Ilocano Polite Words and Phrases with Tagalog Translations
9 courtesy in Ilocano, each with its Tagalog equivalent and an English gloss. Entries come from our phrasebook, compiled from published references rather than produced by the translation engine. Each has been checked against more than one source.
Courtesy
Please, thank you, sorry, yes and no.
| Ilocano | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Agyamanakahg-YAH-mah-nahk | Salamat | Thank youliterally: I am gratefulBuilt on the root 'yaman' with the ag- verb prefix and -ak 'I'. It is a full sentence, unlike Tagalog 'salamat'. |
| Agyamanak iti kasta unaypending review | Maraming salamat | Thank you very much |
| Awan ti anyaman na | Walang anuman | You're welcomeIlocano 'awan' and Tagalog 'wala' are the matching negative-existential words — 'there is none'. The two phrases are structurally identical. |
| Pangngaasim | Pakiusap | PleaseSources give both 'Pangngaasi' and 'Pangngaasim'; the -m is the second-person suffix, so 'pangngaasim' is 'your kindness'. |
| Pakawanennak | Patawarin mo ako | Forgive me / I'm sorry |
| Dispensarennak | Pasensya na | Excuse me / pardon meBoth languages took this from Spanish 'dispensar'. |
| Pakawanennak | Mawalang-galang po | Excuse me (getting someone's attention)Ilocano uses the same word for apologising and for getting attention; Tagalog splits them — 'Patawarin mo ako' to apologise, 'Mawalang-galang po' to interrupt politely. In speech most Tagalog speakers just say 'Excuse me po'. |
| Wenwehn | Oo | Yes |
| Haanhah-AHN | Hindi | No'Saan' is the equally common Ilocano variant. Note the trap: Ilocano 'saan' also means 'where', and Tagalog 'saan' means only 'where'. |
More Ilocano word lists
- Ilocano Greetings12
- Ilocano Phrases for When You Do Not Understand9
- Ilocano Numbers37
- Ilocano Days, Months and Time Words29
- Ilocano Food and Eating Words37
- Ilocano Market and Money Words13
- Ilocano Directions and Travel Words24
- Ilocano Emergency and Health Phrases15
- Ilocano Family and People Words15
- Ilocano Colours9
- Ilocano Months of the Year12
- Ilocano Words for Getting Around17
- Ilocano Words for Somewhere to Stay15
- Ilocano Words for Things to Buy21
- Ilocano Words for Drinks8
- Ilocano Words for Officials and Trouble8
- Ilocano Words for Parts of the Body22
- Ilocano Words for Animals10
- Ilocano Words for Nature and Weather26
- Ilocano Everyday Verbs35
- Ilocano Adjectives and Describing Words26
- Ilocano Question Words10
Sources
- Ilocano phrasebook — Wikivoyage. Accessed 2026-07-26.
- 52 Useful Ilocano Words & Phrases to Learn for Travelers — Chill and Travel. Accessed 2026-07-26.