Kapampangan to Ilocano Phrasebook
201 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 are Luzon languages but from different branches — Ilocano is Northern Luzon, Kapampangan is Central Luzon — and they share little beyond the verb mangan, 'to eat'. The trap worth knowing: Ilocano ima is a hand, Kapampangan ima is a mother.
- Phrases
- 201
- Categories
- 24
- Cited sources
- 2
- Pending review
- 201
Showing all 201 phrases across 24 categories.
Greetings
The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mayap a abakpending review | Naimbag a bigat | Good morningEvery one of these is literally 'good' + 'morning', and the word for 'good' is the giveaway: maayo in the Visayan languages, maupay in Waray, marhay in Bikol, mayap in Kapampangan, maabig in Pangasinan, naimbag in Ilocano. |
| Mayap a gatpanapunpending review | Naimbag a malem | Good afternoon |
| Mayap a bengipending review | Naimbag a rabii | Good evening |
| Mayap a aldopending review | Naimbag nga aldaw | Good day |
| Komusta ka?pending review | Kumustaka? | How are you?The one phrase that is effectively identical everywhere, because all eight borrowed it from Spanish '¿cómo está?'. Do not read that as evidence the languages are close. |
| Mayap ku namanpending review | Nasayaat met | I'm fine |
Courtesy
Thank you, sorry, yes and no.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salamatpending review | Agyamanak | Thank youIlocano is the odd one out. 'Salamat' is understood in Ilocos, but 'agyamanak' — literally 'I am grateful' — is the native form and the one a speaker will use back to you. |
| Dakal a salamatpending review | Agyamanak unay | Thank you very muchThe intensifier is the tell: daghan (Cebuano), madamo (Hiligaynon), damo (Waray), dakula (Bikol), dakal (Kapampangan), dakel (Pangasinan) — all meaning 'many', none of them the Tagalog 'marami'. |
| Wapending review | Wen | YesFour different words for yes across eight languages. Kapampangan 'wa' and Pangasinan 'on' are unrecognisable to a Tagalog speaker, and machine translation frequently passes them through untouched. |
| Alipending review | Haan | NoIlocano also uses 'saan' for no, which is a genuine trap: 'saan' is 'where' in Tagalog. Hiligaynon 'indi' and Waray 'diri' look alike but Waray 'diri' collides with Hiligaynon 'diri', meaning 'here'. |
| Pasensya napending review | Pakawanennak | SorryIn everyday speech 'sorry' and 'pasensya' are what most speakers actually say in all eight; the native forms above are what you will see written. |
Introductions
Names and first meetings.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nanu ing lagyu mu?pending review | Ania ti naganmo? | What is your name?Kapampangan shares no root here at all — 'nanu' for what, 'lagyu' for name — which is a fair summary of how far Central Luzon sits from everything else on this list. |
| Ing lagyu ku…pending review | Ti naganko ket… | My name is… |
| Taga-nokarin ka?pending review | Taga-anoka? | Where are you from?Same frame, eight different question words bolted onto it. This single row is the clearest illustration of why machine translation between these languages fails: the shared 'taga-' makes the sentence look translatable while the word that carries the meaning is unique to each. |
Understanding
Getting by when you do not follow.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| E ku aintindianpending review | Diak maawatan | I don't understand |
| Nanu ini?pending review | Ania daytoy? | What is this? |
| Aintindian kupending review | Maawatak | I understand |
Numbers
Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Metungpending review | Maysa | OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer. |
| Adwapending review | Dua | Two |
| Atlupending review | Tallo | Three |
| Apatpending review | Uppat | Four |
| Limapending review | Lima | FiveThe one numeral that survives intact across all eight — and in Pangasinan 'lima' is also the word for 'hand', which is where the numeral came from in the first place. |
| Anampending review | Innem | Six |
| Pitupending review | Pito | Seven |
| Walupending review | Walo | Eight |
| Siyampending review | Siam | Nine |
| Apulupending review | Sangapulo | TenPangasinan numerals carry a counting suffix -ra that none of the others use, so 'limara' and 'samplora' look longer than their neighbours for a structural reason rather than a phonetic one. |
| Labing metungpending review | Sangapulo ket maysa | ElevenThree different strategies for building teens: Tagalog and Kapampangan prefix labing-, the Visayan languages say 'ten and one', and Bikol has a dedicated form (kagsaro). |
| Labingadwapending review | Sangapulo ket dua | Twelve |
| Adwangpulupending review | Duapulo | TwentyCebuano and Hiligaynon 'kaluhaan' bears no visible relation to their own word for two, duha. Waray's 'karuhaan' shows the same form after its regular l→r shift. |
| Atlungpulupending review | Tallopulo | Thirty |
| Limangpulupending review | Limapulo | Fifty |
