending review	Ita	TodayEight words and no agreement, and two of them are the trap on this site's Cebuano-Hiligaynon page: Cebuano karon means today, while Hiligaynon reaches for subong instead — because karon in Hiligaynon means later.
Sa agapending review	Inton bigat	TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'.
Kasuhaponpending review	Idi kalman	YesterdayKahapon, gahapon and kasuhapon are one word with the prefix shifting. Waray kakulop, Ilocano idi kalman and Kapampangan napun stand outside it entirely.
Aldawpending review	Aldaw	DayIn the Visayan languages 'adlaw' is both the day and the sun. Tagalog keeps the same double meaning in 'araw'; Ilocano does not — 'aldaw' is the day and 'init' is the sun.
Banggipending review	Rabii	NightGabi is also the Tagalog for taro, separated only by stress — one of the few places where a core time word collides with a vegetable. Ilocano rabii, Bikol banggi, Kapampangan bengi and Pangasinan labi are the same word pulled through each language's consonants.
Semanapending review	Lawas	WeekThree Spanish routes to one word. The Visayan languages and Bikol took semana; Tagalog linggo and Kapampangan dominggo both come from domingo, the Sunday that bounds the week. Pangasinan simba arrived the same way — and it is why simba means a week there and 'to attend mass' in Tagalog.
Taonpending review	Tawen	YearTuig across all three Visayan languages, taon in Tagalog, Bikol and Pangasinan, with Ilocano tawen the same word carrying its w. Kapampangan banwa belongs to neither group.
Lunespending review	Lunes	MondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below.
Martespending review	Martes	TuesdayIdentical in all eight. The Spanish weekday names arrived as a set, and none of these languages had a competing seven-day cycle to defend.
Miyerkulespending review	Mierkoles	WednesdayThe only variation is spelling. Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Pangasinan write -koles; the other five write -kules.
Huwebespending review	Huebes	ThursdayHuebes in Ilocano and Pangasinan, huwebes in the rest — the same choice between u and w those two make on Wednesday and again on Friday.
Biyernespending review	Biernes	FridayBiernes in Ilocano and Pangasinan, biyernes elsewhere. Three weekdays running where those two languages spell the Spanish the same way against the other six.
Sabadopending review	Sabado	SaturdaySabado in all eight with no variation whatsoever — the one weekday where even Ilocano and Pangasinan write it exactly as everyone else does.
Domingopending review	Domingo	SundayTagalog is the outlier: 'Linggo' where the rest kept 'Domingo'. Pangasinan went further and uses 'Simba', from the word for churchgoing — the same root Tagalog uses for the verb 'to attend mass'.
Udtopending review	Tengnga ti aldaw	NoonUdto across the Visayan languages and Bikol, with Kapampangan ugtu the same word. Tagalog tanghali stands alone, and Ilocano does not use a single word at all: tengnga ti aldaw is 'the middle of the day'.
Agapending review	Bigat	MorningAga in Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol, and Tagalog umaga is that root under a prefix. Cebuano buntag, Ilocano bigat, Kapampangan abak and Pangasinan kabuasan are four separate answers — which is why the greetings built on them share so little.
Mayamayapending review	Madamdama	LaterThe sharpest time-word trap in the Visayas. Hiligaynon 'karon' means later; Cebuano 'karon' means now. The same word moves an appointment in opposite directions.
Oraspending review	Oras	HourOras in all eight, from Spanish horas, with no language keeping an alternative alongside it.
Pirmipending review	Kanayon	AlwaysPirme and pirmi in Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol are Spanish firme. Cebuano kanunay and Ilocano kanayon are one word between them; Tagalog lagi, Kapampangan pane and Pangasinan naynay are each on their own.

Family & people

Relationships and forms of address.

