Tagalog to Bikol Phrasebook
280 everyday phrases, grouped by the situation you need them in. Compiled from published references rather than generated by a translation engine, and marked pending review until native speakers have confirmed it.
No. Both sit in the Central Philippine group, so they share structure and a layer of Spanish-era vocabulary, but Bikol's core words are its own — marhay for good, dai for no, harong for house, payo for head. A Tagalog speaker picks out numbers and loanwords and little else. Bikolanos generally understand Tagalog, because it is the language of school and television, not because the two are alike.
- Phrases
- 280
- Categories
- 24
- Cited sources
- 2
- Pending review
- 280
Showing all 280 phrases across 24 categories.
Greetings
The opener changes in every one of these languages — this is the fastest way to tell them apart.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Magandang umagapending review | Marhay na 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. |
| Magandang haponpending review | Marhay na hapon | Good afternoon |
| Magandang gabipending review | Marhay na banggi | Good evening |
| Magandang arawpending review | Marhay na aldaw | Good day |
| Kumusta ka?pending review | Kumusta ka? | How are you?The one phrase that is effectively identical everywhere, because all eight borrowed it from Spanish '¿cómo está?'. Do not read that as evidence the languages are close. |
| Mabuti namanpending review | Marhay man | I'm fine |
| Paalampending review | Paaram | 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. |
| Magandang gabipending review | Marhay na banggi | Good night (on parting) |
Courtesy
Thank you, sorry, yes and no.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salamatpending review | Salamat | Thank youIlocano is the odd one out. 'Salamat' is understood in Ilocos, but 'agyamanak' — literally 'I am grateful' — is the native form and the one a speaker will use back to you. |
| Maraming salamatpending review | Dakulang 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'. |
| Walang anumanpending review | Daing ano man | You're welcomeWaray's own name comes from this construction — 'waray' is the word for 'none', and the language is named after how often outsiders heard it. |
| Oopending review | Iyo | 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. |
| Hindipending review | Dai | 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'. |
| Paumanhinpending review | Patawada ako | 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. |
| Pakiusappending review | Tabi | 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. |
| Makikiraan popending review | Tabi po | Excuse me |
| Walang problemapending review | Mayong problema | No problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs. |
| Ingat kapending review | Mag-ingat ka | Take care |
Introductions
Names and first meetings.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ano ang pangalan mo?pending review | Ano 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. |
| Ang pangalan ko ay…pending review | An pangaran ko… | My name is… |
| Ikinagagalak kitang makilalapending review | Maugma ako na mamidbid ka | Nice to meet you |
| Taga-saan ka?pending review | Taga-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.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi ko naiintindihanpending review | Dai ko nasasabutan | I don't understand |
| Marunong ka bang mag-Ingles?pending review | Tataong 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'. |
| Pakiulit nga popending review | Tabi otroha | Please say it again |
| Pakidahan-dahan popending review | Tabi luway-luway | Please speak slowly |
| Ano ito?pending review | Ano ini? | What is this? |
| Naiintindihan kopending review | Nasasabutan ko | I understand |
| Ano ang tawag dito?pending review | Ano an apod kaini? | What is this called? |
Numbers
Native numerals one to ten, which diverge sharply between the Luzon and Visayan languages.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Isapending review | Saro | OneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer. |
| Dalawapending review | Duwa | Two |
| Tatlopending review | Tulo | Three |
| Apatpending review | Apat | Four |
| Limapending review | Lima | FiveThe one numeral that survives intact across all eight — and in Pangasinan 'lima' is also the word for 'hand', which is where the numeral came from in the first place. |
| Animpending review | Anom | Six |
| Pitopending review | Pito | Seven |
| Walopending review | Walo | Eight |
| Siyampending review | Siyam | Nine |
| Sampupending review | Sampulo | 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-isapending review | Kagsaro | 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). |
