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Free Ilocano and Tagalog translation

Waray to Tagalog 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Maupay nga agapending reviewMagandang umagaGood 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.
Maupay nga kuloppending reviewMagandang haponGood afternoon
Maupay nga gab-ipending reviewMagandang gabiGood evening
Maupay nga adlawpending reviewMagandang arawGood 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.
Maupay manpending reviewMabuti namanI'm fine
Pag-ihapending reviewPaalamGoodbyeCebuano '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.
Maupay nga gab-ipending reviewMagandang gabiGood 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.
Maiha na kita waray magkitapending reviewAng tagal nating hindi nagkitaLong 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
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.
Damo nga salamatpending reviewMaraming 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'.
Waray sapayanpending reviewWalang anumanYou'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.
Diripending reviewHindiNoIlocano 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'.
Pasayloa akopending reviewPaumanhinSorryIn everyday speech 'sorry' and 'pasensya' are what most speakers actually say in all eight; the native forms above are what you will see written.
Alayonpending reviewPakiusapPleaseNone 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.
Tabi anaypending reviewMakikiraan poExcuse 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.
Waray problemapending reviewWalang problemaNo problemThe word for 'none' is the giveaway: wala, awan, walay, waray, mayo. Waray-speakers are named after theirs.
Pag-ayo-ayopending reviewIngat kaTake careCebuano ayo-ayo and Hiligaynon halong appear again as those languages' entry for goodbye. A Visayan farewell is usually an instruction to look after yourself rather than a word for parting.

Introductions

Names and first meetings.

Introductions: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Ano an imo ngaran?pending reviewAno ang pangalan 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.
An akon ngaran…pending reviewAng pangalan ko ay…My name is…
Nalipay ako nga makilala kapending reviewIkinagagalak kitang makilalaNice to meet you
Taga-hain ka?pending reviewTaga-saan 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Diri ako nakakaintindipending reviewHindi ko naiintindihanI don't understand
Maaram ka mag-English?pending reviewMarunong ka bang mag-Ingles?Do you speak English?The verb for 'to know how' differs completely: kamao, kabalo, maaram, tataong. None of them is the Tagalog 'marunong'.
Alayon utrohapending reviewPakiulit nga poPlease say it again
Alayon hinay-hinaypending reviewPakidahan-dahan poPlease speak slowly
Ano ini?pending reviewAno ito?What is this?
Nakakaintindi akopending reviewNaiintindihan koI understand
Ano an tawag hini?pending reviewAno ang tawag dito?What is this called?
Paonan-o ini yakanon?pending reviewPaano mo ito sabihin?How do you say this?

Numbers

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

Numbers: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Usapending reviewIsaOneCebuano and Waray 'usa' is a false friend of the highest order: in Tagalog 'usa' is a deer.
Duhapending reviewDalawaTwo
Tulopending reviewTatloThree
Upatpending reviewApatFour
Limapending reviewLimaFiveThe one numeral that survives intact across all eight — and in Pangasinan 'lima' is also the word for 'hand', which is where the numeral came from in the first place.
Unompending reviewAnimSix
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.
Napulopending reviewSampuTenPangasinan 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.
Napulo kag usapending reviewLabing-isaElevenThree different strategies for building teens: Tagalog and Kapampangan prefix labing-, the Visayan languages say 'ten and one', and Bikol has a dedicated form (kagsaro).
Napulo kag duhapending reviewLabindalawaTwelveTwo 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.
Karuhaanpending reviewDalawampuTwentyCebuano 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.
Katloanpending reviewTatlumpuThirtyThe 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.
Kalim-anpending reviewLimampuFiftyKalim-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.
Usa ka gatospending reviewIsang daanOne hundredKapampangan 'dinalan' and Pangasinan 'sanlasus' share nothing with the gatos/daan the rest use — another reminder that the Luzon languages are not a group.
Usa ka libopending reviewIsang 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
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.
Hin-opending reviewSinoWhoHiligaynon '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.
Hainpending reviewSaanWhereSeven distinct words. Cebuano 'asa' is a false friend in Tagalog, where it means to hope or depend on someone.
Kakan-opending reviewKailanWhenSix 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.
Kay anopending reviewBakitWhyKapampangan '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.
Tagpira?pending reviewMagkano?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.
Pira?pending reviewIlan?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.
gin-anopending reviewpaanoHow

Time & days

Today, tomorrow, day and night.