Family & people: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Inapending review	Ina	MotherKapampangan 'ima' is a mother; Ilocano 'ima' is a hand. Two Luzon languages a hundred kilometres apart, same three letters, nothing in common.
Amapending review	Ama	FatherAma holds in Tagalog, Ilocano, Bikol and Pangasinan. Cebuano amahan and the Hiligaynon and Waray amay are the same root extended; Kapampangan ibpa is the only one that shares nothing, which is the pattern Kapampangan sets across this whole list.
Nanaypending review	Nanang	MumNanay is the near-universal informal form. Ilocano nanang keeps the same shape with its own ending, and Kapampangan ima stands apart — the formal ina sits behind most of these, but nanay is what people actually say.
Tataypending review	Tatang	DadTatay runs through six of the eight, with Ilocano and Kapampangan both saying tatang. That pairing is worth noticing: the two languages agree here while disagreeing on almost every other kinship term on this page.
Akipending review	Anak	Child'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general.
Tugangpending review	Kabsat	SiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance.
Lolapending review	Apong baket	GrandmotherLola is Spanish, and it has taken over Tagalog and all three Visayan languages plus Bikol. What it has not displaced is instructive — Ilocano apong baket, Kapampangan apu and Pangasinan bai all survive in the Luzon languages outside Tagalog.
Lolopending review	Apong lakay	GrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead.
Katoodpending review	Gayyem	FriendEight languages, eight unrelated words. Kapampangan 'kaluguran' doubles as a term of affection, which is why 'Kaluguran daka' means 'I love you'.
Lalakipending review	Lalaki	ManLalaki, unchanged in seven of the eight. Pangasinan laki is the same word with the first syllable worn away, which it also does to babae — bii.
Babayipending review	Babai	WomanBabae with local spellings — babai, babaye, babayi — in seven languages. Pangasinan bii is the outlier, and it is the same clipping that turns lalaki into laki.
Agompending review	Asawa	Spouse'Asawa' covers husband and wife alike in seven of the eight — the sex of the spouse is not marked. Bikol 'agom' is the odd one out.
Pangaranpending review	Nagan	NameNo single word here, which matters because 'what is your name' is the first sentence anyone learns. Ngalan and ngaran run through the Visayan languages and Bikol, Ilocano nagan is close, and Kapampangan lagyu shares nothing with any of them.
Kataningpending review	Kaarruba	NeighbourEight languages, eight words, no two alike. Everyday social vocabulary diverges far more than the numbers or the animals do, and this row is the clearest example of it on the site.
Umboypending review	Maladaga	Baby
Tiyopending review	Uliteg	UncleTiyo is Spanish and has taken Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol. The native terms survive where Spanish reached less deeply: Ilocano and Pangasinan both keep uliteg, Cebuano uyoan, Kapampangan bapa.
Tiyapending review	Ikit	AuntThe same split as uncle, and the same languages resist. Tiya covers Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol; Ilocano and Pangasinan both keep ikit, exactly as they both keep uliteg.
lalakipending review	lalaki	Man (adult male)Lalaki with no variation at all until Pangasinan, which clips it to laki — the same thing it does to the word for woman.
tawopending review	tao	Man (human being)Tao and tawo are one word: the Visayan languages and Bikol keep the w, Tagalog and Ilocano drop it. Pangasinan too and Kapampangan tau are the same again with their own vowels.
akipending review	anak	Child (a youth)Two different words competing. Anak means offspring and covers most of the list; Tagalog and Cebuano bata means a young person regardless of whose child they are. Bikol aki is a third. Which one a language chose is a choice about what 'child' means.
agompending review	asawa	WifeAsawa in seven of the eight, and it is gender-neutral in all of them — the same word appears as the entry for husband. Bikol agom is the only language here using a separate term.
agompending review	asawa	HusbandThe interesting row is this one against wife. Tagalog, Ilocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan use asawa for both; Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray keep a distinct bana for a husband. Bikol agom covers both, like asawa does.

Food & eating

Meals, ingredients and asking for them.

