Bikol to Tagalog Phrasebook
396 everyday phrases, grouped by the situation you need them in. Compiled from published references rather than generated by a translation engine, and marked pending review until native speakers have confirmed it.
No. Both sit in the Central Philippine group, so they share structure and a layer of Spanish-era vocabulary, but Bikol's core words are its own — marhay for good, dai for no, harong for house, payo for head. A Tagalog speaker picks out numbers and loanwords and little else. Bikolanos generally understand Tagalog, because it is the language of school and television, not because the two are alike.
- Phrases
- 396
- Categories
- 24
- Cited sources
- 3
- Pending review
- 396
Showing all 396 phrases across 24 categories.
Greetings
The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Marhay na agapending review | Magandang umaga | 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 | Magandang hapon | Good afternoon |
| Marhay na banggipending review | Magandang gabi | Good evening |
| Marhay na aldawpending review | Magandang araw | Good day |
| Kumusta ka?pending review | Kumusta ka? | 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 | Mabuti naman | I'm fine |
| Paarampending review | Paalam | 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 | Magandang gabi | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salamatpending review | Salamat | 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 | Maraming salamat | 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 | Walang anuman | 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 | Oo | 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 | Hindi | 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 | Paumanhin | 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 | Pakiusap | 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 | Makikiraan po | 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 | Walang problema | No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs. |
| Mag-ingat kapending review | Ingat ka | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ano an pangaran mo?pending review | Ano ang pangalan mo? | 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 | Ang pangalan ko ay… | My name is… |
| Maugma ako na mamidbid kapending review | Ikinagagalak kitang makilala | Nice to meet you |
| Taga-sain ka?pending review | Taga-saan ka? | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dai ko nasasabutanpending review | Hindi ko naiintindihan | I don't understand |
| Tataong ka mag-English?pending review | Marunong ka bang mag-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 | Pakiulit nga po | Please say it again |
| Tabi luway-luwaypending review | Pakidahan-dahan po | Please speak slowly |
| Ano ini?pending review | Ano ito? | What is this? |
| Nasasabutan kopending review | Naiintindihan ko | I understand |
| Ano an apod kaini?pending review | Ano ang tawag dito? | What is this called? |
Numbers
Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Saropending review | Isa | OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer. |
| Duwapending review | Dalawa | Two |
| Tulopending review | Tatlo | Three |
| Apatpending review | Apat | 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 | Anim | 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 | Siyam | 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 | Sampu | 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 | Labing-isa | 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 | Labindalawa | 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 | Dalawampu | 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 | Tatlumpu | 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 | Limampu | 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 | Isang daan | 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 | Isang libo | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Anopending review | Ano | 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 | Sino | 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 | Saan | WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone. |
| Nuarinpending review | Kailan | 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 | Magkano? | 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 | Ilan? | 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 | paano | How |
Time & days
Today, tomorrow, day and night.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ngonyanpending review | Ngayon | 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 | Bukas | TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'. |
| Kasuhaponpending review | Kahapon | 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 | Araw | 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 | Gabi | 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 | Linggo | 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 | Taon | 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 | Miyerkules | WednesdayThe only variation is spelling. Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Pangasinan write -koles; the other five write -kules. |
| Huwebespending review | Huwebes | 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 | Biyernes | 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 | Linggo | 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 | Tanghali | 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 | Umaga | 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 | Mamaya | 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 | Lagi | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | 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 | Nanay | 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 | Tatay | 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 | Kapatid | SiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance. |
| Lolapending review | Lola | 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 | Lolo | GrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead. |
| Katoodpending review | Kaibigan | 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 | Babae | 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 | Pangalan | 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 | Kapitbahay | 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 | Sanggol | Baby |
| Tiyopending review | Tiyo | 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 | Tiya | 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 | bata | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bagaspending review | Bigas | Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out. |
| Sirapending review | Isda | 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 | Gulay | 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 | Kumain | 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 | Gutom na ako | 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 | Masarap | 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 | Busog na ako | 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 | Asukal | 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 | Saging | 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 | Niyog | 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 | Sabaw | Soup, brothSabaw in six, with Kapampangan sabo the same word shortened. Ilocano digo is the only real outlier. |
| Mahamispending review | Matamis | 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 | Maasim | 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 | Maanghang | Spicy |
| Maalatpending review | Maalat | 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 | Magluto | 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 | Plato | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tubigpending review | Tubig | 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 | Pakiabot ng tubig | Water, please |
| Tsaapending review | Tsaa | Tea |
| Serbesapending review | Serbesa | Beer |
| Mainit na tubigpending review | Mainit na tubig | Hot water |
| Malipot na tubigpending review | Malamig na tubig | Cold water |
Market & money
Prices, haggling, paying.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kwartapending review | Pera | MoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila. |
| Mahalpending review | Mahal | 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 | Mura | CheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own. |
| Magbakalpending review | Bumili | To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction. |
| Saudanpending review | Palengke | Market |
| Pira ini?pending review | Magkano ito? | How much is this? |
| Mahal na marhaypending review | Masyadong mahal | That's too expensive |
| Pwede tawad?pending review | Pwedeng tawad? | Can you lower the price? |
| Magtindapending review | Magbenta | To sell |
Directions
Left, right, here, there and how far.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Walapending review | Kaliwa | 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 | Kanan | Right |
| Digdipending review | Dito | HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly. |
| Dumanpending review | Doon | There |
| Harayopending review | Malayo | Far |
| Haranipending review | Malapit | Near |
| Sain an banyo?pending review | Nasaan ang banyo? | Where is the toilet? |
| Magdumanpending review | Pumunta | To go |
| Diretsopending review | Diretso | Straight ahead |
| Itaaspending review | Taas | Up |
| Ibabapending review | Baba | Down |
| Laogpending review | Loob | Inside |
| Luwaspending review | Labas | Outside |
Health & emergency
The phrases worth knowing before you need them.
