Ilocano Greetings with Tagalog Translations
12 greetings in Ilocano, each with its Tagalog equivalent and an English gloss. Entries come from our curated phrasebook and are checked against published references, not produced by the translation engine.
Greetings
Openers you will hear every day in Ilocos.
| Ilocano | Tagalog | English |
|---|---|---|
| Naimbag a bigatnah-eem-BAHG ah bee-GAHT | Magandang umaga | Good morningliterally: Good the morningThe linker is 'a' after a consonant and 'nga' after a vowel — 'Naimbag a bigat' but 'Naimbag nga aldaw'. |
| Naimbag a malem | Magandang hapon | Good afternoon |
| Naimbag a rabii | Magandang gabi | Good eveningTagalog 'gabi' is a stress pair: gabí is evening, gábi is taro. Ilocano keeps them apart entirely — rabii versus aba. |
| Naimbag nga aldaw | Magandang araw | Good day'nga' rather than 'a' here because aldaw begins with a vowel. |
| Kablaaw | Bati | Greeting / helloKablaaw is the noun 'a greeting' and appears on signs and cards more than in speech. Ilocano speakers usually open with 'Kumusta ka?' instead. |
| Kumusta ka?koo-MOOS-tah kah | Kumusta ka? | How are you?Identical in both languages — both borrowed it from Spanish '¿cómo está?'. One of the few sentences that needs no translation at all. |
| Mayat met | Mabuti naman | I'm fine |
| Naragsak nga isasangbay | Maligayang pagdating | Welcome |
| Agpakadaakonahg-pah-kah-dah-AH-kawn | Paalam na | Goodbye |
| Kasta pay | Sige, hanggang sa muli | See you / bye for now |
| Agkita tan to | Magkita tayo muli | See you soon |
| Agaluadka | Mag-ingat ka | Take care'Agannadka' is the commoner form in the Ilocos provinces; both are understood. |
More Ilocano word lists
- Ilocano Polite Words and Phrases9
- Ilocano Phrases for When You Do Not Understand6
- Ilocano Numbers17
- Ilocano Days, Months and Time Words22
- Ilocano Food and Eating Words33
- Ilocano Market and Money Words10
- Ilocano Directions and Travel Words14
- Ilocano Emergency and Health Phrases10
- Ilocano Family and People Words9
- Ilocano Colours7
Sources
- Ilocano phrasebook — Wikivoyage. Accessed 2026-07-26.
- 52 Useful Ilocano Words & Phrases to Learn for Travelers — Chill and Travel. Accessed 2026-07-26.