IlocanoTagalog
Free Ilocano and Tagalog translation

Kapampangan to Bikol Phrasebook

368 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 Kapampangan and Bikol 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
368
Categories
24
Cited sources
3
Pending review
368

Showing all 368 phrases across 24 categories.

Greetings

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

Greetings: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Mayap a abakpending reviewMarhay na agaGood 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.
Mayap a gatpanapunpending reviewMarhay na haponGood afternoon
Mayap a bengipending reviewMarhay na banggiGood evening
Mayap a aldopending reviewMarhay na aldawGood day
Komusta ka?pending reviewKumusta 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.
Mayap ku namanpending reviewMarhay manI'm fine
Mako na kupending reviewPaaramGoodbyeCebuano '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.
Mayap a bengipending reviewMarhay na banggiGood 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: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Salamatpending reviewSalamatThank 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.
Dakal a salamatpending reviewDakulang salamatThank 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'.
Ala yang anumanpending reviewDaing ano manYou'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.
Wapending reviewIyoYesFour 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.
Alipending reviewDaiNoIlocano 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'.
Pasensya napending reviewPatawada akoSorryIn everyday speech 'sorry' and 'pasensya' are what most speakers actually say in all eight; the native forms above are what you will see written.
Pakisuyupending reviewTabiPleaseNone 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.
Alang problemapending reviewMayong problemaNo problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs.
Mingat kapending reviewMag-ingat kaTake 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: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Nanu ing lagyu mu?pending reviewAno an pangaran 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.
Ing lagyu ku…pending reviewAn pangaran ko…My name is…
Taga-nokarin ka?pending reviewTaga-sain 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.

Understanding: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
E ku aintindianpending reviewDai ko nasasabutanI don't understand
Balu meng mag-English?pending reviewTataong 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'.
Nanu ini?pending reviewAno ini?What is this?
Aintindian kupending reviewNasasabutan koI understand

Numbers

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

Numbers: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Metungpending reviewSaroOneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer.
Adwapending reviewDuwaTwo
Atlupending reviewTuloThree
Apatpending reviewApatFour
Limapending reviewLimaFiveThe 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.
Anampending reviewAnomSix
Pitupending reviewPitoSevenPito 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.
Walupending reviewWaloEightWalo 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 reviewSiyamNineSiyam 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.
Apulupending reviewSampuloTenPangasinan 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.
Labing metungpending reviewKagsaroElevenThree different strategies for building teens: Tagalog and Kapampangan prefix labing-, the Visayan languages say 'ten and one', and Bikol has a dedicated form (kagsaro).
Labingadwapending reviewKagduwaTwelveTwo 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.
Adwangpulupending reviewDuwang puloTwentyCebuano 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.
Atlungpulupending reviewTulong puloThirtyThe 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.
Limangpulupending reviewLimang puloFiftyKalim-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.
Dinalanpending reviewSanggatosOne hundredKapampangan 'dinalan' and Pangasinan 'sanlasus' share nothing with the gatos/daan the rest use — another reminder that the Luzon languages are not a group.
Libupending reviewSangriboOne 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: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Nanupending reviewAnoWhatAno 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.
Ninupending reviewSiisayWhoHiligaynon '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.
Nokarinpending reviewSainWhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone.
Kapilanpending reviewNuarinWhenSix 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.
Magkanu?pending reviewPira?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.
Pilan?pending reviewPira?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.
makananupending reviewpanoHow

Time & days

Today, tomorrow, day and night.