Food & eating: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Bagaspending review	Bagas	Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out.
Sirapending review	Ikan	FishBikol and Pangasinan 'sira' is a fish. In Tagalog and Cebuano 'sira' means broken or spoiled — so a Bikolano menu can read alarmingly to a Manila reader.
Karnepending review	Karne	MeatKarne in all eight without a single spelling change. That is unusual for a loan on this list — most leave at least one language holding its own word, and meat left none.
Manokpending review	Manok	ChickenManok in all eight, with only Kapampangan manuk differing and only in the vowel it always changes. Unlike karne directly above it, nothing displaced this one.
Urigpending review	Baboy	PigBaboy in seven. Bikol urig is the only language here that kept something else, and Kapampangan babi is baboy with its usual syllable lost.
Sugokpending review	Itlog	EggOne of the sharpest splits in this file. 'Itlog' covers Tagalog through Hiligaynon, then Waray, Bikol, Kapampangan and Pangasinan each go their own way entirely.
Asinpending review	Asin	SaltThe province of Pangasinan is named for this word — 'pang-asin-an', the place where salt is made.
Gulaypending review	Nateng	VegetableUtan across the three Visayan languages, gulay in Tagalog and Bikol with Kapampangan gule beside them. Ilocano nateng and Pangasinan pising are each alone.
Magkakanpending review	Mangan	To eatIlocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan all use 'mangan' — a genuine Luzon isogloss, and one of the very few things the three share against the Visayan 'kaon'.
Gutom na akopending review	Mabisinak	I'm hungryGutom is the shared root through Tagalog, the Visayan languages and Bikol. The three Luzon languages outside Tagalog each have their own — and each folds the 'I' into the verb rather than saying it separately: mabisinak, danupan ku na, naerasan ak.
Masirampending review	Naimas	DeliciousEight languages, eight unrelated words for the same compliment. If you learn one word from this list, learn the local one for this.
Basog na akopending review	Nabsogakon	I'm fullBusog runs through Tagalog, the Visayan languages and Bikol. Ilocano nabsogakon is the same root with the person attached to it — the construction the pronouns guide sets out, where a whole sentence fits inside one word.
Tinapaypending review	Tinapay	BreadTinapay in seven languages. Cebuano alone says pan — Spanish, and shorter.
Asukarpending review	Asukar	SugarAsukal or asukar, and the split is one consonant: Tagalog, Cebuano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan take the l; Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol take the r. Four against four.
Batagpending review	Saba	BananaSaging in five. Ilocano and Pangasinan both say saba, which in Tagalog names one particular cooking variety rather than the fruit in general. Bikol batag is its own word.
Niyogpending review	Niog	CoconutLubi across all three Visayan languages; niyog in Tagalog, Bikol and Pangasinan with Ilocano niog alongside. Kapampangan ungut belongs to neither group.
Manggapending review	Mangga	MangoMangga in all eight with no variation, which on a page where sweet, sour and salty all splinter is worth noticing.
Maispending review	Mais	CornMais in all eight, from Spanish maíz. Maize is a New World crop that reached these islands through Spain, and the word came with the plant.
Bawangpending review	Bawang	GarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'.
Sabawpending review	Digo	Soup, brothSabaw in six, with Kapampangan sabo the same word shortened. Ilocano digo is the only real outlier.
Mahamispending review	Nasam-it	SweetTam-is is the root, and almost every language wraps it in its own adjective prefix — ma-, na-. Bikol mahamis differs by a single consonant; Kapampangan mayumu is the one form here unrelated to the rest.
Maalsompending review	Naalsem	SourOne root under everyone's adjective prefix, and the vowels do the moving: aslom, aslam, alsem, alsom. The consonants hold. Tagalog maasim is the same word with the l dropped.
Maharangpending review	Nagasang	Spicy
Maalatpending review	Naapgad	SaltyMaalat in Tagalog, Waray, Bikol and Kapampangan. Hiligaynon maasin builds it on asin — salt itself — while Cebuano parat and Ilocano naapgad are separate words again.
Maglutopending review	Agluto	To cookLuto is the root in every one; only the prefix changes — mag-, ag-, man-. Ilocano agluto takes the ag- that marks actor focus, the same prefix the verb table sets out.
Platitopending review	Pinggan	PlateA clean split between the Spanish word and the native one. Tagalog, Cebuano and Bikol took plato; Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Kapampangan and Pangasinan all kept pinggan. Five to three, and geography does not predict which.
Kutsarapending review	Kutsara	SpoonKutsara in all eight, from Spanish cuchara — and it sits beside plate, where five languages kept pinggan rather than take plato. The spoon was borrowed everywhere; the plate was not.