Time & days: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Yanapending reviewNgayonTodayEight 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.
Buwaspending reviewBukasTomorrowIlocano builds tomorrow out of 'bigat', the word for morning — the same root as in 'Naimbag a bigat'.
Kakuloppending reviewKahaponYesterdayKahapon, gahapon and kasuhapon are one word with the prefix shifting. Waray kakulop, Ilocano idi kalman and Kapampangan napun stand outside it entirely.
Adlawpending reviewArawDayIn 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.
Gab-ipending reviewGabiNightGabi 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.
Semanapending reviewLinggoWeekThree 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.
Tuigpending reviewTaonYearTuig across all three Visayan languages, taon in Tagalog, Bikol and Pangasinan, with Ilocano tawen the same word carrying its w. Kapampangan banwa belongs to neither group.
Lunespending reviewLunesMondayAll eight took the Spanish weekday names wholesale. Only Sunday diverges — see below.
Martespending reviewMartesTuesdayIdentical in all eight. The Spanish weekday names arrived as a set, and none of these languages had a competing seven-day cycle to defend.
Miyerkulespending reviewMiyerkulesWednesdayThe only variation is spelling. Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Pangasinan write -koles; the other five write -kules.
Huwebespending reviewHuwebesThursdayHuebes in Ilocano and Pangasinan, huwebes in the rest — the same choice between u and w those two make on Wednesday and again on Friday.
Biyernespending reviewBiyernesFridayBiernes in Ilocano and Pangasinan, biyernes elsewhere. Three weekdays running where those two languages spell the Spanish the same way against the other six.
Sabadopending reviewSabadoSaturdaySabado in all eight with no variation whatsoever — the one weekday where even Ilocano and Pangasinan write it exactly as everyone else does.
Dominggopending reviewLinggoSundayTagalog 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'.
Udtopending reviewTanghaliNoonUdto 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'.
Agapending reviewUmagaMorningAga 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.
Niyanpending reviewMamayaLaterThe 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.
Pirmipending reviewLagiAlwaysPirme 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Iroypending reviewInaMotherKapampangan 'ima' is a mother; Ilocano 'ima' is a hand. Two Luzon languages a hundred kilometres apart, same three letters, nothing in common.
Amaypending reviewAmaFatherAma holds in Tagalog, Ilocano, Bikol and Pangasinan. Cebuano amahan and the Hiligaynon and Waray amay are the same root extended; Kapampangan ibpa is the only one that shares nothing, which is the pattern Kapampangan sets across this whole list.
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.
Batapending reviewAnakChild'Anak' is the offspring relationship in all eight; Bikol 'aki' is the exception and is a child in general.
Bugtopending reviewKapatidSiblingSix 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.
Sangkaypending reviewKaibiganFriendEight 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.
Babayepending reviewBabaeWomanBabae 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.
Ngaranpending reviewPangalanNameNo 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.
Amyawpending reviewKapitbahayNeighbourEight 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.
Minasusopending reviewSanggolBaby
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.
tawopending reviewtaoMan (human being)Tao and tawo are one word: the Visayan languages and Bikol keep the w, Tagalog and Ilocano drop it. Pangasinan too and Kapampangan tau are the same again with their own vowels.
anakpending reviewbataChild (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.
banapending reviewasawaHusbandThe 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Bugaspending reviewBigasRice (uncooked)All eight distinguish uncooked grain from cooked rice with separate words — a distinction English has to spell out.
Lutopending reviewKaninRice (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.
Bunaypending reviewItlogEggOne 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.
Utanpending reviewGulayVegetableUtan across the three Visayan languages, gulay in Tagalog and Bikol with Kapampangan gule beside them. Ilocano nateng and Pangasinan pising are each alone.
Kumaonpending reviewKumainTo 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.
Marasapending reviewMasarapDeliciousEight 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.
Asukarpending reviewAsukalSugarAsukal 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.
Lubipending reviewNiyogCoconutLubi across all three Visayan languages; niyog in Tagalog, Bikol and Pangasinan with Ilocano niog alongside. Kapampangan ungut belongs to neither group.
Manggapending reviewManggaMangoMangga in all eight with no variation, which on a page where sweet, sour and salty all splinter is worth noticing.
Maispending reviewMaisCornMais in all eight, from Spanish maíz. Maize is a New World crop that reached these islands through Spain, and the word came with the plant.
Ahospending reviewBawangGarlicThe 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.
Matam-ispending reviewMatamisSweetTam-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.
Maaslompending reviewMaasimSourOne 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.
Mahalangpending reviewMaanghangSpicy
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.
Pingganpending reviewPlatoPlateA 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
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
Alayon hin tubigpending reviewPakiabot ng tubigWater, please
Tsapending reviewTsaaTea
Beerpending reviewSerbesaBeer
Mapaso nga tubigpending reviewMainit na tubigHot water
Mahagkot nga tubigpending reviewMalamig na tubigCold water