Time & days: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Ngenipending reviewNgonyanTodayEight 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.
Bukaspending reviewSa agaTomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'.
Napunpending reviewKasuhaponYesterdayKahapon, gahapon and kasuhapon are one word with the prefix shifting. Waray kakulop, Ilocano idi kalman and Kapampangan napun stand outside it entirely.
Aldopending reviewAldawDayIn 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.
Bengipending reviewBanggiNightGabi 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.
Dominggopending reviewSemanaWeekThree 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.
Banwapending reviewTaonYearTuig 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 reviewLunesMondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below.
Martespending reviewMartesTuesdayIdentical 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 reviewMiyerkulesWednesdayThe only variation is spelling. Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Pangasinan write -koles; the other five write -kules.
Huwebespending reviewHuwebesThursdayHuebes 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 reviewBiyernesFridayBiernes in Ilocano and Pangasinan, biyernes elsewhere. Three weekdays running where those two languages spell the Spanish the same way against the other six.
Sabadopending reviewSabadoSaturdaySabado in all eight with no variation whatsoever — the one weekday where even Ilocano and Pangasinan write it exactly as everyone else does.
Dominggopending reviewDomingoSundayTagalog 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'.
Ugtupending reviewUdtoNoonUdto 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'.
Abakpending reviewAgaMorningAga 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.
Oraspending reviewOrasHourOras in all eight, from Spanish horas, with no language keeping an alternative alongside it.
Panepending reviewPirmiAlwaysPirme 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: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Imapending reviewInaMotherKapampangan 'ima' is a mother; Ilocano 'ima' is a hand. Two Luzon languages a hundred kilometres apart, same three letters, nothing in common.
Ibpapending reviewAmaFatherAma 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.
Imapending reviewNanayMumNanay 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.
Tatangpending reviewTatayDadTatay 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.
Anakpending reviewAkiChild'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general.
Kapatadpending reviewTugangSiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance.
Apupending reviewLolaGrandmotherLola 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.
Apupending reviewLoloGrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead.
Kaluguranpending reviewKatoodFriendEight languages, eight unrelated words. Kapampangan 'kaluguran' doubles as a term of affection, which is why 'Kaluguran daka' means 'I love you'.
Lalakipending reviewLalakiManLalaki, 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.
Babaipending reviewBabayiWomanBabae 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.
Asawapending reviewAgomSpouse'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.
Lagyupending reviewPangaranNameNo 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.
Bapapending reviewTiyoUncleTiyo 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.
Darapending reviewTiyaAuntThe 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 reviewlalakiMan (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.
taupending reviewtawoMan (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.
anakpending reviewakiChild (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.
asawapending reviewagomWifeAsawa 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.
asawapending reviewagomHusbandThe 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: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Abiaspending reviewBagasRice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out.
Asanpending reviewSiraFishBikol 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 reviewKarneMeatKarne 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.
Manukpending reviewManokChickenManok 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.
Babipending reviewUrigPigBaboy in seven. Bikol urig is the only language here that kept something else, and Kapampangan babi is baboy with its usual syllable lost.
Ebunpending reviewSugokEggOne 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 reviewAsinSaltThe province of Pangasinan is named for this word — 'pang-asin-an', the place where salt is made.
Gulepending reviewGulayVegetableUtan across the three Visayan languages, gulay in Tagalog and Bikol with Kapampangan gule beside them. Ilocano nateng and Pangasinan pising are each alone.
Manganpending reviewMagkakanTo 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'.
Danupan ku napending reviewGutom na akoI'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.
Manyamanpending reviewMasiramDeliciousEight languages, eight unrelated words for the same compliment. If you learn one word from this list, learn the local one for this.
Mabsi na kupending reviewBasog na akoI'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.
Tinapepending reviewTinapayBreadTinapay in seven languages. Cebuano alone says pan — Spanish, and shorter.
Asukalpending reviewAsukarSugarAsukal 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.
Sagingpending reviewBatagBananaSaging 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.
Ungutpending reviewNiyogCoconutLubi across all three Visayan languages; niyog in Tagalog, Bikol and Pangasinan with Ilocano niog alongside. Kapampangan ungut belongs to neither group.
Manggapending reviewManggaMangoMangga in all eight with no variation, which on a page where sweet, sour and salty all splinter is worth noticing.
Maispending reviewMaisCornMais 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 reviewBawangGarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'.
Sabopending reviewSabawSoup, brothSabaw in six, with Kapampangan sabo the same word shortened. Ilocano digo is the only real outlier.
Mayumupending reviewMahamisSweetTam-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.
Maaslampending reviewMaalsomSourOne 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.
Maalatpending reviewMaalatSaltyMaalat in Tagalog, Waray, Bikol and Kapampangan. Hiligaynon maasin builds it on asin — salt itself — while Cebuano parat and Ilocano naapgad are separate words again.
Maglutupending reviewMaglutoTo 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.
Pingganpending reviewPlatitoPlateA 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 reviewKutsaraSpoonKutsara 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: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Danumpending reviewTubigWaterThe 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 reviewKapeCoffee
Gataspending reviewGatasMilk
Minumpending reviewMag-inomTo drink
Danum pupending reviewTubig tabiWater, please
Tsapending reviewTsaaTea
Serbesapending reviewSerbesaBeer
Mapali a danumpending reviewMainit na tubigHot water
Malamig a danumpending reviewMalipot na tubigCold water

Market & money

Prices, haggling, paying.