| Bikol | Tagalog | 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 | May sakit ako | I am sick |
| Makulogpending review | Masakit | It hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use. |
| Pulispending review | Pulis | Police |
| Kalayo!pending review | Sunog! | Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity. |
| Parahabon!pending review | Magnanakaw! | Thief! |
| Mag-ingat kapending review | Mag-ingat ka | Be careful |
| Nawara akopending review | Naligaw ako | I am lost |
| Kalinturapending review | Lagnat | Fever |
| Kulog kan payopending review | Sakit ng ulo | Headache |
The body
Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.
| Bikol | Tagalog | 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 | Kamay | 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 | Paa | Foot |
| Ngusopending review | Bibig | 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 | Tiyan | Stomach |
| Buhokpending review | Buhok | Hair |
| Talingapending review | Tainga | Ear |
| Dungopending review | Ilong | Nose |
| Ngiponpending review | Ngipin | Tooth |
| Dugopending review | Dugo | 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 | balat | Skin (of a person) |
| lamanpending review | karne | Meat (as in flesh) |
| tulangpending review | buto | Bone |
| tabapending review | taba | Fat (noun) |
| dilapending review | dila | Tongue |
| kukopending review | kuko | Fingernail |
| tabaypending review | binti | Leg |
| tuhodpending review | tuhod | Knee |
| tulakpending review | tiyan | Belly |
| bitukapending review | bituka | Guts |
| liogpending review | leeg | Neck |
| likodpending review | likod | Back |
| susopending review | suso | Breast |
| katoypending review | atay | Liver |
Nature & weather
Sun, rain, sea and mountain.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Saldangpending review | Araw | SunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two. |
| Bulanpending review | Buwan | MoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them. |
| Bitoonpending review | Bituin | Star |
| Uranpending review | Ulan | RainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use. |
| Dagatpending review | Dagat | Sea |
| Bukidpending review | Bundok | 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 | Bahay | House |
| Kalayopending review | Apoy | FireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy. |
| Salogpending review | Ilog | RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor. |
| Dagapending review | Lupa | 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 | Puno | Tree |
| Burakpending review | Bulaklak | 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 | Hangin | 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 | Lindol | Earthquake |
| Bagyopending review | Bagyo | Typhoon |
| kadlaganpending review | kakahuyan | Forest |
| sarasapending review | patpat | Stick (of wood) |
| bungapending review | bunga | Fruit |
| pisogpending review | binhi | Seed |
| dahonpending review | dahon | Leaf |
| gamotpending review | ugat | Root |
| ubakpending review | balat ng puno | Bark (of tree) |
| duotpending review | damo | Grass |
| danawpending review | lawa | Lake |
| dagatpending review | dagat | Sea (as in ocean) |
| baybaypending review | buhangin | Sand |
| alpogpending review | alikabok | Dust |
| dagapending review | lupa | Earth (as in soil) |
| dampogpending review | alapaap | Cloud |
| ambonpending review | hamog | Fog |
| durospending review | hangin | Wind (as in breeze) |
| nyebepending review | niyebe | Snow |
| yelopending review | yelo | Ice |
| asopending review | usok | Smoke |
| abopending review | abo | Ash |
| aldawpending review | araw | Day (daytime) |
Describing things
Big, small, good, beautiful.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dakulapending review | Malaki | Big |
| Saditpending review | Maliit | Small |
| Marhaypending review | Mabuti | Good |
| Maraotpending review | Masama | Bad |
| Magayonpending review | Maganda | 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 | Mainit | Hot |
| Malipotpending review | Malamig | Cold |
| Marikaspending review | Mabilis | Fast |
| Bagopending review | Bago | New |
| Lumapending review | Luma | Old (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road. |
| Gurangpending review | Matanda | 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 | Marami | Many |
| Kadikitpending review | Kaunti | Few |
| Halabapending review | Mahaba | Long |
| Halipotpending review | Maikli | Short |
| Magabatpending review | Mabigat | Heavy |
| Malinigpending review | Malinis | Clean |
| Maatipending review | Marumi | Dirty |
| gabospending review | lahat | All |
| nagkapirapending review | ilan | Some |
| ibapending review | iba | Other |
| halakbangpending review | malapad | Wide |
| mahibogpending review | makapal | Thick |