| Dinalanpending review | Sangagasut | One hundredKapampangan 'dinalan' and Pangasinan 'sanlasus' share nothing with the gatos/daan the rest use — another reminder that the Luzon languages are not a group. |
| Libupending review | Sangaribu | One thousand |
Question words
Who, what, where and when — the words that differ most and trip up readers most.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nanupending review | Ania | What |
| Ninupending review | Siasino | WhoHiligaynon 'sin-o' and Waray 'hin-o' differ by a single consonant, and that s→h shift runs through the whole of Waray. It is the single most reliable way to tell the two apart. |
| Nokarinpending review | Sadino | WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone. |
| Kapilanpending review | Kaano | When |
| Baketpending review | Apay | 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. |
| Magkanu?pending review | Mano? | How much? |
| Pilan?pending review | Mano? | How many?Cebuano and Hiligaynon 'pila' means 'how many'. In Tagalog 'pila' is a queue — which makes 'Pila?' one of the most commonly misread words between Manila and Cebu. |
Time & days
Today, tomorrow, day and night.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ngenipending review | Ita | Today |
| Bukaspending review | Inton bigat | TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'. |
| Napunpending review | Idi kalman | Yesterday |
| Aldopending review | Aldaw | DayIn the Visayan languages 'adlaw' is both the day and the sun. Tagalog keeps the same double meaning in 'araw'; Ilocano does not — 'aldaw' is the day and 'init' is the sun. |
| Bengipending review | Rabii | Night |
| Dominggopending review | Lawas | Week |
| Banwapending review | Tawen | Year |
| Lunespending review | Lunes | MondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below. |
| Martespending review | Martes | Tuesday |
| Miyerkulespending review | Mierkoles | Wednesday |
| Huwebespending review | Huebes | Thursday |
| Biyernespending review | Biernes | Friday |
| Sabadopending review | Sabado | Saturday |
| Dominggopending 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'. |
| Abakpending review | Bigat | Morning |
| Oraspending review | Oras | Hour |
Family & people
Relationships and forms of address.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Imapending 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. |
| Ibpapending review | Ama | Father |
| Imapending review | Nanang | Mum |
| Tatangpending review | Tatang | Dad |
| Anakpending review | Anak | Child'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general. |
| Kapatadpending review | Kabsat | SiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance. |
| Apupending review | Apong baket | Grandmother |
| Apupending review | Apong lakay | GrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead. |
| Kaluguranpending review | Gayyem | FriendEight languages, eight unrelated words. Kapampangan 'kaluguran' doubles as a term of affection, which is why 'Kaluguran daka' means 'I love you'. |
| Lalakipending review | Lalaki | Man |
| Babaipending review | Babai | 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. |
| Lagyupending review | Nagan | Name |
Food & eating
Meals, ingredients and asking for them.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Abiaspending review | Bagas | Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out. |
| Nasipending review | Inapoy | Rice (cooked)Kapampangan 'nasi' is a Malay-shaped word that none of its neighbours share. |
| Asanpending review | Ikan | FishBikol and Pangasinan 'sira' is a fish. In Tagalog and Cebuano 'sira' means broken or spoiled — so a Bikolano menu can read alarmingly to a Manila reader. |
| Karnepending review | Karne | Meat |
| Manukpending review | Manok | Chicken |
| Babipending review | Baboy | Pig |
| Ebunpending 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. |
| Gulepending review | Nateng | Vegetable |
| Manganpending review | Mangan | To eatIlocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan all use 'mangan' — a genuine Luzon isogloss, and one of the very few things the three share against the Visayan 'kaon'. |
| Danupan ku napending review | Mabisinak | I'm hungry |
| Manyamanpending review | Naimas | DeliciousEight languages, eight unrelated words for the same compliment. If you learn one word from this list, learn the local one for this. |
| Tinapepending review | Tinapay | Bread |
| Asukalpending review | Asukar | Sugar |
| Sagingpending review | Saba | Banana |
| Ungutpending review | Niog | Coconut |
| Manggapending review | Mangga | Mango |
| Maispending review | Mais | Corn |
| Bawangpending review | Bawang | GarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'. |
| Mayumupending review | Nasam-it | Sweet |
| Maaslampending review | Naalsem | Sour |
| Maglutupending review | Agluto | To cook |
| Kutsarapending review | Kutsara | Spoon |
Drinks
Water, coffee and what to order.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Danumpending review | Danum | WaterThe Luzon/Visayan split in one word: danum in the north, tubig everywhere else. Tagalog sides with the Visayan languages here despite sitting on Luzon. |
