almusál
In Tagalog, breakfast is expressed as almusál or agahan.
Meaning: first meal of the day (noun)
Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| almusál | |
| agahan | /ʔaˈɡahan/ (Standard Tagalog) |
Both terms refer to the first meal of the day. In casual, everyday conversations, many Tagalog speakers also widely adopt the English word 'breakfast'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word agahan is derived from the root word aga, which means 'early'. It literally translates to 'to do something early'.
Which one should you use?
almusál is a formal term for breakfast that is derived from Spanish. agahan is the standard Tagalog term.
How does it change in a sentence?
To turn the nouns into the verb 'to eat breakfast', you add the prefix mag-. For example, you can use mag-almusál or mag-agahan.
Did you know?
- A common breakfast pairing in the Philippines is champorado, a sweet chocolate rice porridge that is traditionally eaten with salty dried fish.
- Filipinos often use the term silog as a shorthand for a breakfast platter, combining 'sinangag' (fried rice) and 'itlog' (egg).
- Even though almusál sounds very much like the Spanish 'almuerzo', in Tagalog it specifically refers to the morning meal, whereas in Spanish 'almuerzo' often refers to a mid-morning snack or lunch.
Examples in context
- Anong oras dapat tayo kakain ng agahan?What time should we eat breakfast?This sentence shows how to ask about the time for the meal using agahan.Tatoeba #10170116 by theSardonyx, translation #7587492 by CHThiem
- Handa na ang agahan.Breakfast is ready.This sentence is used to state that the meal is ready using agahan.Tatoeba #2310249 by Adelpa, translation #277773 by CK
- Nagluto ako ng talong at itlog para agahan ko.I've prepared eggplant and egg for my breakfast.This sentence describes preparing food specifically for the meal using agahan.Tatoeba #2759145 by mervert1, translation #2759147 by mervert1
- Kumain tayo ng agahan bago tayo umalis.Let's have breakfast before we leave.
- Hindi siya kumakain ng almusal sa umaga.He/She does not eat breakfast in the morning.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is talking in their kitchen in the morning.
- RicardoAno ang almusál natin ngayon?What is our breakfast today?
- MariaMayroon tayong pandesal at kape.We have bread and coffee.
- RicardoSalamat, Maria. Masarap ang almusál.Thank you, Maria. The breakfast is delicious.
- MariaWalang anuman, Ricardo.You're welcome, Ricardo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breakfast” translations and entries agahan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
