Ilocano to Hiligaynon Phrasebook
287 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. Speakers of Ilocano and Hiligaynon cannot follow each other without having learned the other language. They share sentence structure and Spanish loanwords, which makes written text look more approachable than it is, and almost none of the high-frequency vocabulary.
- Phrases
- 287
- Categories
- 24
- Cited sources
- 2
- Pending review
- 287
Showing all 287 phrases across 24 categories.
Greetings
The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Naimbag a bigatpending review | Maayong aga | 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. |
| Naimbag a malempending review | Maayong hapon | Good afternoon |
| Naimbag a rabiipending review | Maayong gab-i | Good evening |
| Naimbag nga aldawpending review | Maayong adlaw | Good day |
| Kumustaka?pending review | Kamusta 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. |
| Nasayaat metpending review | Maayo man | I'm fine |
| Agpakadaakonpending review | Halong | 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. |
| Naimbag a rabiipending review | Maayong gab-i | Good night (on parting) |
| Nabayagen a saantayo nagkikitapending review | Dugay na kita wala magkitaay | Long time no see |
Courtesy
Thank you, sorry, yes and no.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Agyamanakpending 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. |
| Agyamanak unaypending review | Madamo gid nga 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'. |
| Awan ania manpending review | Wala sang 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. |
| Wenpending review | Huo | 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. |
| Haanpending review | Indi | 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'. |
| Pakawanennakpending review | Patawara ko | 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. |
| Pangngaasimpending review | Palihog | 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. |
| Umisu manpending review | Tabi lang | Excuse me |
| Awan problemapending review | Wala problema | No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs. |
| Agannadkapending review | Halong | Take care |
Introductions
Names and first meetings.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ania ti naganmo?pending review | Ano ang ngalan 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. |
| Ti naganko ket…pending review | Ang ngalan ko… | My name is… |
| Naragsakak a nakaam-ammo kenkapending review | Nalipay ako nga makilala ka | Nice to meet you |
| Taga-anoka?pending review | Taga-diin 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.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Diak maawatanpending review | Wala ko makaintiendi | I don't understand |
| Makasaoka iti Ingles?pending review | Kabalo ka mag-English? | Do you speak English?The verb for 'to know how' differs completely: kamao, kabalo, maaram, tataong. None of them is the Tagalog 'marunong'. |
| Uliten yo manpending review | Palihog liwata | Please say it again |
| In-inuten yo manpending review | Palihog hinay-hinay | Please speak slowly |
| Ania daytoy?pending review | Ano ini? | What is this? |
| Maawatakpending review | Nakaintiendi ako | I understand |
| Ania ti awag daytoy?pending review | Ano ang tawag sini? | What is this called? |
| Kasano nga ibaga daytoy?pending review | Paano ini hambalon? | How do you say this? |
Numbers
Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Maysapending review | Isa | OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer. |
| Duapending review | Duha | Two |
| Tallopending review | Tatlo | Three |
| Uppatpending 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. |
| Innempending review | Anum | Six |
| Pitopending review | Pito | Seven |
| Walopending review | Walo | Eight |
| Siampending review | Siyam | Nine |
| Sangapulopending review | Napulo | 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. |
| Sangapulo ket maysapending review | Napulo kag 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). |
| Sangapulo ket duapending review | Napulo kag duha | Twelve |
| Duapulopending review | Kaluhaan | 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. |
| Tallopulopending review | Katloan | Thirty |
| Limapulopending review | Kalim-an | Fifty |
| Sangagasutpending review | Isa ka gatos | 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. |
| Sangaribupending review | Isa ka libo | One thousand |
Question words
Who, what, where and when — the words that differ most and trip up readers most.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Aniapending review | Ano | What |
| Siasinopending review | Sin-o | 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. |
| Sadinopending review | Diin | WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone. |
| Kaanopending review | San-o | When |
| Apaypending review | Ngaa | WhyKapampangan 'baket' looks like Tagalog 'bakit' and means the same thing — but it is also the Ilocano word for an old woman or a wife, so the same string means two unrelated things depending on which language you are reading. |
| Mano?pending review | Tagpila? | How much? |
| Mano?pending review | Pila? | 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. |