Market & money

Prices, haggling, paying.

Market & money: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Kwartapending reviewPeraMoneyTagalog 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.
Baratopending reviewMuraCheapFour of the eight reach for the Spanish 'barato' rather than a native word, while Tagalog and Ilocano kept their own.
Pumalitpending reviewBumiliTo buyCebuano 'palit' is to buy; in Tagalog 'palit' is to exchange or swap. Same root, opposite ends of a transaction.
Merkadopending reviewPalengkeMarket
Tagpira ini?pending reviewMagkano ito?How much is this?
Mahal hinduropending reviewMasyadong mahalThat's too expensive
Pwede ba pakubaan?pending reviewPwedeng tawad?Can you lower the price?
Magbaligyapending reviewMagbentaTo sell

Directions

Left, right, here, there and how far.

Directions: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Walapending reviewKaliwaLeftThe 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.
Toopending reviewKananRight
Didipending reviewDitoHereHiligaynon 'diri' is 'here'. Waray 'diri' is 'not'. The two languages are neighbours and this pair catches people constantly.
Didtopending reviewDoonThere
Hirayopending reviewMalayoFar
Hiranipending reviewMalapitNear
Hain an kasilyas?pending reviewNasaan ang banyo?Where is the toilet?
Kumadtopending reviewPumuntaTo go
Diretsopending reviewDiretsoStraight ahead
Igbawpending reviewTaasUp
Ilarompending reviewBabaDown
Sulodpending reviewLoobInside
Gawaspending reviewLabasOutside

Health & emergency

The phrases worth knowing before you need them.

Health & emergency: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Bulig!pending reviewTulong!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
Maul-ulpending reviewMasakitIt 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.
Kawatan!pending reviewMagnanakaw!Thief!
Pag-ampingpending reviewMag-ingat kaBe careful
Nawara akopending reviewNaligaw akoI am lost
Hilanatpending reviewLagnatFever
Ul-ul han ulopending reviewSakit ng uloHeadache

The body

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

The body: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
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
Kamotpending reviewKamayHandThree 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.
Tiilpending reviewPaaFoot
Babapending reviewBibigMouthVisayan '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
Talingapending reviewTaingaEar
Irongpending reviewIlongNose
Ngiponpending reviewNgipinTooth
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.
Kasingkasingpending reviewPusoHeart
panitpending reviewbalatSkin (of a person)
unodpending reviewkarneMeat (as in flesh)
tulanpending reviewbutoBone
tambokpending reviewtabaFat (noun)
dilapending reviewdilaTongue
kukopending reviewkukoFingernail
tiilpending reviewbintiLeg
tuhodpending reviewtuhodKnee
tiyanpending reviewtiyanBelly
tinaipending reviewbitukaGuts
liogpending reviewleegNeck
likodpending reviewlikodBack
susopending reviewsusoBreast
ataypending reviewatayLiver

Nature & weather

Sun, rain, sea and mountain.

