Numbers, Dates & Time
Welcome to your third Tagalog lesson! Today, we'll learn how to count, express dates, and tell time in Tagalog. These are essential skills for everyday communication, from shopping to scheduling appointments. We'll focus on the most common numbers and time expressions you'll need.
Cardinal Numbers (Focus on 1-100)
Tagalog numbers are fairly regular. Let's focus on the ones you'll use most often.
Basic Numbers (1-10)
- 1 - isa
- 2 - dalawa
- 3 - tatlo
- 4 - apat
- 5 - lima
- 6 - anim
- 7 - pito
- 8 - walo
- 9 - siyam
- 10 - sampu
Numbers 11-19
For numbers 11-19, we use the pattern "labing-" + the ones digit:
- 11 - labing-isa
- 12 - labindalawa
- 13 - labintatlo
- 14 - labing-apat
- 15 - labinlima
- 16 - labing-anim
- 17 - labimpito
- 18 - labingwalo
- 19 - labinsiyam
Multiples of 10 (20-90)
For multiples of 10, we use the pattern "dalawampu't" (20), "tatlumpu't" (30), etc.:
- 20 - dalawampu
- 30 - tatlumpu
- 40 - apatnapu
- 50 - limampu
- 60 - animnapu
- 70 - pitumpu
- 80 - walumpu
- 90 - siyamnapu
Numbers 21-99
For numbers in between tens, we add "'t" + the ones digit:
- 21 - dalawampu't isa (20 and 1)
- 32 - tatlumpu't dalawa (30 and 2)
- 45 - apatnapu't lima (40 and 5)
- 99 - siyamnapu't siyam (90 and 9)
Hundreds and Thousands (Recognition)
It's useful to recognize these, especially for prices:
- 100 - isang daan
- 200 - dalawang daan
- 1000 - isang libo
(You might also hear Spanish numbers used sometimes, especially for telling time or age!)
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers mean first, second, third, etc. You might hear them, but don't worry about using them yourself yet.
- 1st - una / ika-1
- 2nd - pangalawa / ikalawa
- 3rd - pangatlo / ikatlo
Days of the Week
The days of the week in Tagalog are borrowed from Spanish, but with Filipino pronunciation:
- Monday - Lunes
- Tuesday - Martes
- Wednesday - Miyerkules
- Thursday - Huwebes
- Friday - Biyernes
- Saturday - Sabado
- Sunday - Linggo
Useful Phrases for Days
- Ngayon ay Lunes - Today is Monday
- Kahapon ay Linggo - Yesterday was Sunday
- Bukas ay Martes - Tomorrow is Tuesday
- Sa Miyerkules - On Wednesday
Months of the Year
Like the days of the week, the names of months are derived from Spanish:
- January - Enero
- February - Pebrero
- March - Marso
- April - Abril
- May - Mayo
- June - Hunyo
- July - Hulyo
- August - Agosto
- September - Setyembre
- October - Oktubre
- November - Nobyembre
- December - Disyembre
Expressing Dates (Simple)
- Ano ang petsa ngayon? - What is the date today?
- Ngayon ay ika-10 ng Marso - Today is March 10th
Telling Time (Basic)
Tagalog often uses Spanish numbers for telling time.
Asking the Time
- Anong oras na? - What time is it?
- Alas + (number) - Indicates the hour
Saying the Hour
- Ala una - 1:00 (Note: una for 1:00)
- Alas dos - 2:00
- Alas tres - 3:00
- Alas diyes - 10:00
- Alas dose - 12:00
Adding Minutes (Simple)
- Alas dos y medya - 2:30 ("two and a half")
- Alas tres kinse - 3:15 ("three fifteen")
Parts of the Day
- ng umaga - in the morning
- ng tanghali - at noon
- ng hapon - in the afternoon
- ng gabi - in the evening/night
Example Time Phrases
- Alas otso ng umaga - 8:00 in the morning
- Alas tres ng hapon - 3:00 in the afternoon
- Alas siyete ng gabi - 7:00 in the evening
Conversation Practice
Scheduling a Meeting:
Practical Exercises
- Try saying the current time in Tagalog (e.g., "Alas [hour] ng [part of day]").
- Imagine you are shopping. Ask "Magkano ito?" (How much is this?). Try to understand simple prices using numbers 1-100 (e.g., "Limampu't lima" - 55).
Wrap-Up
Great job! You've learned the basics of counting, expressing dates, and telling time in Tagalog. These skills will be incredibly useful in everyday situations.
Next up: Essential survival phrases!
Numbers, Dates & Time Quiz
Test your knowledge of Tagalog numbers, dates, and time expressions
Next up: Learn essential survival phrases for your daily interactions in Tagalog!