Time & days
Today, tomorrow, day and night.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Itapending review | Subong | Today |
| Inton bigatpending review | Buas | TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'. |
| Idi kalmanpending review | Kahapon | Yesterday |
| Aldawpending review | Adlaw | 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. |
| Rabiipending review | Gab-i | Night |
| Lawaspending review | Semana | Week |
| Tawenpending review | Tuig | Year |
| Lunespending review | Lunes | MondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below. |
| Martespending review | Martes | Tuesday |
| Mierkolespending review | Miyerkoles | Wednesday |
| Huebespending review | Huwebes | Thursday |
| Biernespending review | Biyernes | Friday |
| Sabadopending review | Sabado | Saturday |
| 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'. |
| Tengnga ti aldawpending review | Udto | Noon |
| Bigatpending review | Aga | Morning |
| Madamdamapending review | Karon | 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 | Hour |
| Kanayonpending review | Pirme | Always |
Family & people
Relationships and forms of address.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Inapending review | Iloy | 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 | Amay | Father |
| Nanangpending review | Nanay | Mum |
| Tatangpending review | Tatay | Dad |
| Anakpending review | Bata | Child'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general. |
| Kabsatpending review | Utod | SiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance. |
| Apong baketpending review | Lola | Grandmother |
| Apong lakaypending review | Lolo | GrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead. |
| Gayyempending review | Abyan | 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 | Man |
| Babaipending review | Babaye | Woman |
| Asawapending 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. |
| Naganpending review | Ngalan | Name |
| Kaarrubapending review | Kaingod | Neighbour |
| Maladagapending review | Lapsag | Baby |
| Ulitegpending review | Tiyo | Uncle |
| Ikitpending review | Tiya | Aunt |
Food & eating
Meals, ingredients and asking for them.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bagaspending review | Bugas | Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out. |
| Inapoypending review | Kan-on | Rice (cooked)Kapampangan 'nasi' is a Malay-shaped word that none of its neighbours share. |
| Ikanpending 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 | Meat |
| Manokpending review | Manok | Chicken |
| Baboypending review | Baboy | Pig |
| Itlogpending 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. |
| Natengpending review | Utan | Vegetable |
| Manganpending review | Magkaon | 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'. |
| Mabisinakpending review | Gutom na ako | I'm hungry |
| Naimaspending review | Namit | DeliciousEight languages, eight unrelated words for the same compliment. If you learn one word from this list, learn the local one for this. |
| Nabsogakonpending review | Busog na ako | I'm full |
| Tinapaypending review | Tinapay | Bread |
| Asukarpending review | Asukar | Sugar |
| Sabapending review | Saging | Banana |
| Niogpending review | Lubi | Coconut |
| Manggapending review | Mangga | Mango |
| Maispending review | Mais | Corn |
| Bawangpending review | Ahos | GarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'. |
| Digopending review | Sabaw | Soup, broth |
| Nasam-itpending review | Matam-is | Sweet |
| Naalsempending review | Maaslom | Sour |
| Nagasangpending review | Maharang | Spicy |
| Naapgadpending review | Maasin | Salty |
| Aglutopending review | Magluto | To cook |
| Pingganpending review | Pinggan | Plate |
| Kutsarapending review | Kutsara | Spoon |
Drinks
Water, coffee and what to order.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Danumpending 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 |
| Uminompending review | Mag-inom | To drink |
| Danum manpending review | Palihog sang tubig | Water, please |
| Tsaapending review | Tsa | Tea |
| Serbesapending review | Beer | Beer |
| Napudot a danumpending review | Mainit nga tubig | Hot water |
| Nalamiis a danumpending review | Mabugnaw nga tubig | Cold water |
Market & money
Prices, haggling, paying.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kuartapending review | Kwarta | MoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila. |
| Nanginapending 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. |
| Nalakapending review | Barato | CheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own. |
| Gumatangpending review | Magbakal | To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction. |
| Tiendaanpending review | Tiendahan | Market |
| Manu daytoy?pending review | Tagpila ini? | How much is this? |
| Nangina unaypending review | Mahal gid | That's too expensive |
| Mabalin nga ibaba?pending review | Pwede hangyo? | Can you lower the price? |
| Aglakopending review | Magbaligya | To sell |
Directions
Left, right, here, there and how far.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kannigidpending review | Wala | 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. |
