IlocanoTagalog
Free Ilocano and Tagalog translation

Tagalog to Waray Phrasebook

380 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. Waray is Eastern Bisayan and shares its core vocabulary with Cebuano and Hiligaynon rather than with Tagalog — maupay, bulig, busag, hin-o. A Tagalog speaker recognises the sentence shape and almost none of the content.

Phrases
380
Categories
24
Cited sources
4
Pending review
380

Showing all 380 phrases across 24 categories.

Greetings

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

Greetings: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Magandang umagapending reviewMaupay nga 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.
Magandang haponpending reviewMaupay nga kulopGood afternoon
Magandang gabipending reviewMaupay nga gab-iGood evening
Magandang arawpending reviewMaupay nga adlawGood day
Kumusta 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.
Mabuti namanpending reviewMaupay manI'm fine
Paalampending reviewPag-ihaGoodbyeCebuano '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 reviewMaupay nga gab-iGood 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.
Ang tagal nating hindi nagkitapending reviewMaiha na kita waray magkitaLong time no seeCebuano and Hiligaynon both build this on dugay. Waray reaches for maiha instead — and its sentence carries waray itself, the negator the language is named after.

Courtesy

Thank you, sorry, yes and no.

Courtesy: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
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.
Maraming salamatpending reviewDamo nga 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'.
Walang anumanpending reviewWaray sapayanYou'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 reviewOoYesFour 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 reviewDiriNoIlocano 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 reviewPasayloa 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.
Pakiusappending reviewAlayonPleaseNone 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 reviewTabi anayExcuse meTabi is the shared form: Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray and Bikol all build on it and differ only in what follows — lang, anay, po. Tagalog makikiraan and Ilocano umisu man share nothing with it, or with each other.
Walang problemapending reviewWaray problemaNo problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs.
Ingat kapending reviewPag-ayo-ayoTake 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: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Ano ang pangalan mo?pending reviewAno an imo ngaran?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 reviewAn akon ngaran…My name is…
Ikinagagalak kitang makilalapending reviewNalipay ako nga makilala kaNice to meet you
Taga-saan ka?pending reviewTaga-hain 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: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Hindi ko naiintindihanpending reviewDiri ako nakakaintindiI don't understand
Marunong ka bang mag-Ingles?pending reviewMaaram 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 reviewAlayon utrohaPlease say it again
Pakidahan-dahan popending reviewAlayon hinay-hinayPlease speak slowly
Ano ito?pending reviewAno ini?What is this?
Naiintindihan kopending reviewNakakaintindi akoI understand
Ano ang tawag dito?pending reviewAno an tawag hini?What is this called?
Paano mo ito sabihin?pending reviewPaonan-o ini yakanon?How do you say this?

Numbers

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

Numbers: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Isapending reviewUsaOneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer.
Dalawapending reviewDuhaTwo
Tatlopending reviewTuloThree
Apatpending reviewUpatFour
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.
Animpending reviewUnomSix
Pitopending 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.
Walopending 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.
Sampupending reviewNapuloTenPangasinan 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 reviewNapulo kag usaElevenThree 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 reviewNapulo kag duhaTwelveTwo 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.
Dalawampupending reviewKaruhaanTwentyCebuano 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 reviewKatloanThirtyThe 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.
Limampupending reviewKalim-anFiftyKalim-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.
Isang daanpending reviewUsa ka gatosOne 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 reviewUsa ka liboOne 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: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Anopending 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.
Sinopending reviewHin-oWhoHiligaynon '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 reviewHainWhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone.
Kailanpending reviewKakan-oWhenSix 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.
Bakitpending reviewKay anoWhyKapampangan '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.
Magkano?pending reviewTagpira?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.
Ilan?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.
paanopending reviewgin-anoHow

Time & days

Today, tomorrow, day and night.