Nature & weather: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Adlawpending reviewArawSunIlocano 'init' is the sun; Tagalog 'init' is heat. Related idea, different part of speech, and machine translation routinely mixes the two.
Bulanpending reviewBuwanMoonSeven of the eight kept 'bulan'; Tagalog alone shifted the l to w. The same word means 'month' in all of them.
Bitoonpending reviewBituinStar
Uranpending reviewUlanRainIlocano is alone here. 'Tudo' shares nothing with the ulan/uran the other seven use.
Dagatpending reviewDagatSea
Bukidpending reviewBundokMountainTwo traps at once. Ilocano 'bantay' is a mountain; in Tagalog it is a guard. Visayan 'bukid' is a mountain; in Tagalog 'bukid' is a field or farm.
Balaypending reviewBahayHouse
Kalayopending reviewApoyFireVisayan 'kalayo' is fire; Tagalog 'kalayo' would be parsed as 'distance'. The Luzon languages all keep apoy/apuy.
Salogpending reviewIlogRiverWaray and Bikol 'salog' looks close to Tagalog 'ilog' but is a separate root — and in Cebuano 'salog' is a floor.
Tunapending reviewLupaLand, soilSix unrelated roots for the ground under your feet, and Ilocano 'daga' collides head-on with Tagalog, where it means a rat.
Kahoypending reviewPunoTree
Bukadpending reviewBulaklakFlowerIlocano '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.
Linogpending reviewLindolEarthquake
Bagyopending reviewBagyoTyphoon
kaguranganpending reviewkakahuyanForest
ablongpending reviewpatpatStick (of wood)
bungapending reviewbungaFruit
binhipending reviewbinhiSeed
dahonpending reviewdahonLeaf
gamotpending reviewugatRoot
panitpending reviewbalat ng punoBark (of tree)
banwapending reviewdamoGrass
danawpending reviewlawaLake
dagatpending reviewdagatSea (as in ocean)
buhanginpending reviewbuhanginSand
alikabokpending reviewalikabokDust
tunapending reviewlupaEarth (as in soil)
panganuronpending reviewalapaapCloud
burongpending reviewhamogFog
hanginpending reviewhanginWind (as in breeze)
niyebepending reviewniyebeSnow
yelopending reviewyeloIce
usokpending reviewusokSmoke
abopending reviewaboAsh
adlawpending reviewarawDay (daytime)

Describing things

Big, small, good, beautiful.

Describing things: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Dakopending reviewMalakiBig
Gutiaypending reviewMaliitSmall
Maupaypending reviewMabutiGood
Maraotpending reviewMasamaBad
Mahusaypending reviewMagandaBeautifulBikol 'magayon' is the root behind Mayon, the volcano. Waray 'mahusay' means beautiful; in Tagalog the same word means skilled or well-arranged.
Mapasopending reviewMainitHot
Mahagkotpending reviewMalamigCold
Madagmitpending reviewMabilisFast
Bag-opending reviewBagoNew
Daanpending reviewLumaOld (of a thing)Ilocano and the Visayan languages use 'daan' for old — the same string Tagalog uses for a road.
Lagaspending reviewMatandaOld (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.
Damopending reviewMaramiMany
Gutiaypending reviewKauntiFew
Halabapending reviewMahabaLong
Halipotpending reviewMaikliShort
Mabug-atpending reviewMabigatHeavy
Limpyopending reviewMalinisClean
Mahugawpending reviewMarumiDirty
ngatananpending reviewlahatAll
magutiaypending reviewilanSome
ibapending reviewibaOther
halagpadpending reviewmalapadWide
dakmolpending reviewmakapalThick
haligotpending reviewmakitidNarrow
gamaypending reviewmanipisThin
initpending reviewmainitWarm (as in weather)
tugnawpending reviewmalamigCold (as in weather)
daanpending reviewlumaOld
matarompending reviewmatulisSharp (as a knife)
basapending reviewbasaWet
mamarapending reviewtuyoDry (adjective)
tuopending reviewkananRight (side)
walapending reviewkaliwaLeft (side)