Drinks

Water, coffee and what to order.

Drinks: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Tubigpending review	Danum	WaterThe Luzon/Visayan split in one word: danum in the north, tubig everywhere else. Tagalog sides with the Visayan languages here despite sitting on Luzon.
Kapepending review	Kape	Coffee
Gataspending review	Gatas	Milk
Mag-inompending review	Uminom	To drink
Tubig tabipending review	Danum man	Water, please
Tsaapending review	Tsaa	Tea
Serbesapending review	Serbesa	Beer
Mainit na tubigpending review	Napudot a danum	Hot water
Malipot na tubigpending review	Nalamiis a danum	Cold water

Market & money

Prices, haggling, paying.

Market & money: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Kwartapending review	Kuarta	MoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila.
Mahalpending review	Nangina	ExpensiveIn Tagalog 'mahal' means both expensive and beloved. Ilocano keeps them apart — 'nangina' for costly, 'ay-ayat' for love — so the pun does not survive translation.
Baratopending review	Nalaka	CheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own.
Magbakalpending review	Gumatang	To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction.
Saudanpending review	Tiendaan	Market
Pira ini?pending review	Manu daytoy?	How much is this?
Mahal na marhaypending review	Nangina unay	That's too expensive
Pwede tawad?pending review	Mabalin nga ibaba?	Can you lower the price?
Magtindapending review	Aglako	To sell

Directions

Left, right, here, there and how far.

Directions: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Walapending review	Kannigid	LeftThe most dangerous word on this page. 'Wala' means left in four of these languages and 'none' in Tagalog — so a Tagalog speaker hearing directions in Cebu can understand the sentence and take the wrong turn.
Tuopending review	Kannawan	Right
Digdipending review	Ditoy	HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly.
Dumanpending review	Idiay	There
Harayopending review	Adayo	Far
Haranipending review	Asideg	Near
Sain an banyo?pending review	Ayanna ti banio?	Where is the toilet?
Magdumanpending review	Mapan	To go
Diretsopending review	Diretso	Straight ahead
Itaaspending review	Ngato	Up
Ibabapending review	Baba	Down
Laogpending review	Uneg	Inside
Luwaspending review	Ruar	Outside

Health & emergency

The phrases worth knowing before you need them.

Health & emergency: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Tabang!pending review	Tulong!	Help!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.
Doktorpending review	Doktor	Doctor
Ospitalpending review	Ospital	Hospital
May hilang akopending review	Masakitak	I am sick
Makulogpending review	Nasakit	It hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use.
Pulispending review	Pulis	Police
Kalayo!pending review	Uram!	Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity.
Parahabon!pending review	Mannanakaw!	Thief!
Mag-ingat kapending review	Agannad ka	Be careful
Nawara akopending review	Napukawak	I am lost
Kalinturapending review	Gurigor	Fever
Kulog kan payopending review	Sakit ti ulo	Headache

The body

Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.

