magmadali
/maɡmadaˈliʔ/
To hurry in Tagalog is to say magmadali. Wiktionary also lists bilisan.
Meaning: to do things quickly (verb)
Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| magmadali | /maɡmadaˈliʔ/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| bilisan | /biliˈsan/ (Standard Tagalog) |
Both magmadali and bilisan are used to express the need to do things quickly. While they both translate to hurry, magmadali focuses on the act of rushing or being in a hurry, whereas bilisan focuses on increasing the speed of an action. The related noun pagmamadali refers to a rushed action.
Which one should you use?
magmadali is used when the focus is on the state of rushing, while bilisan is used when the goal is to increase the speed of an ongoing action.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the imperative mood, you can command someone to hurry using Magmadali ka! or Bilisan mo! For the progressive aspect, the form nagmamadali is used to describe someone who is currently in a state of rushing.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɡmadaˈliʔ/
Did you know?
- The root word dali in magmadali is a homonym that can also mean 'easy'. Depending on the context, it can describe something that is quick to do or something that requires little effort.
- In Filipino culture, telling someone to bilisan can sometimes be seen as impatient or rude if said to an elder, as respect for pace is often tied to social hierarchy.
- The prefix mag- used in magmadali traces its linguistic lineage back to Proto-Austronesian, a language family that spans across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Examples in context
- Dapat magmadali po kayo.You must hurry.This example shows how to use magmadali to say someone must hurry.Tatoeba #11559793 by qwertzu, translation #2255159 by CK
- Bilisan mo! Nandito na ang tren!Hurry up! The train is here!This example demonstrates the use of bilisan to tell someone to hurry up because a train is arriving.Tatoeba #10170436 by theSardonyx, translation #5749810 by Hybrid
- Bilisan mo, o mahuhuli ka sa tanghalian.Hurry up, otherwise you'll be late for lunch.This example shows using bilisan to warn someone they might be late for lunch.Tatoeba #11578718 by qwertzu, translation #19697 by CK
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Christina and Ricardo are walking to a movie theater.
- ChristinaRicardo, magmadali ka!Ricardo, hurry up!
- RicardoBakit ba tayo kailangang magmadali?Why do we need to hurry?
- ChristinaMagsisimula na ang pelikula.The movie is about to start.
- RicardoSige, tatakbo na ako.Okay, I will run now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hurry” translations and entries magmadali, bilisan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bilisan, magmadali, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