Time & days: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Ngayonpending reviewYanaTodayEight 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 reviewBuwasTomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'.
Kahaponpending reviewKakulopYesterdayKahapon, gahapon and kasuhapon are one word with the prefix shifting. Waray kakulop, Ilocano idi kalman and Kapampangan napun stand outside it entirely.
Arawpending reviewAdlawDayIn 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 reviewGab-iNightGabi 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.
Linggopending 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.
Taonpending reviewTuigYearTuig 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.
Linggopending reviewDominggoSundayTagalog 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 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'.
Umagapending 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.
Mamayapending reviewNiyanLaterThe 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 reviewOrasHourOras in all eight, from Spanish horas, with no language keeping an alternative alongside it.
Lagipending 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: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Inapending reviewIroyMotherKapampangan 'ima' is a mother; Ilocano 'ima' is a hand. Two Luzon languages a hundred kilometres apart, same three letters, nothing in common.
Amapending reviewAmayFatherAma holds in Tagalog, Ilocano, Bikol and Pangasinan. Cebuano amahan and the Hiligaynon and Waray amay are the same root extended; Kapampangan ibpa is the only one that shares nothing, which is the pattern Kapampangan sets across this whole list.
Nanaypending 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.
Tataypending 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 reviewBataChild'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general.
Kapatidpending reviewBugtoSiblingSix unrelated roots. Only Tagalog 'kapatid' and Kapampangan 'kapatad' match, and that is a loan rather than shared inheritance.
Lolapending 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.
Lolopending reviewLoloGrandfatherPangasinan 'laki' is a grandfather. In Tagalog, Cebuano and most of the rest, 'lalaki' is simply a man — close enough to mislead.
Kaibiganpending reviewSangkayFriendEight 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.
Babaepending reviewBabayeWomanBabae 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 reviewAsawaSpouse'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 reviewNgaranNameNo 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.
Kapitbahaypending reviewAmyawNeighbourEight languages, eight words, no two alike. Everyday social vocabulary diverges far more than the numbers or the animals do, and this row is the clearest example of it on the site.
Sanggolpending reviewMinasusoBaby
Tiyopending 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.
Tiyapending 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.
taopending 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.
batapending reviewanakChild (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 reviewasawaWifeAsawa 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 reviewbanaHusbandThe 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: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Bigaspending reviewBugasRice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out.
Kaninpending reviewLutoRice (cooked)Kapampangan 'nasi' is a Malay-shaped word that none of its neighbours share.
Isdapending reviewIsdaFishBikol 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.
Manokpending 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.
Baboypending reviewBaboyPigBaboy in seven. Bikol urig is the only language here that kept something else, and Kapampangan babi is baboy with its usual syllable lost.
Itlogpending reviewBunayEggOne 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.
Gulaypending reviewUtanVegetableUtan across the three Visayan languages, gulay in Tagalog and Bikol with Kapampangan gule beside them. Ilocano nateng and Pangasinan pising are each alone.
Kumainpending reviewKumaonTo 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 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.
Masarappending reviewMarasaDeliciousEight 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 reviewBusog 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.
Tinapaypending 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 reviewSagingBananaSaging in five. Ilocano and Pangasinan both say saba, which in Tagalog names one particular cooking variety rather than the fruit in general. Bikol batag is its own word.
Niyogpending reviewLubiCoconutLubi 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 reviewAhosGarlicThe Visayan languages took the Spanish 'ajos'; the Luzon languages kept the native 'bawang'.
Sabawpending reviewSabawSoup, brothSabaw in six, with Kapampangan sabo the same word shortened. Ilocano digo is the only real outlier.
Matamispending reviewMatam-isSweetTam-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.
Maasimpending reviewMaaslomSourOne 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.
Maanghangpending reviewMahalangSpicy
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.
Maglutopending 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.
Platopending reviewPingganPlateA 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: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Tubigpending 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
Uminompending reviewUminomTo drink
Pakiabot ng tubigpending reviewAlayon hin tubigWater, please
Tsaapending reviewTsaTea
Serbesapending reviewBeerBeer
Mainit na tubigpending reviewMapaso nga tubigHot water
Malamig na tubigpending reviewMahagkot nga tubigCold water

Market & money

Prices, haggling, paying.