| Labindalawapending review | Kagduwa | Twelve |
| Dalawampupending review | Duwang pulo | 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. |
| Tatlumpupending review | Tulong pulo | Thirty |
| Limampupending review | Limang pulo | Fifty |
| Isang daanpending review | Sanggatos | 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. |
| Isang libopending review | Sangribo | One thousand |
Question words
Who, what, where and when — the words that differ most and trip up readers most.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Anopending review | Ano | What |
| Sinopending review | Siisay | 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. |
| Saanpending review | Sain | WhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone. |
| Kailanpending review | Nuarin | When |
| Magkano?pending review | Pira? | How much? |
| Ilan?pending review | Pira? | 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.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ngayonpending review | Ngonyan | Today |
| Bukaspending review | Sa aga | TomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'. |
| Kahaponpending review | Kasuhapon | Yesterday |
| Arawpending 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. |
| Gabipending review | Banggi | Night |
| Linggopending review | Semana | Week |
| Taonpending review | Taon | Year |
| Lunespending review | Lunes | MondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below. |
| Martespending review | Martes | Tuesday |
| Miyerkulespending review | Miyerkules | Wednesday |
| Huwebespending review | Huwebes | Thursday |
| Biyernespending review | Biyernes | Friday |
| Sabadopending review | Sabado | Saturday |
| Linggopending 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'. |
| Tanghalipending review | Udto | Noon |
| Umagapending review | Aga | Morning |
| Mamayapending review | Mayamaya | 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 |
| Lagipending review | Pirmi | Always |
Family & people
Relationships and forms of address.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Inapending review | Ina | MotherKapampangan 'ima' is a mother; Ilocano 'ima' is a hand. Two Luzon languages a hundred kilometres apart, same three letters, nothing in common. |
| Amapending review | Ama | Father |
| Nanaypending review | Nanay | Mum |
| Tataypending review | Tatay | Dad |
| Anakpending review | Aki | Child'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general. |
| Kapatidpending review | Tugang | SiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance. |
| Lolapending review | Lola | Grandmother |
| Lolopending review | Lolo | GrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead. |
| Kaibiganpending review | Katood | 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 |
| Babaepending review | Babayi | Woman |
| Asawapending review | Agom | 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. |
| Pangalanpending review | Pangaran | Name |
| Kapitbahaypending review | Kataning | Neighbour |
| Sanggolpending review | Umboy | Baby |
| Tiyopending review | Tiyo | Uncle |
| Tiyapending review | Tiya | Aunt |
Food & eating
Meals, ingredients and asking for them.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bigaspending review | Bagas | Rice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out. |
| Isdapending review | Sira | 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 | Urig | Pig |
| Itlogpending review | Sugok | EggOne of the sharpest splits in this file. 'Itlog' covers Tagalog through Hiligaynon, then Waray, Bikol, Kapampangan and Pangasinan each go their own way entirely. |
| Asinpending review | Asin | SaltThe province of Pangasinan is named for this word — 'pang-asin-an', the place where salt is made. |
| Gulaypending review | Gulay | Vegetable |
| Kumainpending review | Magkakan | To eatIlocano, Kapampangan and Pangasinan all use 'mangan' — a genuine Luzon isogloss, and one of the very few things the three share against the Visayan 'kaon'. |
| Gutom na akopending review | Gutom na ako | I'm hungry |
| Masarappending review | Masiram | DeliciousEight languages, eight unrelated words for the same compliment. If you learn one word from this list, learn the local one for this. |
| Busog na akopending review | Basog na ako | I'm full |
| Tinapaypending review | Tinapay | Bread |
| Asukalpending review | Asukar | Sugar |
| Sagingpending review | Batag | Banana |
| Niyogpending review | Niyog | 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'. |
| Sabawpending review | Sabaw | Soup, broth |
| Matamispending review | Mahamis | Sweet |
| Maasimpending review | Maalsom | Sour |
| Maanghangpending review | Maharang | Spicy |
