English to Filipino Nouns in the Family Flashcards
Get to know how Filipinos refer to each of their family members, and sometimes, even strangers. Let's use them in a sentence and then test our newly gained knowledge.
Mom
Mother
Mama
Ina (ee-na)
Inay (ee-nai)
Nanay (nah-nai)
‘Nay (nai)
(ina, nanay and inay are used formally/traditionally and interchangeably, while nanay and ‘nay are more commonly used in informal/casual conversation settings)
- Mama is also used in common Filipino/Tagalog conversations, and we can easily encounter Filipinos combining English words in their Filipino/Tagalog conversations.
** Sometimes, Filipinos even use “‘nay” to refer to female strangers who are obviously much older than them as a form of respect when talking to them.
My mom’s/mother’s name is Hilda.
Mama, let’s go home.
Ang pangalan ng nanay ko ay Hilda.
Inay, uwi na tayo.
or
‘Nay, uwi na tayo.
or
Mama, uwi na tayo.
Dad
Father
Papa
Ama (ah-ma)
Itay (ee-tie)
Tatay (tah-tie)
‘Tay (tie)
(Ama, itay and tatay are used formally/traditionally and interchangeably, while tatay and ‘tay are more commonly used in informal/casual conversation settings)
- Papa is also used in common Filipino/Tagalog conversations, and we can easily encounter Filipinos combining English words in their Filipino/Tagalog conversations.
** Sometimes, Filipinos even use “‘tay” to refer to male strangers who are obviously much older than them as a form of respect when talking to them.
My dad’s/father’s name is Andrew.
Papa, are you hungry?
Ang pangalan ng tatay ko ay Andrew.
Itay, gutom ka na ba?
or
‘Tay, gutom ka na ba?
or
Papa, gutom ka na ba?
Sister
Elder sister
Ate (ah-te)
- Filipinos use “ate” to either refer to their elder female sibling or when conversing with any female stranger they’re speaking to - be it a saleslady, a female street vendor, or a female passerby. This is a way of showing respect when talking to someone they don’t know.
My sister’s book is missing.
Sister, how much is this?
Nawawala ang libro ng ate ko.
Ate, magkano ito?
or
Sister, magkano ito?
Brother
Elder brother
Kuya (koo-yah)
- Filipinos use “kuya” to either refer to their elder male sibling or when conversing with any male stranger they’re speaking to - be it a salesman, a male street vendor, or a male passerby. This is a way of showing respect when talking to someone they don’t know.
My brother is very strict.
Brother, do you have shoes in size 8?
Strikto ang kuya ko.
Kuya, may sapatos ba kayo na size 8?
or
Brother, may sapatos ba kayo na size 8?
Baby - the youngest child in the family
Bunso (boon-soh)
- Filipinos also use the word “baby” when referring to their actual baby, their toddler, or even their adult family member if they preciously treat that family member as the baby of the family.
** Remember, Filipinos actually use a lot of English words as is in their everyday conversations and “baby” is one of them.
Our youngest/baby is a genius.
Ang bunso namin ay isang henyo.
or
Ang baby namin ay isang henyo.
Aunt
Auntie
Tiyahin (cha-heen)
Tiya (tee-yah)
*Auntie is also used as is in common Filipino conversations.
Aunt Hilda is a fashionista.
She’s my auntie.
Si Tiya Hilda ay isang fashionista.
Siya ay auntie ko.
or
Siya ay tiyahin ko.
Uncle
Tiyuhin (choo-heen)
TIyo (tee-yoh)
*Uncle is also used as is in common Filipino conversations.
He’s my uncle.
Uncle, it’s time to eat.
Siya ay tiyuhin ko.
or
Siya ay uncle ko.
Tiyo, oras na po’ng kumain.
or
Uncle, oras na po’ng kumain.
Mother-in-law
Father-in-law
Biyenan (bee-ye-nan)
*Technically, mother-in-law is “biyenang babae” while father-in-law is “biyenang lalaki”, but these are not normally used in everyday conversations and they’re both just referred to as “biyenan” to indicate either or both.