Market & money: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Perapending reviewKwartaMoneyTagalog took 'pera' from Spanish 'perra'; everything north and south of it took 'cuarta' instead. The two are not interchangeable outside Manila.
Mahalpending 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.
Bumilipending reviewPumalitTo buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction.
Palengkepending reviewMerkadoMarket
Magkano ito?pending reviewTagpira ini?How much is this?
Masyadong mahalpending reviewMahal hinduroThat's too expensive
Pwedeng tawad?pending reviewPwede ba pakubaan?Can you lower the price?
Magbentapending reviewMagbaligyaTo sell

Directions

Left, right, here, there and how far.

Directions: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Kaliwapending 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.
Kananpending reviewTooRight
Ditopending reviewDidiHereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly.
Doonpending reviewDidtoThere
Malayopending reviewHirayoFar
Malapitpending reviewHiraniNear
Nasaan ang banyo?pending reviewHain an kasilyas?Where is the toilet?
Pumuntapending reviewKumadtoTo go
Diretsopending reviewDiretsoStraight ahead
Taaspending reviewIgbawUp
Babapending reviewIlaromDown
Loobpending reviewSulodInside
Labaspending reviewGawasOutside

Health & emergency

The phrases worth knowing before you need them.

Health & emergency: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Tulong!pending reviewBulig!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
May sakit akopending reviewMay sakit akoI am sick
Masakitpending reviewMaul-ulIt hurtsWaray 'maul-ul' and Bikol 'makulog' share nothing with the 'sakit' the other six use.
Pulispending reviewPulisPolice
Sunog!pending reviewSunog!Fire!Bikol shouts 'Kalayo!', which in Tagalog would be parsed as 'distance'. In an emergency that is the worst possible ambiguity.
Magnanakaw!pending reviewKawatan!Thief!
Mag-ingat kapending reviewPag-ampingBe careful
Naligaw akopending reviewNawara akoI am lost
Lagnatpending reviewHilanatFever
Sakit ng ulopending reviewUl-ul han uloHeadache

The body

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

The body: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Ulopending reviewUloHeadBikol 'payo' is a head. In Tagalog 'payo' is advice — which makes it one of the neatest false friends in the country.
Matapending reviewMataEye
Kamaypending 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.
Paapending reviewTiilFoot
Bibigpending reviewBabaMouthVisayan 'baba' is a mouth; Tagalog 'baba' is a chin, and with different stress it is also 'down'. Neighbouring body parts, different words.
Tiyanpending reviewTiyanStomach
Buhokpending reviewBuhokHair
Taingapending reviewTalingaEar
Ilongpending reviewIrongNose
Ngipinpending reviewNgiponTooth
Dugopending reviewDugoBloodIlocano and Kapampangan both say 'daya' for blood — and in Tagalog and Cebuano the same word means cheating. Worth care in any medical setting.
Pusopending reviewKasingkasingHeart
balatpending reviewpanitSkin (of a person)
karnepending reviewunodMeat (as in flesh)
butopending reviewtulanBone
tabapending reviewtambokFat (noun)
dilapending reviewdilaTongue
kukopending reviewkukoFingernail
bintipending reviewtiilLeg
tuhodpending reviewtuhodKnee
tiyanpending reviewtiyanBelly
bitukapending reviewtinaiGuts
leegpending reviewliogNeck
likodpending reviewlikodBack
susopending reviewsusoBreast
ataypending reviewatayLiver

Nature & weather

Sun, rain, sea and mountain.