| Maalatpending review | Maalat | Salty |
| Maglutopending review | Magluto | To cook |
| Platopending review | Platito | Plate |
| Kutsarapending review | Kutsara | Spoon |
Drinks
Water, coffee and what to order.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tubigpending review | Tubig | WaterThe Luzon/Visayan split in one word: danum in the north, tubig everywhere else. Tagalog sides with the Visayan languages here despite sitting on Luzon. |
| Kapepending review | Kape | Coffee |
| Gataspending review | Gatas | Milk |
| Uminompending review | Mag-inom | To drink |
| Pakiabot ng tubigpending review | Tubig tabi | Water, please |
| Tsaapending review | Tsaa | Tea |
| Serbesapending review | Serbesa | Beer |
| Mainit na tubigpending review | Mainit na tubig | Hot water |
| Malamig na tubigpending review | Malipot na tubig | Cold water |
Market & money
Prices, haggling, paying.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Perapending review | Kwarta | MoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila. |
| Mahalpending review | Mahal | ExpensiveIn Tagalog 'mahal' means both expensive and beloved. Ilocano keeps them apart — 'nangina' for costly, 'ay-ayat' for love — so the pun does not survive translation. |
| Murapending review | Barato | CheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own. |
| Bumilipending review | Magbakal | To buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction. |
| Palengkepending review | Saudan | Market |
| Magkano ito?pending review | Pira ini? | How much is this? |
| Masyadong mahalpending review | Mahal na marhay | That's too expensive |
| Pwedeng tawad?pending review | Pwede tawad? | Can you lower the price? |
| Magbentapending review | Magtinda | To sell |
Directions
Left, right, here, there and how far.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kaliwapending 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. |
| Kananpending review | Tuo | Right |
| Ditopending review | Digdi | HereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly. |
| Doonpending review | Duman | There |
| Malayopending review | Harayo | Far |
| Malapitpending review | Harani | Near |
| Nasaan ang banyo?pending review | Sain an banyo? | Where is the toilet? |
| Pumuntapending review | Magduman | To go |
| Diretsopending review | Diretso | Straight ahead |
| Taaspending review | Itaas | Up |
| Babapending review | Ibaba | Down |
| Loobpending review | Laog | Inside |
| Labaspending review | Luwas | Outside |
Health & emergency
The phrases worth knowing before you need them.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tulong!pending review | Tabang! | Help!Worth memorising the local form before you need it. Cebuano 'tabang' is help; Hiligaynon 'tab-ang' is bland or tasteless, which is a poor thing to shout. |
| Doktorpending review | Doktor | Doctor |
| Ospitalpending review | Ospital | Hospital |
| May sakit akopending review | May hilang ako | I am sick |
| Masakitpending review | Makulog | It hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use. |
| Pulispending review | Pulis | Police |
| Sunog!pending review | Kalayo! | Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity. |
| Magnanakaw!pending review | Parahabon! | Thief! |
| Mag-ingat kapending review | Mag-ingat ka | Be careful |
| Naligaw akopending review | Nawara ako | I am lost |
| Lagnatpending review | Kalintura | Fever |
| Sakit ng ulopending review | Kulog kan payo | Headache |
The body
Head to foot, where several of these languages share nothing at all.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ulopending review | Payo | 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 |
| Kamaypending 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. |
| Paapending review | Bitis | Foot |
| Bibigpending review | Nguso | MouthVisayan 'baba' is a mouth; Tagalog 'baba' is a chin, and with different stress it is also 'down'. Neighbouring body parts, different words. |
| Tiyanpending review | Tulak | Stomach |
| Buhokpending review | Buhok | Hair |
| Taingapending review | Talinga | Ear |
| Ilongpending review | Dungo | Nose |
| Ngipinpending review | Ngipon | Tooth |
| Dugopending review | Dugo | BloodIlocano and Kapampangan both say 'daya' for blood — and in Tagalog and Cebuano the same word means cheating. Worth care in any medical setting. |
| Pusopending review | Puso | Heart |
Nature & weather
Sun, rain, sea and mountain.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Arawpending review | Saldang | SunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two. |
| Buwanpending review | Bulan | MoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them. |
| Bituinpending review | Bitoon | Star |