| hayapitpending review | makitid | Narrow |
| mahimpispending review | manipis | Thin |
| maimbongpending review | mainit | Warm (as in weather) |
| malipotpending review | malamig | Cold (as in weather) |
| panopending review | puno | Full |
| daanpending review | luma | Old |
| lapapending review | bulok | Rotten (as a log) |
| tanospending review | tuwid | Straight |
| bilogpending review | bilog | Round |
| matarompending review | matulis | Sharp (as a knife) |
| mangurolpending review | mapurol | Dull (as a knife) |
| mahalnaspending review | makinis | Smooth |
| dumogpending review | basa | Wet |
| alangpending review | tuyo | Dry (adjective) |
| tamapending review | tama | Right (correct) |
| tuopending review | kanan | Right (side) |
| walapending review | kaliwa | Left (side) |
Feelings
Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Namumutan ta kapending review | Mahal kita | 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 | Masaya | Happy |
| Mamundopending review | Malungkot | Sad |
| Pagalpending review | Pagod | Tired |
| Anggotpending review | Galit | Angry |
| Namimibian takapending review | Namimiss kita | I miss you |
| Takotpending review | Takot | Afraid |
| Nagkukurahawpending review | Nagulat | Surprised |
Colours
Basic colour terms.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pulapending review | Pula | 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 | Puti | 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 | Itim | 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 | Abuhin | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Magturogpending review | Matulog | To sleep |
| Mahilingpending review | Makita | To see |
| Sabihonpending review | Sabihin | To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red. |
| Arampending review | Alam | To know |
| Gustopending review | Gusto | To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm. |
| Magtaopending review | Magbigay | To give |
| Magtrabahopending review | Magtrabaho | To work |
| Maglakawpending review | Maglakad | To walk |
| Magtarampending review | Magsalita | 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 | Makinig | To listen |
| Magsuratpending review | Sumulat | To write |
| Magbasapending review | Magbasa | To read |
| Magtukawpending review | Umupo | To sit |
| Magtindogpending review | Tumayo | To stand |
| Magdalaganpending review | Tumakbo | To run |
| Maghalatpending review | Maghintay | To wait |
| Buksanpending review | Buksan | To open |
| Isarapending review | Isara | To close |
| Maghugaspending review | Maghugas | To wash |
| Magdigdipending review | Pumunta rito | To come here |
| kagatpending review | kagat | To bite |
| supsoppending review | sipsip | To suck |
| lutabpending review | luwa | To spit |
| sukapending review | suka | To vomit |
| hayoppending review | ihip | To blow (as wind) |
| hangospending review | hinga | To breathe |
| ngisipending review | tawa | To laugh |
| dangogpending review | dinig | To hear |
| arampending review | alam | To know (a fact) |
| isippending review | isip | To think |
| parongpending review | amoy | To smell (sense odour) |
| takotpending review | takot | To fear |
| buhaypending review | buhay | To live |
| gadanpending review | patay | To die |
| gadanpending review | patay | To kill |
| labanpending review | laban | To fight |
| mangayampending review | mangaso | To hunt (transitive) |
| tamapending review | tama | To hit |
| putolpending review | putol | To cut |
| silakpending review | biyak | To split |
| saksakpending review | saksak | To stab (or stick) |
| kagawpending review | kamot | To scratch (an itch) |
| kalotpending review | hukay | To dig |
| langoypending review | langoy | To swim |
| layogpending review | lipad | To fly |
| abotpending review | dating | To come |
| higdapending review | higa | To lie (as on one's side) |
| sikopending review | liko | To turn (change direction) |
| hulogpending review | hulog | To fall (as in drop) |
| kapotpending review | hawak | To hold (in one's hand) |
| gumokpending review | pisil | To squeeze |
| gusgospending review | kuskos | To rub |
| pahidpending review | punas | To wipe |
| guyodpending review | hila | To pull |
| tulodpending review | tulak | To push |
| aponpending review | tapon | To throw |
| igakodpending review | tali | To tie |
| tahipending review | tahi | To sew |
| bilangpending review | bilang | To count |
| kantapending review | awit | To sing |
| kawatpending review | laro | To play |
| latawpending review | lutang | To float |
| bulospending review | agos | To flow |
| lipotpending review | tigas | To freeze |
| gatokpending review | maga | To swell |
| sulopending review | sunogin | To burn (intransitive) |
Months
The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.