Nature & weather: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Arawpending reviewAdlawSunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two.
Buwanpending reviewBulanMoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them.
Bituinpending reviewBitoonStar
Ulanpending reviewUranRainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use.
Dagatpending reviewDagatSea
Bundokpending 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.
Bahaypending reviewBalayHouse
Apoypending reviewKalayoFireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy.
Ilogpending reviewSalogRiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor.
Lupapending reviewTunaLand, soilSix unrelated roots for the ground under your feet, and Ilocano 'daga' collides head-on with Tagalog, where it means a rat.
Punopending reviewKahoyTree
Bulaklakpending reviewBukadFlowerIlocano 'sabong' is a flower. In Tagalog 'sabong' is cockfighting — an unusually large gap for two languages spoken on the same island.
Batopending reviewBatoStone
Hanginpending reviewHanginWind
Langitpending reviewLangitSkyPangasinan 'tawen' is the sky; Ilocano 'tawen' is a year. Two Northern Luzon languages, one word, no shared meaning.
Lindolpending reviewLinogEarthquake
Bagyopending reviewBagyoTyphoon
kakahuyanpending reviewkaguranganForest
patpatpending reviewablongStick (of wood)
bungapending reviewbungaFruit
binhipending reviewbinhiSeed
dahonpending reviewdahonLeaf
ugatpending reviewgamotRoot
balat ng punopending reviewpanitBark (of tree)
damopending reviewbanwaGrass
lawapending reviewdanawLake
dagatpending reviewdagatSea (as in ocean)
buhanginpending reviewbuhanginSand
alikabokpending reviewalikabokDust
lupapending reviewtunaEarth (as in soil)
alapaappending reviewpanganuronCloud
hamogpending reviewburongFog
hanginpending reviewhanginWind (as in breeze)
niyebepending reviewniyebeSnow
yelopending reviewyeloIce
usokpending reviewusokSmoke
abopending reviewaboAsh
arawpending reviewadlawDay (daytime)

Describing things

Big, small, good, beautiful.

Describing things: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Malakipending reviewDakoBig
Maliitpending reviewGutiaySmall
Mabutipending reviewMaupayGood
Masamapending reviewMaraotBad
Magandapending reviewMahusayBeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged.
Mainitpending reviewMapasoHot
Malamigpending reviewMahagkotCold
Mabilispending reviewMadagmitFast
Bagopending reviewBag-oNew
Lumapending reviewDaanOld (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road.
Matandapending reviewLagasOld (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 reviewDamoMany
Kauntipending reviewGutiayFew
Mahabapending reviewHalabaLong
Maiklipending reviewHalipotShort
Mabigatpending reviewMabug-atHeavy
Malinispending reviewLimpyoClean
Marumipending reviewMahugawDirty
lahatpending reviewngatananAll
ilanpending reviewmagutiaySome
ibapending reviewibaOther
malapadpending reviewhalagpadWide
makapalpending reviewdakmolThick
makitidpending reviewhaligotNarrow
manipispending reviewgamayThin
mainitpending reviewinitWarm (as in weather)
malamigpending reviewtugnawCold (as in weather)
lumapending reviewdaanOld
matulispending reviewmataromSharp (as a knife)
basapending reviewbasaWet
tuyopending reviewmamaraDry (adjective)
kananpending reviewtuoRight (side)
kaliwapending reviewwalaLeft (side)

Feelings

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

Feelings: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Mahal kitapending reviewHinihigugma ko ikawI love youEight languages and eight completely different verbs. This row alone answers the question of whether Philippine languages are 'dialects of each other'.
Masayapending reviewMalipayonHappy
Malungkotpending reviewMabidoSad
Pagodpending reviewKapoyTired
Galitpending reviewNasinaAngry
Namimiss kitapending reviewGinhihidlaw ako ha imoI miss you
Takotpending reviewNahahadlokAfraid
Nagulatpending reviewNakuratanSurprised
Inippending reviewNaumodBored

Colours

Basic colour terms.