| Kannawanpending review | Tuo | Right |
| Ditoypending review | Diri | HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly. |
| Idiaypending review | Didto | There |
| Adayopending review | Malayo | Far |
| Asidegpending review | Malapit | Near |
| Ayanna ti banio?pending review | Diin ang kasilyas? | Where is the toilet? |
| Mapanpending review | Magkadto | To go |
| Diretsopending review | Diretso | Straight ahead |
| Ngatopending review | Ibabaw | Up |
| Babapending review | Idalom | Down |
| Unegpending review | Sulod | Inside |
| Ruarpending review | Guwa | Outside |
Health & emergency
The phrases worth knowing before you need them.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tulong!pending review | Bulig! | 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 |
| Masakitakpending review | Masakit ako | I am sick |
| Nasakitpending review | Masakit | It hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use. |
| Pulispending review | Pulis | Police |
| Uram!pending review | Sunog! | Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity. |
| Mannanakaw!pending review | Kawatan! | Thief! |
| Agannad kapending review | Maghalong | Be careful |
| Napukawakpending review | Nadula ako | I am lost |
| Gurigorpending review | Hilanat | Fever |
| Sakit ti ulopending review | Sakit sang ulo | Headache |
The body
Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ulopending 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 |
| Imapending review | Kamot | 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. |
| Sakapending review | Tiil | Foot |
| Ngiwatpending review | Baba | MouthVisayan 'baba' is a mouth; Tagalog 'baba' is a chin, and with different stress it is also 'down'. Neighbouring body parts, different words. |
| Buksitpending review | Tiyan | Stomach |
| Buokpending review | Buhok | Hair |
| Lapayagpending review | Dulunggan | Ear |
| Agongpending review | Ilong | Nose |
| Ngipenpending review | Ngipon | Tooth |
| Dayapending 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 | Tagipusuon | Heart |
Nature & weather
Sun, rain, sea and mountain.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Initpending review | Adlaw | 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. |
| Bituenpending review | Bituon | Star |
| Tudopending review | Ulan | RainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use. |
| Baybaypending review | Dagat | Sea |
| Bantaypending review | Bukid | 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. |
| Balaypending review | Balay | House |
| Apuypending review | Kalayo | FireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy. |
| Karayanpending review | Suba | RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor. |
| Dagapending review | Duta | Land, soilSix unrelated roots for the ground under your feet, and Ilocano 'daga' collides head-on with Tagalog, where it means a rat. |
| Kayopending review | Kahoy | Tree |
| Sabongpending review | Bulak | FlowerIlocano 'sabong' is a flower. In Tagalog 'sabong' is cockfighting — an unusually large gap for two languages spoken on the same island. |
| Batopending review | Bato | Stone |
| Anginpending 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. |
| Gingginedpending review | Linog | Earthquake |
| Bagyopending review | Bagyo | Typhoon |
Describing things
Big, small, good, beautiful.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dakkelpending review | Daku | Big |
| Bassitpending review | Gamay | Small |
| Nasayaatpending review | Maayo | Good |
| Dakespending review | Malain | Bad |
| Napintaspending review | Matahum | BeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged. |
| Napudotpending review | Mainit | Hot |
| Nalamiispending review | Mabugnaw | Cold |
| Napartakpending review | Madasig | Fast |
| Baropending review | Bag-o | New |
| Daanpending review | Daan | Old (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road. |
| Lakaypending review | Tigulang | 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. |
| Adupending review | Madamo | Many |
| Bassitpending review | Diutay | Few |
| Atiddogpending review | Malaba | Long |
| Ababapending review | Malip-ot | Short |
| Nadagsenpending review | Mabug-at | Heavy |
| Nadaluspending review | Matinlo | Clean |
| Narugitpending review | Mahigko | Dirty |
Feelings
Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ay-ayatenkapending review | Palangga ta ka | I love youEight languages and eight completely different verbs. This row alone answers the question of whether Philippine languages are 'dialects of each other'. |
| Naragsakpending review | Malipayon | Happy |
| Nalidaypending review | Masubo | Sad |
| Nabannogpending review | Kapoy | Tired |
| Nakaungetpending review | Akig | Angry |
| Malmalagipkapending review | Ginahidlaw ako sa imo | I miss you |
| Mabutengpending review | Hadlok | Afraid |
| Nasdaawpending review | Nakibot | Surprised |
| Naumaakpending review | Natak-an | Bored |
Colours
Basic colour terms.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nalabagapending review | Pula | Red |
| Purawpending review | Puti | White |
| Nangisitpending review | Itom | BlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast. |
