Introduction to the Filipino Language
Tagalog is one of the main languages of the Philippines and forms the foundation of the Filipino language, spoken by over 28 million people. Used in daily life, media, education, and government, Tagalog is part of the Austronesian language family and shares roots with Cebuano, Ilocano, and Hiligaynon. Its unique verb-focused grammar, flexible sentence structure, and rich vocabulary shaped by Spanish, English, and Chinese influences make it fascinating to learn. Learn the basics of Filipino, Tagalog words, essential phrases, and cultural insights to start speaking and understanding the Filipino language today.
This video is the official first lesson of Talk to Me in Tagalog: Learn Tagalog for Absolute Beginners: Reading and Pronunciation (Lesson 1). Watch it and start building your Tagalog reading, speaking, and pronunciation skills step by step — even if you’re starting from zero. This is part of our full Learn Tagalog Step-by-Step course, designed for absolute beginners who want to understand Filipino naturally and confidently.
If you already know how to read Tagalog words, you can proceed directly to our first grammar lesson: → ANG MARKERS.
The Old Tagalog Alphabet (ABAKADA)
The ABAKADA is the original Tagalog alphabet, developed in the 1940s by Lope K. Santos to simplify reading and writing. It contains 20 letters:
| A | B | K | D | E | G | H | I | L | M |
| N | Ng | O | P | R | S | T | U | W | Y |
This system was designed to represent pure Tagalog sounds, without letters from foreign languages. ABAKADA made literacy easier and standardized Tagalog spelling in schools and official documents.
The Modern Filipino Alphabet
Today, Tagalog uses the modern Filipino alphabet, which has 28 letters, including additional letters from English and Spanish to accommodate borrowed words. The modern alphabet is:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N |
| Ñ | Ng | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
This expansion allows Tagalog to represent foreign terms accurately while preserving traditional sounds.
Tagalog Vowel Sounds
| Vowel Sound | English Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| A | as in father, car, palm | ama (father), araw (sun) |
| E | as in bed, pen, red | mesa (table), letra (letter) |
| I | as in machine, ski, beet | ilaw (light), isda (fish) |
| O | as in go, more, so | oso (bear), gulo (mess) |
| U | as in flute, food, rude | pusa (cat), gulo (mess) |
Tagalog Consonant Sounds
| Ba | Ka | Da | Ga | Ha |
| La | Ma | Na | Nga | Pa |
| Ra | Sa | Ta | Wa | Ya |
Tagalog Diphthongs
A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds in the same syllable. In Tagalog, diphthongs are common in everyday words. They are pronounced as a smooth glide from one vowel to another.
| Diphthong | How It Sounds | Examples | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| aw | like ow in “cow” | ayaw, dalaw, araw | don't like, visitor, sun |
| ay | like eye in “fly” | kamay, bahay, bagay | hand, house, thing |
| oy | like oy in “boy” | hoy!, kahoy, baboy | hey!, wood, pig |
| iw | ee–oo glide | baliw, liwaliw, giliw | crazy, pleasure trip, fondness |
| uy | oo–ee glide | uy!, kasuy, aruy | wow!, cashew, ouch |
| ey | similar to “ay” | reyna, keyk | queen, cake |
Other Consonant Sounds
The following letters or sounds come from the English and Spanish alphabets. They may appear in their original forms and are usually pronounced the same way as in English or Spanish. In Filipino, however, they are often adapted by changing the spelling and are pronounced as follows:
| Letter | How It Sounds | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| C | as K | Carla, Calma |
| CH | as TS | litson (lechon), letsugas (lettuce) |
| F | as P | Fernando, Felipe sometimes pronounced like English F |
| J | as ZHE or DY | dyip (jeep), medyas (socks) |
| LL | as LY | silya (chair), mantikilya (butter) |
| Ñ | as NY + a vowel | kanya (his/her), ninyo (your) also used in place names like Biñan and España |
| Q | as K | Quezon, Quiapo |
| RR | strong rolled R | baril (gun) |
| V | as B | Vilma, Vanessa |
| X | as S | Xylophone |
| Z | as S | Sara, Sandro |
| SH | as SI | siyam (nine), siya (he/she) |
The “ng” sound in Tagalog can be tricky for English speakers because it is a single sound, not two separate letters. It is pronounced like the ng in English words such as “singing” or “ringing,” with your tongue touching the roof of your mouth near the back to create a nasal sound. Unlike English, in Tagalog, ng can also appear at the beginning of words, like in the following examples.
| ngipin | tooth |
| ngayon | now / today |
| bunga | fruit |
| bunganga | mouth |
| langaw | housefly |
| langis | oil |
| mabango | fragrant |
| bungo | skull |
| ngongo | nasally speech |
| nganga | betel nut chewing |
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