Colours: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Pulapending 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.
Putipending reviewBusagWhitePuti 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.
Itimpending 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.
Dilawpending reviewDalagYellowThree groups, and they follow geography rather than Tagalog. The Visayan languages all say dalag. Ilocano and Pangasinan, both Northern Luzon, both say duyaw. Tagalog dilaw and Kapampangan dilo are what is left over.
Berdepending 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.
Abuhinpending reviewAbuhonGreyEvery 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.

Everyday verbs: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Matulogpending reviewKaturogTo sleep
Makitapending reviewMakitaTo see
Sabihinpending reviewSumatanTo sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red.
Alampending reviewMaaramTo know
Gustopending reviewKaruyagTo wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm.
Magbigaypending reviewHumatagTo give
Magtrabahopending reviewMagtrabahoTo work
Maglakadpending reviewLumakatTo walk
Magsalitapending reviewMagyakanTo 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 reviewPamatiTo listen
Sumulatpending reviewSumuratTo write
Magbasapending reviewMagbasaTo read
Umupopending reviewLumingkodTo sit
Tumayopending reviewTumindogTo stand
Tumakbopending reviewDumalaganTo run
Maghintaypending reviewMaghulatTo wait
Buksanpending reviewAbrihanTo open
Isarapending reviewSarhanTo close
Maghugaspending reviewMaghugasTo wash
Pumunta ritopending reviewKumadiTo come here
kagatpending reviewkagatTo bite
sipsippending reviewhumodTo suck
luwapending reviewtupraTo spit
sukapending reviewdigwaTo vomit
ihippending reviewtayhopTo blow (as wind)
hingapending reviewginhawaTo breathe
tawapending reviewtawaTo laugh
dinigpending reviewdungogTo hear
alampending reviewaramTo know (a fact)
isippending reviewhunahunaTo think
amoypending reviewamyonTo smell (sense odour)
takotpending reviewhadlokTo fear
buhaypending reviewbuhiTo live
pataypending reviewmatayTo die
pataypending reviewpatayTo kill
labanpending reviewawayTo fight
mangasopending reviewanopTo hunt (transitive)
tamapending reviewbakdongTo hit
putolpending reviewbariTo cut
biyakpending reviewlasiTo split
saksakpending reviewbunoTo stab (or stick)
kamotpending reviewkalotTo scratch (an itch)
hukaypending reviewhunggadTo dig
langoypending reviewlangoyTo swim
lipadpending reviewlupadTo fly
datingpending reviewabotTo come
higapending reviewhigdaTo lie (as on one's side)
likopending reviewlikdoTo turn (change direction)
hulogpending reviewmahulogTo fall (as in drop)
sunoginpending reviewsunogTo burn (intransitive)

Months

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

Months: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
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.
Pebreropending reviewPebreroFebruary
Marsopending reviewMarsoMarch
Abrilpending reviewAbrilApril
Mayopending reviewMayoMay
Hunyopending reviewHunyoJune
Hulyopending reviewHulyoJuly
Agostopending reviewAgostoAugust
Setyembrepending reviewSeptiyembreSeptember
Oktubrepending reviewOktubreOctober
Nobyembrepending reviewNobyembreNovember
Disyembrepending reviewDisyembreDecember

Getting around

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

Getting around: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Daanpending reviewDalanRoadSeven of the eight use 'dalan'. Tagalog's 'daan' is the same root worn down, and Bikol went its own way with 'tinampo'.
Bangkapending reviewBarotoBoat
Kotsepending reviewAwtoCar
Sumakaypending reviewSumakayTo ride
Para popending reviewPara anayStop 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 reviewHain ka makadto?Where are you going?
Tiketpending reviewTiketTicket

Somewhere to stay

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

Somewhere to stay: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Susipending reviewYawiKeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all.
Pintopending reviewPurtahanDoor
Bintanapending reviewBintanaWindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter.
Kuwartopending reviewKuwartoRoom
Kamapending reviewKatreBed
Banyopending reviewKasilyasToilet

Things to buy

Everyday items you might need to ask for.

