Tiffany CondeIndonesia and the Philippines have a long list of things in common. For starters, they’re both archipelagic countries in Southeast Asia that are filled with tropical beaches and thousands of islands. Both countries have collectivistic cultures that value family and strong social ties. Another important characteristic they share is linguistic diversity: More than 700 indigenous local languages are spoken in Indonesia and over 180 languages are spoken in the Philippines. But despite their differences in inflection and context, did you know that several words in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog sound almost exactly alike?
They don’t always align perfectly. After all, the Philippines was colonised by Spain and the United States for hundreds of years, which explains the heavy influence of English and Spanish in Tagalog. Meanwhile, there are many loanwords in Bahasa Indonesia that can be traced to the Dutch language.
Still, it’s very common to pick out familiar words from conversations with the locals in Jakarta or Manila, even if you don’t know exactly what they mean. Here, you’ll find a list of similar-sounding words translated from Bahasa Indonesia to Tagalog. Test your vocabulary, and see how many you can guess correctly!
Also read: 18 Reasons You Should Visit Indonesia
Pronouns that sound similar in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog
In Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog, “kami” is used when the person you are talking to is excluded from your statement, while “kita” includes the person you are talking to. | Image credit: Odua Images via Canva Pro
1. Me / I
Bahasa Indonesia: “Aku”
Tagalog: “Ako”
2. We / Us
Bahasa Indonesia: “Kami”
Tagalog: “Kami”
3. We / Us
Bahasa Indonesia: “Kita”
Tagalog: “Kita”
Counting numbers
Counting the number five or “lima” is the same in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: ozgurkeser via Canva Pro
4. Four
Bahasa Indonesia: “Empat”
Tagalog: “Apat”
5. Five
Bahasa Indonesia: “Lima”
Tagalog: “Lima”
6. Six
Bahasa Indonesia: “Enam”
Tagalog: “Anim”
7. Forty
Bahasa Indonesia: “Empat puluh”
Tagalog: “Apatnapu”
8. Fifty
Bahasa Indonesia: “Lima puluh”
Tagalog: “Limampu”
9. Thousand
Bahasa Indonesia: “Ribu”
Tagalog: “Libo”
Parts of the body
“Mata” refers to “eyes” in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: ooie via Canva Pro
10. Eyes
Bahasa Indonesia: “Mata”
Tagalog: “Mata”
11. Brain
Bahasa Indonesia: “Otak”
Tagalog: “Utak”
12. Tongue
Bahasa Indonesia: “Lidah”
Tagalog: “Dila”
13. Ear
Bahasa Indonesia: “Telinga”
Tagalog: “Tainga”
Verbs and actions
14. To wake
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bangun”
Tagalog: “Bangon”
15. To open
Bahasa Indonesia: “Buka”
Tagalog: “Buksan”
16. To wrap
Bahasa Indonesia: “Balut”
Tagalog: “Balot”
17. To bargain
Bahasa Indonesia: “Tawar”
Tagalog: “Tawad”
18. To pay
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bayar”
Tagalog: “Bayad”
19. To drink
Bahasa Indonesia: “Minum”
Tagalog: “Inom”
20. To laugh
Bahasa Indonesia: “Tawa” / “Tertawa”
Tagalog: “Tawa”
21. To sabotage
Bahasa Indonesia: “Sabotase”
Tagalog: “Sabotahe”
People and professions
“Anak” (“child”) is spelled the same way in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: DistinctiveImages via Canva Pro
22. Child
Bahasa Indonesia: “Anak”
Tagalog: “Anak”
23. Youngest child
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bungsu”
Tagalog: “Bunso”
24. Male
Bahasa Indonesia: “Lelaki”
Tagalog: “Lalaki”
25. Teacher
Bahasa Indonesia: “Guru”
Tagalog: “Guro”
26. Judge
Bahasa Indonesia: “Hakim”
Tagalog: “Hukom”
27. Police
Bahasa Indonesia: “Polisi”
Tagalog: “Pulisya”
Furniture, household items, instruments, and other objects
“Lampu” translates to “lamp” in Bahasa Indonesia. | Image credit: stevanovicigor via Canva Pro
28. Lamp
Bahasa Indonesia: “Lampu”
Tagalog: “Lampara”
29. Table
Bahasa Indonesia: “Meja”
Tagalog: “Mesa”
30. Door
Bahasa Indonesia: “Pintu”
Tagalog: “Pinto”
31. Ladle
Bahasa Indonesia: “Sendok”
Tagalog: “Sandok”
32. Scissors
Bahasa Indonesia: “Gunting”
Tagalog: “Gunting”
33. Ring
Bahasa Indonesia: “Cincin”
Tagalog: “Singsing”
34. Weapon
Bahasa Indonesia: “Senjata”
Tagalog: “Sandata”
35. Flag
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bendera”
Tagalog: “Bandila”