The body: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Payopending review	Ulo	HeadBikol 'payo' is a head. In Tagalog 'payo' is advice — which makes it one of the neatest false friends in the country.
Matapending review	Mata	Eye
Kamotpending review	Ima	HandThree separate traps in one row: Ilocano 'ima' is Kapampangan for mother, Visayan 'kamot' is Tagalog for scratching, and Pangasinan 'lima' is the numeral five in every other language here.
Bitispending review	Saka	Foot
Ngusopending review	Ngiwat	MouthVisayan 'baba' is a mouth; Tagalog 'baba' is a chin, and with different stress it is also 'down'. Neighbouring body parts, different words.
Tulakpending review	Buksit	Stomach
Buhokpending review	Buok	Hair
Talingapending review	Lapayag	Ear
Dungopending review	Agong	Nose
Ngiponpending review	Ngipen	Tooth
Dugopending review	Daya	BloodIlocano and Kapampangan both say 'daya' for blood — and in Tagalog and Cebuano the same word means cheating. Worth care in any medical setting.
Pusopending review	Puso	Heart
kublitpending review	kudil	Skin (of a person)
lamanpending review	bagas	Meat (as in flesh)
tulangpending review	tulang	Bone
tabapending review	taba	Fat (noun)
dilapending review	dila	Tongue
kukopending review	kuko	Fingernail
tabaypending review	gurong	Leg
tuhodpending review	tumeng	Knee
tulakpending review	tian	Belly
bitukapending review	bagis	Guts
liogpending review	tengnged	Neck
likodpending review	likod	Back
susopending review	suso	Breast
katoypending review	dalem	Liver

Nature & weather

Sun, rain, sea and mountain.

Nature & weather: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Saldangpending review	Init	SunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two.
Bulanpending review	Bulan	MoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them.
Bitoonpending review	Bituen	Star
Uranpending review	Tudo	RainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use.
Dagatpending review	Baybay	Sea
Bukidpending review	Bantay	MountainTwo traps at once. Ilocano 'bantay' is a mountain; in Tagalog it is a guard. Visayan 'bukid' is a mountain; in Tagalog 'bukid' is a field or farm.
Harongpending review	Balay	House
Kalayopending review	Apuy	FireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy.
Salogpending review	Karayan	RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor.
Dagapending review	Daga	Land, soilSix unrelated roots for the ground under your feet, and Ilocano 'daga' collides head-on with Tagalog, where it means a rat.
Kahoypending review	Kayo	Tree
Burakpending review	Sabong	FlowerIlocano 'sabong' is a flower. In Tagalog 'sabong' is cockfighting — an unusually large gap for two languages spoken on the same island.
Gapopending review	Bato	Stone
Durospending review	Angin	Wind
Langitpending review	Langit	SkyPangasinan 'tawen' is the sky; Ilocano 'tawen' is a year. Two Northern Luzon languages, one word, no shared meaning.
Linogpending review	Ginggined	Earthquake
Bagyopending review	Bagyo	Typhoon
kadlaganpending review	kakayuan	Forest
sarasapending review	kayo	Stick (of wood)
bungapending review	bunga	Fruit
pisogpending review	bin-i	Seed
dahonpending review	bulong	Leaf
gamotpending review	ramut	Root
ubakpending review	ukis ti kayo	Bark (of tree)
duotpending review	ruot	Grass
danawpending review	danaw	Lake
dagatpending review	taaw	Sea (as in ocean)
baybaypending review	darat	Sand
alpogpending review	tapok	Dust
dagapending review	daga	Earth (as in soil)
dampogpending review	ulep	Cloud
ambonpending review	angep	Fog
durospending review	angin	Wind (as in breeze)
nyebepending review	niebe	Snow
yelopending review	yelo	Ice
asopending review	asok	Smoke
abopending review	dapo	Ash
aldawpending review	aldaw	Day (daytime)

Describing things

Big, small, good, beautiful.

