Everyday greetings
| Tagalog | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kumusta? | How are you? | the universal hello — from Sp. ¿cómo está? |
| Kumusta ka? | How are you? (to one person) | ka = you |
| Magandang umaga | Good morning | maganda = beautiful/good |
| Magandang hapon | Good afternoon | hapon = afternoon |
| Magandang gabi | Good evening | gabi = night |
| Salamat | Thank you | salamat po = polite |
| Walang anuman | You're welcome | lit. 'it's nothing' |
| Paalam | Goodbye (formal) | casual: sige / ingat |
| Ingat | Take care | the everyday farewell |
| Pasensya na | Sorry · excuse me | from paciencia |
| Sandali lang | Just a moment | lang = 'only/just' |
po and opo — the engine of politeness
po is a politeness particle you sprinkle into sentences addressed to elders, strangers, customers — anyone you'd say 'sir/ma'am' to. opo is the polite version of oo 'yes'. There is no exact English equivalent; think of it as a spoken bow. It usually goes after the first word or phrase of the sentence — and in short set expressions it naturally lands at the very end (Salamat po, Magandang umaga po):
| Tagalog | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Opo | Yes (polite) | vs plain oo |
| Salamat po | Thank you (polite) | po after first phrase |
| Magandang umaga po | Good morning (polite) | — |
| Hindi po | No / not (polite) | polite negation |
| Kumusta po kayo? | How are you? (polite) | kayo = polite/plural you |
| Eto po | Here you go (polite) | when handing something |
Kinship terms as everyday titles
Tagalog addresses people — including non-relatives — with kinship terms. Using them warmly is normal social glue:
| Tagalog | Used for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ate | older girl/woman (also strangers, shop staff) | Ate Maria · 'miss' |
| kuya | older boy/man | Kuya, magkano? 'Sir, how much?' |
| tita | aunt / woman of mother's generation | — |
| tito | uncle / man of father's generation | — |
| lola | grandmother / elderly woman | — |
| lolo | grandfather / elderly man | — |
| nanay | mother | Tatay = father |
Two mini-dialogues
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
| A: Kumusta po kayo? | How are you? (polite) |
| B: Mabuti naman po. Ikaw? | Fine, thanks. And you? |
| A: Mabuti rin, salamat. | I'm fine too, thanks. |
| — | — |
| A: Kuya, paalam po! | Sir, goodbye! |
| B: Sige, ingat ka! | OK, take care! |
Mini practice
Q1. opo is:
- a greeting
- the polite form of 'yes'
- a name marker
- 'no'
Answer: the polite form of 'yes'
Q2. Where does po go in 'Salamat po'?
- Before the word
- After the first word/phrase
- Only at sentence end
- po replaces salamat
Answer: After the first word/phrase
Q3. You'd call a female shop assistant slightly older than you:
- lola
- tita
- ate
- nanay
Answer: ate
Q4. Walang anuman means:
- goodbye
- sorry
- you're welcome
- good night
Answer: you're welcome
Q5. The everyday casual farewell is:
- Paalam only
- Ingat
- Opo
- Kumusta
Answer: Ingat