| Ulanpending review | Uran | RainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use. |
| Dagatpending review | Dagat | Sea |
| Bundokpending 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. |
| Bahaypending review | Harong | House |
| Apoypending review | Kalayo | FireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy. |
| Ilogpending review | Salog | RiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor. |
| Lupapending 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. |
| Punopending review | Kahoy | Tree |
| Bulaklakpending review | Burak | FlowerIlocano 'sabong' is a flower. In Tagalog 'sabong' is cockfighting — an unusually large gap for two languages spoken on the same island. |
| Batopending review | Gapo | Stone |
| Hanginpending review | Duros | Wind |
| Langitpending review | Langit | SkyPangasinan 'tawen' is the sky; Ilocano 'tawen' is a year. Two Northern Luzon languages, one word, no shared meaning. |
| Lindolpending review | Linog | Earthquake |
| Bagyopending review | Bagyo | Typhoon |
Describing things
Big, small, good, beautiful.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Malakipending review | Dakula | Big |
| Maliitpending review | Sadit | Small |
| Mabutipending review | Marhay | Good |
| Masamapending review | Maraot | Bad |
| Magandapending review | Magayon | BeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged. |
| Mainitpending review | Mainit | Hot |
| Malamigpending review | Malipot | Cold |
| Mabilispending review | Marikas | Fast |
| Bagopending review | Bago | New |
| Lumapending review | Luma | Old (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road. |
| Matandapending review | Gurang | 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. |
| Maramipending review | Dakol | Many |
| Kauntipending review | Kadikit | Few |
| Mahabapending review | Halaba | Long |
| Maiklipending review | Halipot | Short |
| Mabigatpending review | Magabat | Heavy |
| Malinispending review | Malinig | Clean |
| Marumipending review | Maati | Dirty |
Feelings
Saying how you are, and how you feel about someone.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mahal kitapending review | Namumutan 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'. |
| Masayapending review | Maugma | Happy |
| Malungkotpending review | Mamundo | Sad |
| Pagodpending review | Pagal | Tired |
| Galitpending review | Anggot | Angry |
| Namimiss kitapending review | Namimibian taka | I miss you |
| Takotpending review | Takot | Afraid |
| Nagulatpending review | Nagkukurahaw | Surprised |
Colours
Basic colour terms.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Pulapending review | Pula | Red |
| Putipending review | Puti | White |
| Itimpending review | Itom | BlackKapampangan 'matuling' is black. Tagalog 'matulin' — one letter apart — means fast. |
| Asulpending review | Asul | Blue |
| Berdepending review | Berde | GreenOnly Kapampangan kept a native word. The other seven took the Spanish 'verde' and never replaced it. |
| Kahelpending review | Kahel | Orange |
| Abuhinpending 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.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Matulogpending review | Magturog | To sleep |
| Makitapending review | Mahiling | To see |
| Sabihinpending review | Sabihon | To sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red. |
| Alampending review | Aram | To know |
| Gustopending review | Gusto | To wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm. |
| Magbigaypending review | Magtao | To give |
| Magtrabahopending review | Magtrabaho | To work |
| Maglakadpending review | Maglakaw | To walk |
| Magsalitapending review | Magtaram | 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. |
| Makinigpending review | Maghinanyog | To listen |
| Sumulatpending review | Magsurat | To write |
| Magbasapending review | Magbasa | To read |
| Umupopending review | Magtukaw | To sit |
| Tumayopending review | Magtindog | To stand |
| Tumakbopending review | Magdalagan | To run |
| Maghintaypending review | Maghalat | To wait |
| Buksanpending review | Buksan | To open |
| Isarapending review | Isara | To close |
| Maghugaspending review | Maghugas | To wash |
| Pumunta ritopending review | Magdigdi | To come here |
Months
The Spanish-derived month names, and where the spellings part company.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Eneropending review | Enero | JanuaryThe month names are Spanish in all eight languages. What varies is spelling: Tagalog respells the Spanish f as p (Pebrero), while several of the others keep Febrero. |
| Pebreropending review | Pebrero | February |
| Marsopending review | Marso | March |
| Abrilpending review | Abril | April |