Market & money: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Salapipending reviewKwartaMoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila.
Maalpending reviewMahalExpensiveIn 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.
Murapending reviewBaratoCheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own.
Salihanpending reviewMagbakalTo buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction.
Pamalengkepending reviewSaudanMarket
Magkanu ini?pending reviewPira ini?How much is this?
Maal yapending reviewMahal na marhayThat's too expensive

Directions

Left, right, here, there and how far.

Directions: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Kailipending reviewWalaLeftThe 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.
Wananpending reviewTuoRight
Kenipending reviewDigdiHereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly.
Karinpending reviewDumanThere
Marayupending reviewHarayoFar
Malapitpending reviewHaraniNear
Nokarin ing banyu?pending reviewSain an banyo?Where is the toilet?
Umepending reviewMagdumanTo go
Diretsupending reviewDiretsoStraight ahead
Babopending reviewItaasUp
Lalampending reviewIbabaDown
Lubpending reviewLaogInside
Palualpending reviewLuwasOutside

Health & emergency

The phrases worth knowing before you need them.

Health & emergency: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Saup!pending reviewTabang!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 reviewDoktorDoctor
Ospitalpending reviewOspitalHospital
Masakit kupending reviewMay hilang akoI am sick
Masakitpending reviewMakulogIt hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use.
Pulispending reviewPulisPolice
Api!pending reviewKalayo!Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity.
Manako!pending reviewParahabon!Thief!
Mingat kapending reviewMag-ingat kaBe careful
Masakit ing buntukpending reviewKulog kan payoHeadache

The body

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

The body: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Buntukpending reviewPayoHeadBikol 'payo' is a head. In Tagalog 'payo' is advice — which makes it one of the neatest false friends in the country.
Matapending reviewMataEye
Gamatpending reviewKamotHandThree 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 reviewBitisFoot
Asbukpending reviewNgusoMouthVisayan 'baba' is a mouth; Tagalog 'baba' is a chin, and with different stress it is also 'down'. Neighbouring body parts, different words.
Atyanpending reviewTulakStomach
Buakpending reviewBuhokHair
Balugbugpending reviewTalingaEar
Arungpending reviewDungoNose
Ipanpending reviewNgiponTooth
Dayapending reviewDugoBloodIlocano and Kapampangan both say 'daya' for blood — and in Tagalog and Cebuano the same word means cheating. Worth care in any medical setting.
Pusupending reviewPusoHeart
balatpending reviewkublitSkin (of a person)
lamanpending reviewlamanMeat (as in flesh)
butulpending reviewtulangBone
tabapending reviewtabaFat (noun)
dilapending reviewdilaTongue
kukupending reviewkukoFingernail
bitispending reviewtabayLeg
tudpending reviewtuhodKnee
atianpending reviewtulakBelly
bitukapending reviewbitukaGuts
batalpending reviewliogNeck
gulutpending reviewlikodBack
susupending reviewsusoBreast
atepending reviewkatoyLiver

Nature & weather

Sun, rain, sea and mountain.

Nature & weather: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Aldopending reviewSaldangSunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two.
Bulanpending reviewBulanMoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them.
Batwinpending reviewBitoonStar
Uranpending reviewUranRainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use.
Dayatmalatpending reviewDagatSea
Bundukpending reviewBukidMountainTwo 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.
Balepending reviewHarongHouse
Apipending reviewKalayoFireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy.
Ilugpending reviewSalogRiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor.
Gabunpending reviewDagaLand, soilSix unrelated roots for the ground under your feet, and Ilocano 'daga' collides head-on with Tagalog, where it means a rat.
Dutungpending reviewKahoyTree
Sampagapending reviewBurakFlowerIlocano 'sabong' is a flower. In Tagalog 'sabong' is cockfighting — an unusually large gap for two languages spoken on the same island.
Batupending reviewGapoStone
Anginpending reviewDurosWind
Bagyupending reviewBagyoTyphoon
gubatpending reviewkadlaganForest
tingtingpending reviewsarasaStick (of wood)
bungapending reviewbungaFruit
butulpending reviewpisogSeed
bulungpending reviewdahonLeaf
yamutpending reviewgamotRoot
tangkepending reviewubakBark (of tree)
dikutpending reviewduotGrass
lawapending reviewdanawLake
dagatpending reviewdagatSea (as in ocean)
balaspending reviewbaybaySand
alikabukpending reviewalpogDust
yatupending reviewdagaEarth (as in soil)
bigapending reviewdampogCloud
ulappending reviewambonFog
anginpending reviewdurosWind (as in breeze)
yelupending reviewnyebeSnow
yelupending reviewyeloIce
asukpending reviewasoSmoke
abupending reviewaboAsh
aldopending reviewaldawDay (daytime)

Describing things

Big, small, good, beautiful.