| Asulpending review | Asul | Blue |
| Duyawpending review | Dalag | Yellow |
| Berdepending review | Berde | GreenOnly Kapampangan kept a native word. The other seven took the Spanish 'verde' and never replaced it. |
| Kahelpending review | Kahel | Orange |
| Dapopending review | Abuhon | 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.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Maturogpending review | Magtulog | To sleep |
| Makitapending review | Makita | To see |
| Ibagapending review | Isiling | To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red. |
| Ammopending review | Kabalo | To know |
| Kayatpending review | Gusto | To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm. |
| Mangtedpending review | Maghatag | To give |
| Agtrabahopending review | Magtrabaho | To work |
| Magnapending review | Maglakat | To walk |
| Agsaopending review | Maghambal | 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. |
| Dumngegpending review | Mamati | To listen |
| Agsuratpending review | Magsulat | To write |
| Agbasapending review | Magbasa | To read |
| Agtugawpending review | Maglingkod | To sit |
| Tumakderpending review | Magtindog | To stand |
| Agtaraypending review | Magdalagan | To run |
| Aguraypending review | Maghulat | To wait |
| Luktanpending review | Buksan | To open |
| Irikeppending review | Sirhan | To close |
| Agugaspending review | Maghugas | To wash |
| Umay ditoypending review | Magkari | To come here |
Months
The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | 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 |
| Huniopending review | Hunyo | June |
| Huliopending review | Hulyo | July |
| Agostopending review | Agosto | August |
| Setiembrepending review | Setyembre | September |
| Oktubrepending review | Oktubre | October |
| Nobiembrepending review | Nobyembre | November |
| Disiembrepending review | Disyembre | December |
Getting around
Roads, boats, jeepneys and how to get off one.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dalanpending 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'. |
| Bangkapending review | Baroto | Boat |
| Luganpending review | Salakyan | Car |
| Lumuganpending review | Magsakay | To ride |
| Para manpending review | Para lang | Stop here, please'Para' comes from Spanish 'parar', to stop, and is the universal way to get off a jeepney anywhere in the country. |
| Papanam?pending review | Diin ka makadto? | Where are you going? |
| Tiketpending review | Tiket | Ticket |
Somewhere to stay
Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tulbekpending review | Yabi | KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all. |
| Ruanganpending review | Puertahan | Door |
| Tawapending review | Bintana | WindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter. |
| Kuartopending review | Kuwarto | Room |
| Kamapending review | Katre | Bed |
| Baniopending review | Kasilyas | Toilet |
Things to buy
Everyday items you might need to ask for.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Badupending review | Panapton | Clothes |
| Sapatospending review | Sapatos | Shoes |
| Agaspending review | Bulong | 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.
| Ilocano | Hiligaynon | English |
|---|---|---|
| Asopending review | Ido | 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. |
| Pusapending review | Kuring | Cat |
| Nuangpending review | Karabaw | CarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg. |
| Kaldingpending review | Kanding | Goat |
| Bakapending review | Baka | Cow |
| Kabalyopending review | Kabayo | Horse |
| Ulegpending review | Man-ug | SnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree. |
| Billitpending review | Pispis | 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. |
| Utotpending review | Ilaga | RatTwo traps in one row. Ilocano 'utot' is a rat and Tagalog 'utot' is a fart; Tagalog 'daga' is a rat and Ilocano 'daga' is land or soil. |
| Lamokpending review | Namok | Mosquito |
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.
- apohigh risk
- In Ilocano
- A respectful title for an elder or person of authority — roughly 'sir' or 'ma'am'.
- In Hiligaynon
- A grandchild.
A generation apart in either direction — the Ilocano term addresses an elder, the Tagalog one names a grandchild.
- bantay
- In Ilocano
- A mountain.
- In Hiligaynon
- A guard; to watch over.
Place names carry it: Bantay in Ilocos Sur is not a town named after a guard.
How often the machine gets these right
We ran 287 Ilocano entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Hiligaynon. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Ilocano nor Hiligaynon 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 Hiligaynon for 46.3% of 287 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.
Least reliable
- Everyday verbs10%
- Greetings11%
- Market & money22%
- Introductions25%
- Understanding25%
Most reliable
- Nature & weather77%
- Months75%
- Question words71%
Sources
- Ilocano phrasebook — Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-07-26.
- 52 Useful Ilocano Words & Phrases to Learn for Travelers — Chill and Travel. Accessed 2026-07-26.
Last updated 2026-08-06. 287 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.