Describing things: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Dakulapending review	Dakkel	Big
Saditpending review	Bassit	Small
Marhaypending review	Nasayaat	Good
Maraotpending review	Dakes	Bad
Magayonpending review	Napintas	BeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged.
Mainitpending review	Napudot	Hot
Malipotpending review	Nalamiis	Cold
Marikaspending review	Napartak	Fast
Bagopending review	Baro	New
Lumapending review	Daan	Old (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road.
Gurangpending review	Lakay	Old (of a person)Ilocano 'lakay' is an old man specifically; 'baket' is the word for an old woman, and that one collides with Kapampangan 'baket', meaning why.
Dakolpending review	Adu	Many
Kadikitpending review	Bassit	Few
Halabapending review	Atiddog	Long
Halipotpending review	Ababa	Short
Magabatpending review	Nadagsen	Heavy
Malinigpending review	Nadalus	Clean
Maatipending review	Narugit	Dirty
gabospending review	amin	All
nagkapirapending review	dadduma	Some
ibapending review	sabali	Other
halakbangpending review	lawa	Wide
mahibogpending review	puskol	Thick
hayapitpending review	kikid	Narrow
mahimpispending review	ingpis	Thin
maimbongpending review	pudot	Warm (as in weather)
malipotpending review	lamek	Cold (as in weather)
panopending review	napno	Full
daanpending review	daan	Old
lapapending review	nabangles	Rotten (as a log)
tanospending review	natarus	Straight
bilogpending review	nagbukel	Round
matarompending review	natadem	Sharp (as a knife)
mangurolpending review	namudel	Dull (as a knife)
mahalnaspending review	nalamuyot	Smooth
dumogpending review	basa	Wet
alangpending review	maga	Dry (adjective)
tamapending review	payso	Right (correct)
tuopending review	kannawan	Right (side)
walapending review	kannigid	Left (side)

Feelings

Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.

Feelings: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Namumutan ta kapending review	Ay-ayatenka	I love youEight languages and eight completely different verbs. This row alone answers the question of whether Philippine languages are 'dialects of each other'.
Maugmapending review	Naragsak	Happy
Mamundopending review	Naliday	Sad
Pagalpending review	Nabannog	Tired
Anggotpending review	Nakaunget	Angry
Namimibian takapending review	Malmalagipka	I miss you
Takotpending review	Mabuteng	Afraid
Nagkukurahawpending review	Nasdaaw	Surprised

Colours

Basic colour terms.

Colours: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Pulapending review	Nalabaga	RedPula covers Tagalog, all three Visayan languages and Bikol. The three that break from it — Ilocano nalabaga, Kapampangan malutu, Pangasinan ambalanga — are exactly the three Luzon languages that sit outside the Central Philippine branch. The family tree showing through a colour word.
Putipending review	Puraw	WhitePuti is the base, and two languages keep it under a prefix: Kapampangan maputi, Pangasinan amputi. The two that abandon it are Ilocano puraw and Waray busag — and busag is one of the words that marks Waray off from its Bisayan neighbours, which both say puti.
Itompending review	Nangisit	BlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast.
Asulpending review	Asul	BlueIdentical in all eight. That is what a loanword looks like: nothing native survives here, so there is nothing for the languages to disagree about. Compare red, where the native words hold and almost nothing matches.
Berdepending review	Berde	GreenOnly Kapampangan kept a native word. The other seven took the Spanish 'verde' and never replaced it.
Kahelpending review	Kahel	OrangeThe same word in all eight, which on this list is true only of orange and blue. Borrowed colour terms travel intact; the native ones — red, white, yellow — are where these languages part company.
Abuhonpending review	Dapo	GreyEvery one of these is built on the word for ash — abo, dapo — rather than being a colour term of its own.

Everyday verbs

The actions that carry most sentences.