| Mayopending review | Mayo | May |
| Hunyopending review | Hunyo | June |
| Hulyopending review | Hulyo | July |
| Agostopending review | Agosto | August |
| Setyembrepending review | Setyembre | September |
| Oktubrepending review | Oktubre | October |
| Nobyembrepending review | Nobyembre | November |
| Disyembrepending review | Disyembre | December |
Getting around
Roads, boats, jeepneys and how to get off one.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Daanpending review | Tinampo | 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 |
| Kotsepending review | Awto | Car |
| Sumakaypending review | Magsakay | To ride |
| Para popending review | Para tabi | Stop here, please'Para' comes from Spanish 'parar', to stop, and is the universal way to get off a jeepney anywhere in the country. |
| Saan ka pupunta?pending review | Sain ka maduman? | Where are you going? |
| Tiketpending review | Tiket | Ticket |
Somewhere to stay
Rooms, doors, keys — a category where almost nothing carries between languages.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Susipending review | Yaba | KeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all. |
| Pintopending review | Pinto | Door |
| Bintanapending review | Bintana | WindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter. |
| Kuwartopending review | Kuwarto | Room |
| Kamapending review | Katre | Bed |
| Banyopending review | Kasilyas | Toilet |
Things to buy
Everyday items you might need to ask for.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Damitpending review | Bado | Clothes |
| Sapatospending review | Sapatos | Shoes |
| Gamotpending 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.
| Tagalog | Bikol | English |
|---|---|---|
| Asopending review | Ayam | 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 | Ikos | Cat |
| Kalabawpending review | Karabaw | CarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg. |
| Kambingpending review | Kanding | Goat |
| Bakapending review | Baka | Cow |
| Kabayopending review | Kabayo | Horse |
| Ahaspending review | Halas | SnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree. |
| Ibonpending review | Gamgam | BirdCebuano 'langgam' is a bird; Tagalog 'langgam' is an ant. One of the most-cited false friends between the two largest languages in the country. |
| Lamokpending review | Lamok | 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.
- walahigh risk
- In Tagalog
- Nothing, none, absent.
- In Bikol
- Left — the direction. It also carries the 'none' sense, so only context separates them.
The sentence parses either way, which is what makes it dangerous — a Tagalog speaker being given directions in the Visayas can understand every word and still turn the wrong way.
- sirahigh risk
- In Tagalog
- Broken, spoiled, ruined.
- In Bikol
- Fish.
A menu or a market sign reads completely differently depending on which language you assume.
- bukidhigh risk
- In Tagalog
- A field, farmland, the countryside.
- In Bikol
- A mountain.
A Tagalog speaker told to head for the bukid pictures farmland; a Cebuano speaker means uphill.
- kalayohigh risk
- In Tagalog
- Distance — parsed as ka- plus layo, 'far'.
- In Bikol
- Fire.
Tagalog reads it as ka- attached to layo, 'distance'. It is a single indivisible word in the Visayan languages.
- dagahigh risk
- In Tagalog
- A rat.
- In Bikol
- Land, soil, the ground.
Both are ordinary nouns that turn up in ordinary sentences, and nothing in the grammar signals which one is meant. Buying land and buying a rat are differently priced.
- payo
- In Tagalog
- Advice, counsel.
- In Bikol
- A head.
Both are ordinary, high-frequency words, so the collision comes up constantly rather than rarely.
- kamot
- In Tagalog
- To scratch.
- In Bikol
- A hand.
Both turn up in instructions and descriptions of physical action, so the swap is easy to miss.
- tulak
- In Tagalog
- To push.
- In Bikol
- A stomach.
Bikol tulak is an ordinary body part and Tagalog tulak is an ordinary verb, so neither reader suspects a problem.
- nguso
- In Tagalog
- A snout; pouted lips.
- In Bikol
- A mouth.
Same body region, different animal: the Tagalog word is for a snout or pouted lips, the Bikol one is the mouth itself.
How often the machine gets these right
We ran 280 Tagalog 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 Tagalog 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 61.8% of 280 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.
Least reliable
- Courtesy20%
- Somewhere to stay33%
- Everyday verbs35%
- Directions39%
- Understanding43%
Most reliable
- Months92%
- The body92%
- Greetings88%
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. 280 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.