ninang
/ˈninaŋ/
The English word 'godmother' is translated into Tagalog as ninang. Wiktionary also lists madrina.
Meaning: woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner (noun)
Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| ninang | /ˈninaŋ/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| madrina |
The term ninang refers to a woman present at a baby's christening who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner. In the Philippines, it is also used as a respectful term for an older female mentor or a family friend.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
madrina is a more formal or Spanish-derived term for godmother, whereas ninang is the common way to say the word.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'my godmother', you add the possessive pronoun ko after the word, resulting in ninang ko.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈninaŋ/
Did you know?
- Filipino families often choose a large number of ninang and ninong for a single child, sometimes resulting in dozens of godparents to maximize the child's social and support network.
- In the Philippines, the role of ninang often extends beyond spiritual guidance to acting as a financial benefactor for the godchild during holidays and birthdays.
- Calling a woman ninang creates a kinship bond called compadrazgo, which formally links the parents of the child and the godmother as equals in a social contract.
Examples in context
- Magandang umaga, ninang. Kumusta po kayo?Good morning, godmother. How are you?
- Siya ang ninang ko sa binyag.She is my godmother at the christening.
- Nais kong maging ninang mo siya.I want her to be your godmother.
- Salamat sa regalo, Ninang.Thank you for the gift, Godmother.
Example conversation
Mark is asking Maria about her godmother's visit.
- MariaBinisita ako ng ninang ko kanina.My godmother visited me earlier.
- MarkAno ang ibinigay niya sa iyo?What did she give you?
- MariaMaraming masasarap na pagkain ang dala niya.She brought a lot of delicious food.
- MarkAng bait talaga ng ninang mo.Your godmother is really kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “godmother” translations and entries ninang, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