Everyday verbs: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Magturogpending review	Maturog	To sleep
Mahilingpending review	Makita	To see
Sabihonpending review	Ibaga	To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red.
Arampending review	Ammo	To know
Gustopending review	Kayat	To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm.
Magtaopending review	Mangted	To give
Magtrabahopending review	Agtrabaho	To work
Maglakawpending review	Magna	To walk
Magtarampending review	Agsao	To speakThe Visayan languages disagree with each other completely here — sulti, hambal, yakan — which is a useful corrective to the idea that they are one language.
Maghinanyogpending review	Dumngeg	To listen
Magsuratpending review	Agsurat	To write
Magbasapending review	Agbasa	To read
Magtukawpending review	Agtugaw	To sit
Magtindogpending review	Tumakder	To stand
Magdalaganpending review	Agtaray	To run
Maghalatpending review	Aguray	To wait
Buksanpending review	Luktan	To open
Isarapending review	Irikep	To close
Maghugaspending review	Agugas	To wash
Magdigdipending review	Umay ditoy	To come here
kagatpending review	kagat	To bite
supsoppending review	supsop	To suck
lutabpending review	tupra	To spit
sukapending review	uta	To vomit
hayoppending review	puyot	To blow (as wind)
hangospending review	anges	To breathe
ngisipending review	katawa	To laugh
dangogpending review	dengngeg	To hear
arampending review	ammo	To know (a fact)
isippending review	panunot	To think
parongpending review	angot	To smell (sense odour)
takotpending review	kuteng	To fear
buhaypending review	biag	To live
gadanpending review	matay	To die
gadanpending review	mangpatay	To kill
labanpending review	agapa	To fight
mangayampending review	anup	To hunt (transitive)
tamapending review	pangor	To hit
putolpending review	balsig	To cut
silakpending review	bisak	To split
saksakpending review	dugsol	To stab (or stick)
kagawpending review	kudkod	To scratch (an itch)
kalotpending review	kali	To dig
langoypending review	langoy	To swim
layogpending review	tayab	To fly
abotpending review	umay	To come
higdapending review	idda	To lie (as on one's side)
sikopending review	likko	To turn (change direction)
hulogpending review	tinnag	To fall (as in drop)
kapotpending review	mangiggem	To hold (in one's hand)
gumokpending review	pespes	To squeeze
gusgospending review	radradan	To rub
pahidpending review	punas	To wipe
guyodpending review	guyod	To pull
tulodpending review	duron	To push
aponpending review	ibato	To throw
igakodpending review	igalot	To tie
tahipending review	dait	To sew
bilangpending review	bilang	To count
kantapending review	agkanta	To sing
kawatpending review	agay-ayam	To play
latawpending review	agtapaw	To float
bulospending review	ayus	To flow
lipotpending review	agyelo	To freeze
gatokpending review	lumteg	To swell
sulopending review	uram	To burn (intransitive)

Months

The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.

Months: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Eneropending review	Enero	JanuaryThe month names are Spanish in all eight languages. What varies is spelling: Tagalog respells the Spanish f as p (Pebrero), while several of the others keep Febrero.
Pebreropending review	Pebrero	February
Marsopending review	Marso	March
Abrilpending review	Abril	April
Mayopending review	Mayo	May
Hunyopending review	Hunio	June
Hulyopending review	Hulio	July
Agostopending review	Agosto	August
Setyembrepending review	Setiembre	September
Oktubrepending review	Oktubre	October
Nobyembrepending review	Nobiembre	November
Disyembrepending review	Disiembre	December

Getting around

Roads, boats, jeepneys and how to get off one.

Getting around: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Tinampopending review	Dalan	RoadSeven of the eight use 'dalan'. Tagalog's 'daan' is the same root worn down, and Bikol went its own way with 'tinampo'.
Barotopending review	Bangka	Boat
Awtopending review	Lugan	Car
Magsakaypending review	Lumugan	To ride
Para tabipending review	Para man	Stop here, please'Para' comes from Spanish 'parar', to stop, and is the universal way to get off a jeepney anywhere in the country.
Sain ka maduman?pending review	Papanam?	Where are you going?
Tiketpending review	Tiket	Ticket

Somewhere to stay

Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.