Things to buy: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Damitpending reviewBadoClothes
Sapatospending reviewSapatosShoes
Gamotpending reviewTambalMedicineWorth 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 reviewSabonSoap
Libropending reviewLibroBook
Papelpending reviewPapelPaper

Animals

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

Animals: Tagalog phrases with Waray and English translations
TagalogWarayEnglish
Asopending 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 reviewUdingCatThe 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.
Kalabawpending 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.
Kabayopending 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.
Ahaspending reviewHalasSnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree.
Ibonpending reviewTamsiBirdCebuano 'langgam' is a bird; Tagalog 'langgam' is an ant. One of the most-cited false friends between the two largest languages in the country.
Dagapending reviewYatotRatTwo traps in one row. Ilocano 'utot' is a rat and Tagalog 'utot' is a fart; Tagalog 'daga' is a rat and Ilocano 'daga' is land or soil.
Lamokpending reviewNamokMosquitoLamok in most, but Hiligaynon and Waray both say namok. The l-to-n shift between those two and their neighbours turns up elsewhere in Bisayan and is regular enough to guess at.
hayoppending 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.
kutopending 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.
uodpending 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.
sungaypending reviewbudyongHornSungay 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.
buntotpending 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.
balahibopending reviewbarahiboFeatherBalahibo, 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 reviewpakoWingPakpak in five languages, and Cebuano and Waray pako is the same root without the doubling. Ilocano payak is the only form that has moved far from it.

Words that trap you

These exist in both languages but mean different things. They are where confident readers get caught, and where machine translation is least reliable.

  • walahigh risk
    In Tagalog
    Nothing, none, absent.
    In Waray
    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.

  • usahigh risk
    In Tagalog
    A deer.
    In Waray
    One — the numeral.

    One of the first words anyone learns in either language, and they could not be further apart.

  • bukidhigh risk
    In Tagalog
    A field, farmland, the countryside.
    In Waray
    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 Waray
    Fire.

    Tagalog reads it as ka- attached to layo, 'distance'. It is a single indivisible word in the Visayan languages.

  • asohigh risk
    In Tagalog
    A dog.
    In Waray
    Smoke.

    Two of the most ordinary nouns in either language. The Cebuano word for a dog is iro.

  • langgamhigh risk
    In Tagalog
    An ant.
    In Waray
    A bird.

    Nothing in the sentence signals which one is meant, and both are plausible in most contexts.

  • liboghigh risk
    In Tagalog
    Lust, arousal.
    In Waray
    Confusion; being at a loss.

    The Visayan sense is entirely ordinary and the Tagalog sense is not, which makes this the most awkward collision on the list.

  • gamot
    In Tagalog
    Medicine, a remedy.
    In Waray
    A root.

    Related once — roots were medicine — but the two languages settled on opposite ends of that history.

  • kamot
    In Tagalog
    To scratch.
    In Waray
    A hand.

    Both turn up in instructions and descriptions of physical action, so the swap is easy to miss.

  • mahusay
    In Tagalog
    Skilful, well-arranged, orderly.
    In Waray
    Beautiful.

    Complimenting someone in Waray and in Tagalog with the same word praises two different things.

  • daan
    In Tagalog
    A road; also 'hundred'.
    In Waray
    Old, of a thing.

    Tagalog daan is a road; almost everywhere else it means old. Directions and descriptions get swapped.

  • dalag
    In Tagalog
    A mudfish.
    In Waray
    Yellow.

    A colour in the Visayan languages and a freshwater fish in Tagalog.

How often the machine gets these right

We ran 380 Tagalog entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Waray. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Tagalog nor Waray 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 Waray for 53.7% of 380 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.

Least reliable

  • Everyday verbs8%
  • Understanding13%
  • Introductions25%
  • Feelings33%
  • Directions39%

Most reliable

  • Months83%
  • Numbers82%
  • The body81%

Sources

Last updated 2026-08-06. 380 entries are marked “pending review” — carried on general reference and awaiting confirmation from a native speaker.