| Kapepending review | Kape | Coffee |
| Gataspending review | Gatas | Milk |
| Minumpending review | Uminom | To drink |
Market & money
Prices, haggling, paying.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salapipending review | Kuarta | MoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila. |
| Maalpending review | Nangina | ExpensiveIn Tagalog 'mahal' means both expensive and beloved. Ilocano keeps them apart — 'nangina' for costly, 'ay-ayat' for love — so the pun does not survive translation. |
| Salihanpending review | Gumatang | To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction. |
| Pamalengkepending review | Tiendaan | Market |
| Magkanu ini?pending review | Manu daytoy? | How much is this? |
Directions
Left, right, here, there and how far.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kailipending review | Kannigid | LeftThe most dangerous word on this page. 'Wala' means left in four of these languages and 'none' in Tagalog — so a Tagalog speaker hearing directions in Cebu can understand the sentence and take the wrong turn. |
| Wananpending review | Kannawan | Right |
| Kenipending review | Ditoy | HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly. |
| Karinpending review | Idiay | There |
| Marayupending review | Adayo | Far |
| Malapitpending review | Asideg | Near |
| Umepending review | Mapan | To go |
| Diretsupending review | Diretso | Straight ahead |
| Babopending review | Ngato | Up |
| Lubpending review | Uneg | Inside |
Health & emergency
The phrases worth knowing before you need them.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Saup!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 |
| Masakit kupending review | Masakitak | I am sick |
| Pulispending review | Pulis | Police |
The body
Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Buntukpending 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 |
| Gamatpending review | Ima | HandThree separate traps in one row: Ilocano 'ima' is Kapampangan for mother, Visayan 'kamot' is Tagalog for scratching, and Pangasinan 'lima' is the numeral five in every other language here. |
| Bitispending review | Saka | Foot |
| Asbukpending review | Ngiwat | MouthVisayan 'baba' is a mouth; Tagalog 'baba' is a chin, and with different stress it is also 'down'. Neighbouring body parts, different words. |
| Atyanpending review | Buksit | Stomach |
| Buakpending review | Buok | Hair |
| Balugbugpending review | Lapayag | Ear |
| Arungpending review | Agong | Nose |
| Ipanpending review | Ngipen | Tooth |
| Dayapending review | Daya | BloodIlocano and Kapampangan both say 'daya' for blood — and in Tagalog and Cebuano the same word means cheating. Worth care in any medical setting. |
| Pusupending review | Puso | Heart |
Nature & weather
Sun, rain, sea and mountain.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Aldopending review | Init | SunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two. |
| Bulanpending review | Bulan | MoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them. |
| Batwinpending review | Bituen | Star |
| Uranpending review | Tudo | RainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use. |
| Dayatmalatpending review | Baybay | Sea |
| Bundukpending review | Bantay | MountainTwo traps at once. Ilocano 'bantay' is a mountain; in Tagalog it is a guard. Visayan 'bukid' is a mountain; in Tagalog 'bukid' is a field or farm. |
| Balepending review | Balay | House |
| Apipending review | Apuy | FireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy. |
| Ilugpending review | Karayan | RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor. |
| Gabunpending review | Daga | Land, soilSix unrelated roots for the ground under your feet, and Ilocano 'daga' collides head-on with Tagalog, where it means a rat. |
| Dutungpending review | Kayo | Tree |
| Sampagapending review | Sabong | FlowerIlocano 'sabong' is a flower. In Tagalog 'sabong' is cockfighting — an unusually large gap for two languages spoken on the same island. |
| Batupending review | Bato | Stone |
| Anginpending review | Angin | Wind |
| Bagyupending review | Bagyo | Typhoon |
Describing things
Big, small, good, beautiful.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Maragulpending review | Dakkel | Big |
| Malatipending review | Bassit | Small |
| Mayappending review | Nasayaat | Good |
| Marokpending review | Dakes | Bad |
| Malagupending review | Napintas | BeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged. |
| Mapalipending review | Napudot | Hot |
| Malamigpending review | Nalamiis | Cold |
| Bayupending review | Baro | New |
| Lumapending review | Daan | Old (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road. |
| Matuapending review | Lakay | Old (of a person)Ilocano 'lakay' is an old man specifically; 'baket' is the word for an old woman, and that one collides with Kapampangan 'baket', meaning why. |
| Dakalpending review | Adu | Many |
Feelings
Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kaluguran dakapending review | Ay-ayatenka | I love youEight languages and eight completely different verbs. This row alone answers the question of whether Philippine languages are 'dialects of each other'. |
| Masayapending review | Naragsak | Happy |
Colours
Basic colour terms.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Malutupending review | Nalabaga | Red |
| Maputipending review | Puraw | White |
| Matulingpending review | Nangisit | BlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast. |
| Asulpending review | Asul | Blue |
| Dilopending review | Duyaw | Yellow |
| Aluntianpending review | Berde | GreenOnly Kapampangan kept a native word. The other seven took the Spanish 'verde' and never replaced it. |
Everyday verbs
The actions that carry most sentences.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Matudtudpending review | Maturog | To sleep |
| Akitpending review | Makita | To see |
| Balupending review | Ammo | To know |
| Buripending review | Kayat | To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm. |
| Mibiepending review | Mangted | To give |
| Magobrapending review | Agtrabaho | To work |
| Magsalitapending review | Agsao | To speakThe Visayan languages disagree with each other completely here — sulti, hambal, yakan — which is a useful corrective to the idea that they are one language. |
| Sumulatpending review | Agsurat | To write |
| Magbasapending review | Agbasa | To read |
| Luklukpending review | Agtugaw | To sit |
| Ume kenipending review | Umay ditoy | To come here |
Months
The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Eneropending review | Enero | JanuaryThe month names are Spanish in all eight languages. What varies is spelling: Tagalog respells the Spanish f as p (Pebrero), while several of the others keep Febrero. |
| Pebrerupending review | Pebrero | February |
| Marsupending review | Marso | March |
| Abrilpending review | Abril | April |
| Mayupending review | Mayo | May |
| Agostupending review | Agosto | August |
Getting around
Roads, boats, jeepneys and how to get off one.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | 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 | Bangka | Boat |
| Kotsipending review | Lugan | Car |
| Nokarin ka munta?pending review | Papanam? | Where are you going? |
Somewhere to stay
Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pasbulpending review | Ruangan | Door |
| Awangpending review | Tawa | WindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter. |
| Kuartupending review | Kuarto | Room |
Things to buy
Everyday items you might need to ask for.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Imalanpending review | Badu | Clothes |
| Sapatuspending review | Sapatos | Shoes |
| Ambunpending review | Agas | MedicineWorth knowing before a pharmacy visit, and the source of a nasty trap: Tagalog 'gamot' is medicine, but in the Visayan languages the same word means a root. |
| Sabunpending review | Sabon | Soap |
| Librupending review | Libro | Book |
| Papilpending review | Papel | Paper |
Animals
Everyday creatures, and several of the sharpest false friends on the site.
| Kapampangan | Ilocano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Asupending 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. |
| Pusapending review | Pusa | Cat |
| Damulagpending review | Nuang | CarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg. |
| Kambingpending review | Kalding | Goat |
| Bakapending review | Baka | Cow |
| Kabayupending review | Kabalyo | Horse |
| Ayuppending review | Billit | BirdCebuano 'langgam' is a bird; Tagalog 'langgam' is an ant. One of the most-cited false friends between the two largest languages in the country. |
| Amukpending review | Lamok | 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.
- imahigh risk
- In Kapampangan
- A mother.
- In Ilocano
- A hand.
Two Luzon languages a couple of provinces apart, three letters, nothing in common.
- apohigh risk
- In Kapampangan
- A grandparent — the opposite generation to the Tagalog sense.
- In Ilocano
- A respectful title for an elder or person of authority — roughly 'sir' or 'ma'am'.
A generation apart in either direction — the Ilocano term addresses an elder, the Tagalog one names a grandchild.
- baket
- In Kapampangan
- Why.
- In Ilocano
- An old woman; a wife.
Kapampangan baket is the ordinary word for why and looks like Tagalog bakit, which means the reader assumes the Ilocano sense is a typo.
How often the machine gets these right
We ran 201 Kapampangan entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Ilocano. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Kapampangan nor Ilocano 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 Ilocano for 51.7% of 201 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.
Least reliable
- Getting around0%
- Courtesy20%
- Market & money20%
- Family & people23%
- Everyday verbs27%
Most reliable
- Months83%
- Health & emergency80%
- Drinks75%
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. 201 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.