Ilocano Family and People Words with Tagalog Translations
15 family & people 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.
Family & people
Relationships and forms of address.
| Ilocano | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Nanangpending review | Nanay | Mother |
| Tatangpending review | Tatay | FatherNear-identical, differing only in the final consonant. |
| Kabsatpending review | Kapatid | Sibling |
| Anakpending review | Anak | ChildIdentical across nearly every Philippine language. |
| Asawapending review | Asawa | SpouseIdentical, and gender-neutral in both. |
| Gayyempending review | Kaibigan | Friend |
| Apopending review | Apo | Ilocano: sir/madam (respectful address) · Tagalog: grandchildThe most consequential false friend between the two languages. In Ilocano 'Apo' is a respectful title for an elder or authority; in Tagalog 'apo' means grandchild. Machine translation gets this wrong routinely. |
| Lallaki | Lalaki | Men / male |
| Babbai | Babae | Women / femaleIlocano marks the plural by doubling the consonant: babai → babbai. |
| Ina | Ina | Mother (formal)Nanang is the everyday, affectionate form. |
| Ama | Ama | Father (formal)Tatang is the everyday form. Identical in both languages. |
| Baket | Asawang babae | WifeBaket also means 'old woman', so it carries an affectionate, familiar tone. |
| Lakay | Asawang lalaki | HusbandLike baket, lakay doubles as 'old man'. |
| Tao | Tao | PersonIdentical. |
| Ubing | Bata | Child (young person)Anak means one's own child; ubing is a child by age. |
More Ilocano word lists
- Ilocano Greetings12
- Ilocano Polite Words and Phrases9
- 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 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.