Feelings

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

Feelings: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Hinihigugma ko ikawpending reviewMahal kitaI love youEight languages and eight completely different verbs. This row alone answers the question of whether Philippine languages are 'dialects of each other'.
Malipayonpending reviewMasayaHappy
Mabidopending reviewMalungkotSad
Kapoypending reviewPagodTired
Nasinapending reviewGalitAngry
Ginhihidlaw ako ha imopending reviewNamimiss kitaI miss you
Nahahadlokpending reviewTakotAfraid
Nakuratanpending reviewNagulatSurprised
Naumodpending reviewInipBored

Colours

Basic colour terms.

Colours: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
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.
Busagpending reviewPutiWhitePuti is the base, and two languages keep it under a prefix: Kapampangan maputi, Pangasinan amputi. The two that abandon it are Ilocano puraw and Waray busag — and busag is one of the words that marks Waray off from its Bisayan neighbours, which both say puti.
Itompending reviewItimBlackKapampangan '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.
Dalagpending reviewDilawYellowThree 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.
Abuhonpending reviewAbuhinGreyEvery 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Katurogpending reviewMatulogTo sleep
Makitapending reviewMakitaTo see
Sumatanpending reviewSabihinTo sayIlocano and Pangasinan share 'ibaga' — but in Tagalog 'baga' is an ember, and in Ilocano it is the colour red.
Maarampending reviewAlamTo know
Karuyagpending reviewGustoTo wantKapampangan 'buri' is to want or like. In Tagalog 'buri' is a species of palm.
Humatagpending reviewMagbigayTo give
Magtrabahopending reviewMagtrabahoTo work
Lumakatpending reviewMaglakadTo walk
Magyakanpending reviewMagsalitaTo 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.
Pamatipending reviewMakinigTo listen
Sumuratpending reviewSumulatTo write
Magbasapending reviewMagbasaTo read
Lumingkodpending reviewUmupoTo sit
Tumindogpending reviewTumayoTo stand
Dumalaganpending reviewTumakboTo run
Maghulatpending reviewMaghintayTo wait
Abrihanpending reviewBuksanTo open
Sarhanpending reviewIsaraTo close
Maghugaspending reviewMaghugasTo wash
Kumadipending reviewPumunta ritoTo come here
kagatpending reviewkagatTo bite
humodpending reviewsipsipTo suck
tuprapending reviewluwaTo spit
digwapending reviewsukaTo vomit
tayhoppending reviewihipTo blow (as wind)
ginhawapending reviewhingaTo breathe
tawapending reviewtawaTo laugh
dungogpending reviewdinigTo hear
arampending reviewalamTo know (a fact)
hunahunapending reviewisipTo think
amyonpending reviewamoyTo smell (sense odour)
hadlokpending reviewtakotTo fear
buhipending reviewbuhayTo live
mataypending reviewpatayTo die
pataypending reviewpatayTo kill
awaypending reviewlabanTo fight
anoppending reviewmangasoTo hunt (transitive)
bakdongpending reviewtamaTo hit
baripending reviewputolTo cut
lasipending reviewbiyakTo split
bunopending reviewsaksakTo stab (or stick)
kalotpending reviewkamotTo scratch (an itch)
hunggadpending reviewhukayTo dig
langoypending reviewlangoyTo swim
lupadpending reviewlipadTo fly
abotpending reviewdatingTo come
higdapending reviewhigaTo lie (as on one's side)
likdopending reviewlikoTo turn (change direction)
mahulogpending reviewhulogTo fall (as in drop)
sunogpending reviewsunoginTo burn (intransitive)

Months

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

Months: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
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
Septiyembrepending reviewSetyembreSeptember
Oktubrepending reviewOktubreOctober
Nobyembrepending reviewNobyembreNovember
Disyembrepending reviewDisyembreDecember