| Bikol | Tagalog | 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 | Hunyo | June |
| Hulyopending review | Hulyo | July |
| Agostopending review | Agosto | August |
| Setyembrepending review | Setyembre | September |
| Oktubrepending review | Oktubre | October |
| Nobyembrepending review | Nobyembre | November |
| Disyembrepending review | Disyembre | December |
Getting around
Roads, boats, jeepneys and how to get off one.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tinampopending review | Daan | 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 | Kotse | Car |
| Magsakaypending review | Sumakay | To ride |
| Para tabipending review | Para po | 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 | Saan ka pupunta? | Where are you going? |
| Tiketpending review | Tiket | Ticket |
Somewhere to stay
Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yabapending review | Susi | KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all. |
| Pintopending review | Pinto | Door |
| Bintanapending review | Bintana | WindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter. |
| Kuwartopending review | Kuwarto | Room |
| Katrepending review | Kama | Bed |
| Kasilyaspending review | Banyo | Toilet |
Things to buy
Everyday items you might need to ask for.
| Bikol | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Badopending review | Damit | Clothes |
| Sapatospending review | Sapatos | Shoes |
| Bulongpending review | Gamot | 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.
| Bikol | Tagalog | 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 | Kalabaw | CarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg. |
| Kandingpending review | Kambing | 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 | Kabayo | 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 | Ahas | 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 | Ibon | 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 | hayop | 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 | uod | 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 | sungay | 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 | buntot | 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 | balahibo | 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 | pakpak | 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. |
Words that trap you
These exist in both languages but mean different things. They are where confident readers get caught, and where machine translation is least reliable.
- walahigh risk
- In Bikol
- Left — the direction. It also carries the 'none' sense, so only context separates them.
- In Tagalog
- Nothing, none, absent.
The sentence parses either way, which is what makes it dangerous — a Tagalog speaker being given directions in the Visayas can understand every word and still turn the wrong way.
- sirahigh risk
- In Bikol
- Fish.
- In Tagalog
- Broken, spoiled, ruined.
A menu or a market sign reads completely differently depending on which language you assume.
- bukidhigh risk
- In Bikol
- A mountain.
- In Tagalog
- A field, farmland, the countryside.
A Tagalog speaker told to head for the bukid pictures farmland; a Cebuano speaker means uphill.
- kalayohigh risk
- In Bikol
- Fire.
- In Tagalog
- Distance — parsed as ka- plus layo, 'far'.
Tagalog reads it as ka- attached to layo, 'distance'. It is a single indivisible word in the Visayan languages.
- dagahigh risk
- In Bikol
- Land, soil, the ground.
- In Tagalog
- A rat.
Both are ordinary nouns that turn up in ordinary sentences, and nothing in the grammar signals which one is meant. Buying land and buying a rat are differently priced.
- payo
- In Bikol
- A head.
- In Tagalog
- Advice, counsel.
Both are ordinary, high-frequency words, so the collision comes up constantly rather than rarely.
- kamot
- In Bikol
- A hand.
- In Tagalog
- To scratch.
Both turn up in instructions and descriptions of physical action, so the swap is easy to miss.
- tulak
- In Bikol
- A stomach.
- In Tagalog
- To push.
Bikol tulak is an ordinary body part and Tagalog tulak is an ordinary verb, so neither reader suspects a problem.
- nguso
- In Bikol
- A mouth.
- In Tagalog
- A snout; pouted lips.
Same body region, different animal: the Tagalog word is for a snout or pouted lips, the Bikol one is the mouth itself.
How often the machine gets these right
We ran 280 Bikol entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Tagalog. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Bikol nor Tagalog is well resourced and the engine routes between them through English, so this measures two stacked translations rather than one.
Machine output matched or came close to the human Tagalog for 68.6% of 280 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.
Least reliable
- Everyday verbs35%
- Courtesy50%
- Somewhere to stay50%
- Things to buy50%
- Directions54%
Most reliable
- Health & emergency100%
- Time & days90%
- Animals89%
Sources
- Bikol phrasebook — Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-13.
- Appendix: Austronesian Swadesh lists — Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-17.
- Tagalog phrasebook — Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-08-13.
Last updated 2026-08-06. 396 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.