Somewhere to stay: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Yabapending review	Tulbek	KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all.
Pintopending review	Ruangan	Door
Bintanapending review	Tawa	WindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter.
Kuwartopending review	Kuarto	Room
Katrepending review	Kama	Bed
Kasilyaspending review	Banio	Toilet

Things to buy

Everyday items you might need to ask for.

Things to buy: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Badopending review	Badu	Clothes
Sapatospending review	Sapatos	Shoes
Bulongpending review	Agas	MedicineWorth knowing before a pharmacy visit, and the source of a nasty trap: Tagalog 'gamot' is medicine, but in the Visayan languages the same word means a root.
Sabonpending review	Sabon	Soap
Libropending review	Libro	Book
Papelpending review	Papel	Paper

Animals

Everyday creatures, and several of the sharpest false friends on the site.

Animals: Bikol phrases with Ilocano and English translations
Bikol	Ilocano	English
Ayampending review	Aso	DogFour unrelated words for the commonest domestic animal. Worth pairing with the Cebuano trap: 'aso' means smoke there, so the Tagalog word for dog is a real Cebuano word meaning something else entirely.
Ikospending review	Pusa	CatThe one domestic animal with no agreement at all. Pusa covers Tagalog, Ilocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan; the Visayan languages each have their own word — iring, kuring, uding — and Bikol ikos shares with none of them.
Karabawpending review	Nuang	CarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg.
Kandingpending review	Kalding	GoatKanding across the Visayan languages, Bikol and Pangasinan; kambing in Tagalog and Kapampangan; Ilocano kalding sits between the two with its own consonant. Three shapes of what looks like one word.
Bakapending review	Baka	CowBaka in all eight without variation. Spanish vaca arrived with the animal itself, so there was no native word for it to displace — which is why this row is flat while cat is not.
Kabayopending review	Kabalyo	HorseKabayo everywhere, from Spanish caballo, with only spelling separating them: Ilocano kabalyo keeps the Spanish ll, Kapampangan kabayu takes its usual u. Another animal that arrived with its name.
Halaspending review	Uleg	SnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree.
Gamgampending review	Billit	BirdCebuano 'langgam' is a bird; Tagalog 'langgam' is an ant. One of the most-cited false friends between the two largest languages in the country.
Lamokpending review	Lamok	MosquitoLamok in most, but Hiligaynon and Waray both say namok. The l-to-n shift between those two and their neighbours turns up elsewhere in Bisayan and is regular enough to guess at.
hayoppending review	ayup	AnimalHayop covers Tagalog, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol, with Ilocano ayup and Pangasinan ayep as the same word reduced. Cebuano mananap is its own; the Kapampangan cell reads animal, which is worth a speaker's eye before it is trusted.
kutopending review	kuto	LouseKuto in all eight, with only Kapampangan kutu differing and only in its usual vowel. Head lice are old and universal, and the word for them has not moved.
ulodpending review	igges	WormUlod across the Visayan languages and Bikol, uod in Tagalog. Ilocano igges and Pangasinan biges share nothing with them or, on the face of it, with each other. Kapampangan bulati is a fourth answer.
sungaypending review	sara	HornSungay holds in Tagalog and most of the Visayas, then falls apart: Ilocano sara, Waray budyong, Kapampangan sagu, Pangasinan saklor. Waray breaking from Cebuano and Hiligaynon here is its habit rather than an exception.
ikogpending review	ipus	TailIkog runs through the Visayan languages and Bikol, and Pangasinan ikol and Kapampangan iki are recognisably the same. Tagalog buntot and Ilocano ipus are the two that stand outside it.
balukagpending review	dutdut	FeatherBalahibo, balhibo and barahibo are one word — the Waray r for l is the shift that language applies regularly. Ilocano dutdut, Kapampangan bulbul and Pangasinan bago are separate answers, and Bikol balukag is a fourth.
pakpakpending review	payak	WingPakpak in five languages, and Cebuano and Waray pako is the same root without the doubling. Ilocano payak is the only form that has moved far from it.