Tagalog Words and Phrases
Tagalog Story

 
Tagalog, with the stress on the second syllable, is the national language of the Phillipines. In 1962, it was made the country's official language, and given the new name of Pilipino. Tagalog is the mother tongue of about 10 million people, most of whom live in southern Luzon in an area that includes Manila. Its study has been strongly encouraged by the government and it is estimated that at least 75% of the population at least understands it.

Tagalog is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages. The three centuries of Spanish rule left a strong imprint on the vocabulary. Mesa(table), tenedor(fork), papel(paper) and asero(steel) are only a few of hundreds of Spanish words in Tagalog.