The Tagalog word for “flag” is “bandila.” | Image credit: Krisia Vinzon via Canva Pro
36. Guitar
Bahasa Indonesia: “Gitar”
Tagalog: “Gitara”
37. Violin
Bahasa Indonesia: “Biola”
Tagalog: “Biyolin”
38. Shoes
Bahasa Indonesia: “Sepatu”
Tagalog: “Sapatos”
39. Wooden sandals
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bakiak”
Tagalog: “Bakya”
40. Rock / Stone
Bahasa Indonesia: “Batu”
Tagalog: “Bato”
41. Umbrella
Bahasa Indonesia: “Payung”
Tagalog: “Payong”
Places and geographical locations
One of the words used to describe an island is the Tagalog word “pulo.” | Image credit: Freeartist via Canva Pro
42. School
Bahasa Indonesia: “Sekolah”
Tagalog: “Eskwela”
43. Island
Bahasa Indonesia: “Pulau” / “Kepulauan”
Tagalog: “Pulo” / “Kapuluan”
44. Nation
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bangsa”
Tagalog: “Bansa”
Money and the value of things
“Mahal” means “expensive” in both Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: johan10 via Canva Pro
45. Price / Value
Bahasa Indonesia: “Harga”
Tagalog: “Halaga”
46. Debt
Bahasa Indonesia: “Hutang”
Tagalog: “Utang”
47. Economy
Bahasa Indonesia: “Ekonomi”
Tagalog: “Ekonomiya”
48. Less / Deficient
Bahasa Indonesia: “Kurang”
Tagalog: “Kulang”
49. Expensive
Bahasa Indonesia: “Mahal”
Tagalog: “Mahal”
50. Cheap
Bahasa Indonesia: “Murah”
Tagalog: “Mura”
Food and drinks
The word for “garlic” in Bahasa Indonesia is “bawang putih.” | Image credit: warrengoldswain via Canva Pro
51. Garlic
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bawang putih”
Tagalog: “Bawang”
52. Liquor
Bahasa Indonesia: “Arak”
Tagalog: “Alak”
53. Chocolate
Bahasa Indonesia: “Cokelat”
Tagalog: “Tsokolate”
54. Sweet
Bahasa Indonesia: “Manis”
Tagalog: “Tamis”
Animals and nature
“Kuting” in Tagalog usually refers to a kitten, not just any normal-sized cat. | Image credit: Michal Collection via Canva Pro
55. Cat
Bahasa Indonesia: “Kucing”
Tagalog: “Kuting”
56. Pig
Bahasa Indonesia: “Babi”
Tagalog: “Baboy”
57. Goat
Bahasa Indonesia: “Kambing”
Tagalog: “Kambing”
58. Crocodile
Bahasa Indonesia: “Buaya”
Tagalog: “Buwaya”
“Crocodile” translates to “buaya” in Bahasa Indonesia. | Image credit: sumos via Canva Pro
59. Tree
Bahasa Indonesia: “Pohon”
Tagalog: “Puno”
60. Sky
Bahasa Indonesia: “Langit”
Tagalog: “Langit”
61. Moon
Bahasa Indonesia: “Bulan”
Tagalog: “Buwan”
Colours
“Itim” means “black” in Tagalog. | Image credit: aldarinho via Canva Pro
62. White
Bahasa Indonesia: “Putih”
Tagalog: “Puti”
63. Black
Bahasa Indonesia: “Hitam”
Tagalog: “Itim”
Emotions, abstract concepts, and ideas
In Tagalog, “Sinta” is a romantic term of endearment that means “love” or “loved one.” | Image credit: Nikita Burdenkov via Canva Pro
64. Love (possessive)
Bahasa Indonesia: “Cinta”
Tagalog: “Sinta”
65. Hope
Bahasa Indonesia: “Asa”
Tagalog: “Asa”
66. Conscience
Bahasa Indonesia: “Budi”
Tagalog: “Budhi”
67. Mistake
Bahasa Indonesia: “Kesalahan”
Tagalog: “Kasalanan”
68. Democracy
Bahasa Indonesia: “Demokrasi”
Tagalog: “Demokrasya”
69. Revolution
Bahasa Indonesia: “Revolusi”
Tagalog: “Rebolusyon”
70. Death
Bahasa Indonesia: “Kematian”
Tagalog: “Kamatayan”
“Kematian” means “death” in Bahasa Indonesia. | Image credit: jeffwasserman via Canva Pro
So, do you think you’re ready to watch a Filipino telenovela or an Indonesian drama without subtitles? Not so fast. While there are certainly many words in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog that look the same, some of them couldn’t be more different in translation.
Saying “mahal kita” means “I love you” in Tagalog, but repeating the same phrase in Indonesia will probably make the locals wonder why you’re calling your relationship expensive. And of course, there’s “selamat pagi,” which stands for “good morning” in Bahasa Indonesia but means “thank you, stingray” in the Philippines.
Also read: 12 Important Filipino Phrases Every Visitor to the Philippines Must Know
Throughout your travels between Indonesia and the Philippines, you’re likely to come across differences in verb tenses, conjugation, inflection, word order, and sentence structure. That being said, if you recognised most of the words on this list, give yourself a pat on the back! To our Filipino and Indonesian readers, let us know on our official Facebook page if there are any other similar words we missed.
Featured image credit: MicroStockHub via Canva Pro
