Indiyano
/ʔindiˈano/
In Tagalog, the English word "indian" is translated as Indiyano.
The term is used as an adjective meaning "of India".
Meaning: of India (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
While Indiyano is the standard adjective, the feminine form is Indiyana. To refer to an "Indian person" more naturally in many contexts, you can use the phrase mula sa India, which literally means "from India".
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔindiˈano/
Did you know?
- In historical Tagalog literature, the term Indiyano could actually refer to people from the Americas instead of the Indian subcontinent.
- The term Indiyano is a loanword from Spanish, which is why the spelling and sound are so similar to the Spanish word indiano.
- The spelling uses a 'y' in Indiyano to bridge the vowel sounds, a common feature when Tagalog adapts Spanish words to ensure smooth pronunciation.
Examples in context
- Siya ay isang Indiyano.He/She is an Indian.
- Ang mga Indiyano ay may malalim na kultura.Indians have a rich culture.
- Mayroon akong kaibigang taong Indiyano.I have an Indian friend.
- Ang mga taong Indiyano ay maaaring marunong magsalita ng iba't ibang wika.Indian people can speak various languages.
- Grabe yung talento nung astig na Indian na nakita ko kanina!The talent of that cool Indian I saw earlier was amazing!
Example conversation
Ricardo and Jasmine are talking about a new restaurant.
- RicardoKumain ka na ba sa bagong Indiyano na restawran?Have you eaten at the new Indian restaurant?
- JasmineHindi pa, Ricardo. Masarap ba doon?Not yet, Ricardo. Is it delicious there?
- RicardoOo, napakasarap ng kanilang mga putahe.Yes, their dishes are very delicious.
- JasmineSige, subukan natin iyan bukas, Jasmine.Alright, let's try that tomorrow, Jasmine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “indian” translations and entries Indiyano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Indiyano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