Describing things: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Maragulpending reviewDakulaBig
Malatipending reviewSaditSmall
Mayappending reviewMarhayGood
Marokpending reviewMaraotBad
Malagupending reviewMagayonBeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged.
Mapalipending reviewMainitHot
Malamigpending reviewMalipotCold
Malagwapending reviewMarikasFast
Bayupending reviewBagoNew
Lumapending reviewLumaOld (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road.
Matuapending reviewGurangOld (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.
Dakalpending reviewDakolMany
Ditakpending reviewKadikitFew
Makabapending reviewHalabaLong
Makuyadpending reviewHalipotShort
Mabayatpending reviewMagabatHeavy
Malinispending reviewMalinigClean
Marinatpending reviewMaatiDirty
nganpending reviewgabosAll
mapilanpending reviewnagkapiraSome
aliuapending reviewibaOther
lapadpending reviewhalakbangWide
kapalpending reviewmahibogThick
kitidpending reviewhayapitNarrow
impispending reviewmahimpisThin
mapalipending reviewmaimbongWarm (as in weather)
marimlapending reviewmalipotCold (as in weather)
sapakpending reviewpanoFull
matuapending reviewdaanOld
bulukpending reviewlapaRotten (as a log)
matulidpending reviewtanosStraight
mabilugpending reviewbilogRound
matarampending reviewmataromSharp (as a knife)
mapurulpending reviewmangurolDull (as a knife)
makinispending reviewmahalnasSmooth
basapending reviewdumogWet
malangipending reviewalangDry (adjective)
ustupending reviewtamaRight (correct)
uananpending reviewtuoRight (side)
kailipending reviewwalaLeft (side)

Feelings

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

Feelings: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Kaluguran dakapending reviewNamumutan ta kaI love youEight languages and eight completely different verbs. This row alone answers the question of whether Philippine languages are 'dialects of each other'.
Masayapending reviewMaugmaHappy
Malungkutpending reviewMamundoSad
Mapagalpending reviewPagalTired
Muapending reviewAnggotAngry
Matakutpending reviewTakotAfraid

Colours

Basic colour terms.

Colours: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Malutupending reviewPulaRedPula 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.
Maputipending reviewPutiWhitePuti 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.
Matulingpending reviewItomBlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast.
Asulpending reviewAsulBlueIdentical 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.
Aluntianpending reviewBerdeGreenOnly Kapampangan kept a native word. The other seven took the Spanish 'verde' and never replaced it.
Kahelpending reviewKahelOrangeThe 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.

Everyday verbs

The actions that carry most sentences.

Everyday verbs: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Matudtudpending reviewMagturogTo sleep
Akitpending reviewMahilingTo see
Sabianpending reviewSabihonTo sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red.
Balupending reviewAramTo know
Buripending reviewGustoTo wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm.
Mibiepending reviewMagtaoTo give
Magobrapending reviewMagtrabahoTo work
Magsalitapending reviewMagtaramTo 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.
Sumulatpending reviewMagsuratTo write
Magbasapending reviewMagbasaTo read
Luklukpending reviewMagtukawTo sit
Manayapending reviewMaghalatTo wait
Buklatpending reviewBuksanTo open
Ume kenipending reviewMagdigdiTo come here
ketpending reviewkagatTo bite
sisipanpending reviewsupsopTo suck
luranpending reviewlutabTo spit
manyukapending reviewsukaTo vomit
labulanpending reviewhayopTo blow (as wind)
mangisnauapending reviewhangosTo breathe
mailipending reviewngisiTo laugh
damdampending reviewdangogTo hear
baluanpending reviewaramTo know (a fact)
isipanpending reviewisipTo think
bauanpending reviewparongTo smell (sense odour)
takutpending reviewtakotTo fear
biepending reviewbuhayTo live
matepending reviewgadanTo die
patenpending reviewgadanTo kill
labanpending reviewlabanTo fight
man-ayuppending reviewmangayamTo hunt (transitive)
turanpending reviewtamaTo hit
pututpending reviewputolTo cut
bikapending reviewsilakTo split
akdakanpending reviewsaksakTo stab (or stick)
gamusanpending reviewkagawTo scratch (an itch)
kulkulpending reviewkalotTo dig
kauepending reviewlangoyTo swim
sulapopending reviewlayogTo fly
umepending reviewabotTo come
magkerapending reviewhigdaTo lie (as on one's side)
mildispending reviewsikoTo turn (change direction)
mitombapending reviewhulogTo fall (as in drop)
talnanpending reviewkapotTo hold (in one's hand)
paslanpending reviewgumokTo squeeze
kaskasanpending reviewgusgosTo rub
pulisanpending reviewpahidTo wipe
igutanpending reviewguyodTo pull
isubungpending reviewtulodTo push
iugsepending reviewaponTo throw
talipending reviewigakodTo tie
tayanpending reviewtahiTo sew
mamilangpending reviewbilangTo count
tumailapending reviewkantaTo sing
mamyalungpending reviewkawatTo play
gatopending reviewlatawTo float
maguspending reviewbulosTo flow
mangalbagpending reviewgatokTo swell
silabpending reviewsuloTo burn (intransitive)