Getting around

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

Getting around: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Dalanpending reviewDaanRoadSeven of the eight use 'dalan'. Tagalog's 'daan' is the same root worn down, and Bikol went its own way with 'tinampo'.
Barotopending reviewBangkaBoat
Awtopending reviewKotseCar
Sumakaypending reviewSumakayTo ride
Para anaypending reviewPara poStop here, please'Para' comes from Spanish 'parar', to stop, and is the universal way to get off a jeepney anywhere in the country.
Hain ka makadto?pending reviewSaan ka pupunta?Where are you going?
Tiketpending reviewTiketTicket

Somewhere to stay

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

Somewhere to stay: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Yawipending reviewSusiKeyAnother row where nothing carries over. Ilocano 'tulbek' and Tagalog 'susi' share no history at all.
Purtahanpending reviewPintoDoor
Bintanapending reviewBintanaWindowIlocano 'tawa' is a window. In Tagalog it is laughter.
Kuwartopending reviewKuwartoRoom
Katrepending reviewKamaBed
Kasilyaspending reviewBanyoToilet

Things to buy

Everyday items you might need to ask for.

Things to buy: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Badopending reviewDamitClothes
Sapatospending reviewSapatosShoes
Tambalpending reviewGamotMedicineWorth 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: Waray phrases with Tagalog and English translations
WarayTagalogEnglish
Ayampending reviewAsoDogFour 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.
Udingpending reviewPusaCatThe 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.
Karabawpending reviewKalabawCarabaoThe national animal, and three of the eight have their own word for it — Ilocano nuang, Kapampangan damulag, Pangasinan dueg.
Kandingpending reviewKambingGoatKanding 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.
Halaspending reviewAhasSnakeFive unrelated words, and the one worth memorising before you need it. Ilocano and Pangasinan share 'uleg', which is unusual — the two rarely agree.
Tamsipending reviewIbonBirdCebuano 'langgam' is a bird; Tagalog 'langgam' is an ant. One of the most-cited false friends between the two largest languages in the country.
Yatotpending reviewDagaRatTwo 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.
Namokpending reviewLamokMosquitoLamok in most, but Hiligaynon and Waray both say namok. The l-to-n shift between those two and their neighbours turns up elsewhere in Bisayan and is regular enough to guess at.
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.
ulodpending reviewuodWormUlod 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.
budyongpending reviewsungayHornSungay holds in Tagalog and most of the Visayas, then falls apart: Ilocano sara, Waray budyong, Kapampangan sagu, Pangasinan saklor. Waray breaking from Cebuano and Hiligaynon here is its habit rather than an exception.
ikogpending reviewbuntotTailIkog 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.
barahibopending reviewbalahiboFeatherBalahibo, 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.
pakopending reviewpakpakWingPakpak in five languages, and Cebuano and Waray pako is the same root without the doubling. Ilocano payak is the only form that has moved far from it.

Words that trap you

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

  • walahigh risk
    In Waray
    Left — the direction. It also carries the 'none' sense, so only context separates them.
    In Tagalog
    Nothing, none, absent.

    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 Waray
    One — the numeral.
    In Tagalog
    A deer.

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

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

    A Tagalog speaker told to head for the bukid pictures farmland; a Cebuano speaker means uphill.

  • kalayohigh risk
    In Waray
    Fire.
    In Tagalog
    Distance — parsed as ka- plus layo, 'far'.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • dalag
    In Waray
    Yellow.
    In Tagalog
    A mudfish.

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

How often the machine gets these right

We ran 287 Waray entries from the phrasebook below through the same engine this site uses, and compared each result against the human-written Tagalog. Categories are our own; the comparison ignores punctuation and casing. Neither Waray nor Tagalog 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 Tagalog for 65.2% of 287 phrases. The rest were partly or entirely wrong.

Least reliable

  • Things to buy17%
  • Everyday verbs20%
  • Getting around29%
  • Courtesy40%
  • Greetings44%

Most reliable

  • Months92%
  • The body92%
  • Health & emergency92%

Sources

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