Translate Tagalog to English
Tagalog (the basis of Filipino, the national language) is spoken by about 28 million native speakers and understood by most of the Philippines' 110 million population. The large Filipino diaspora in the United States, the Middle East, and across Asia makes Tagalog one of the most commonly encountered languages outside its home country. Paste your Tagalog text above.
Common Tagalog to English translations
| Tagalog | English | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumusta | Hello / How are you | heh-LOH | ||
| Magandang umaga | Good morning | good MOR-ning | ||
| Salamat | Thank you | thank yoo | ||
| Pakiusap | Please | pleez | ||
| Magkano ito? | How much is this? | how much iz this | ||
| Nasaan ang banyo? | Where is the bathroom? | wehr iz thuh BATH-room | ||
| Hindi ko maintindihan | I do not understand | ay doo not un-der-STAND | ||
| Maaari mo ba akong tulungan? | Can you help me? | kan yoo help mee | ||
| Gusto ko ng kape | I would like coffee | ay wood lyk KAW-fee | ||
| Ang bill, pakiusap | The bill, please | thuh bil pleez | ||
| Ikinagagalak kitang makilala | Nice to meet you | nys too meet yoo | ||
| Paalam | Goodbye | good-BY | ||
| Kailangan ko ng doktor | I need a doctor | ay need uh DOK-ter | ||
| Paumanhin | Excuse me | eks-KYOOZ mee |
Tips for Tagalog to English translation
Tagalog uses a verb-first (VSO) word order, similar to Cebuano and Irish. Kumakain ang bata ng mansanas literally translates as “eating the child an apple” (the child is eating an apple). The translator rearranges this to standard English SVO order.
The Tagalog focus/voice system marks which noun in the sentence is the topic through verb affixes. Bumili ang babae ng isda sa palengke (actor focus: the woman bought fish at the market) vs. Binili ng babae ang isda sa palengke (object focus: the fish was bought by the woman at the market). Both can translate similarly to English but carry different emphasis.
Tagalog has borrowed extensively from Spanish (300+ years of colonization) and English (American colonial period and ongoing). Words like kutsara (spoon, from Spanish cuchara), silya (chair, from silla), and kotse (car, from coche) are standard Tagalog. English loanwords appear frequently in modern speech.
Taglish (mixing Tagalog and English in the same sentence) is extremely common in Filipino communication. Nag-meeting kami kanina about sa project mixes both languages naturally. If the input contains heavy Taglish, the translator may handle each language segment separately.
About the Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language and the basis of Filipino, the national language of the Philippines. It originated in the Manila area and became the national language standard in 1937. While Tagalog and Filipino are technically distinct (Filipino includes adopted words from other Philippine languages and foreign sources), they are mutually intelligible and often used interchangeably.
The Philippines has the third largest English-speaking population in the world, and most Filipinos are bilingual in Filipino/Tagalog and English. This bilingualism has produced Taglish, a code-switching practice that blends both languages in everyday conversation. The Filipino diaspora, numbering about 10 million overseas workers and immigrants, makes Tagalog one of the most spoken languages in the United States, the Middle East, and many Asian countries.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. No sign-up needed.
Essentially yes. Filipino is the national language standard based on Tagalog with additions from other Philippine languages. They are mutually intelligible.
Yes. Click the speaker icon.
Mixed Tagalog-English text may produce inconsistent results. Pure Tagalog input works best.
Good for everyday communication. Professional review for legal or official texts.
Both are Austronesian Philippine languages but they are not mutually intelligible. Each needs its own translator.
Check our language list for an English to Tagalog option.
No. Real-time processing.
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