Months

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

Months: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Eneropending reviewEneroJanuaryThe 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.
Pebrerupending reviewPebreroFebruary
Marsupending reviewMarsoMarch
Abrilpending reviewAbrilApril
Mayupending reviewMayoMay
Hunyupending reviewHunyoJune
Hulyupending reviewHulyoJuly
Agostupending reviewAgostoAugust
Setyembripending reviewSetyembreSeptember
Oktubripending reviewOktubreOctober
Nobyembripending reviewNobyembreNovember
Disyembripending reviewDisyembreDecember

Getting around

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

Getting around: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Dalanpending reviewTinampoRoadSeven of the eight use 'dalan'. Tagalog's 'daan' is the same root worn down, and Bikol went its own way with 'tinampo'.
Bangkapending reviewBarotoBoat
Kotsipending reviewAwtoCar
Nokarin ka munta?pending reviewSain ka maduman?Where are you going?
Tiketpending reviewTiketTicket

Somewhere to stay

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

Somewhere to stay: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Susipending reviewYabaKeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all.
Pasbulpending reviewPintoDoor
Awangpending reviewBintanaWindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter.
Kuartupending reviewKuwartoRoom
Banyupending reviewKasilyasToilet

Things to buy

Everyday items you might need to ask for.

Things to buy: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Imalanpending reviewBadoClothes
Sapatuspending reviewSapatosShoes
Ambunpending reviewBulongMedicineWorth 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.
Sabunpending reviewSabonSoap
Librupending reviewLibroBook
Papilpending reviewPapelPaper

Animals

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

Animals: Kapampangan phrases with Bikol and English translations
KapampanganBikolEnglish
Asupending reviewAyamDogFour 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 reviewIkosCatThe 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.
Damulagpending reviewKarabawCarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg.
Kambingpending reviewKandingGoatKanding 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 reviewBakaCowBaka 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.
Kabayupending reviewKabayoHorseKabayo 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.
Ubinganpending reviewHalasSnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree.
Ayuppending reviewGamgamBirdCebuano 'langgam' is a bird; Tagalog 'langgam' is an ant. One of the most-cited false friends between the two largest languages in the country.
Amukpending reviewLamokMosquitoLamok 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.
animalpending reviewhayopAnimalHayop 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.
kutupending reviewkutoLouseKuto 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.
bulatipending reviewulodWormUlod 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.
sagupending reviewsungayHornSungay 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.
ikipending reviewikogTailIkog 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.
bulbulpending reviewbalukagFeatherBalahibo, 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 reviewpakpakWingPakpak 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.

  • banwa
    In Kapampangan
    A year.
    In Bikol
    A town, a homeland.

    The Kapampangan sense is a span of time and the Visayan sense is a place, which makes for confusing translations of dates and addresses alike.

How often the machine gets these right

We ran 253 Kapampangan entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Bikol. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Kapampangan nor Bikol 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 Bikol for 54.2% of 253 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.

Least reliable

  • Somewhere to stay20%
  • Everyday verbs21%
  • Courtesy22%
  • Directions23%
  • Understanding25%

Most reliable

  • Months92%
  • The body83%
  • Greetings75%

Sources

Last updated 2026-08-06. 368 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.