hari
/ˈhaɾiʔ/
The Tagalog word for king is hari.
hari refers to a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhaɾiʔ/
Did you know?
- The word hari has distant relatives in the Pacific, such as the Māori word ariki, which refers to a chief or high-ranking person. This shows how the concept of leadership spread through island-hopping-cultures.
- While hari means 'king', the Philippines historically had localized leaders called datu, whose power was different from the centralized monarchy implied by hari.
- In modern Filipino culture, hari is often used in titles of popular songs or films to denote someone who is the 'master' or 'best' at a specific craft.
Examples in context
- Walang Hari sa Daan ng Kamatayan.There is no King on the Road of Death.This sentence shows the use of hari in a metaphorical or poetic context.Tatoeba #11575017 by qwertzu, translation #416848 by blay_paul
- May balak silang patayin ang hari.They're plotting to kill the king.This sentence demonstrates the use of hari in a direct context.Tatoeba #11585173 by qwertzu, translation #9602010 by CK
- Ang agila ay ang hari ng mga ibon.The eagle is the king of birds.This sentence shows how hari can be used to describe the ruler of a specific group, such as birds.Tatoeba #11789620 by qwertzu, translation #10298654 by CK
- Ang hari ay matalino.The king is wise.
- Mabuhay ang hari!Long live the king!
- Ang palasyo ng hari ay napakaganda.The king's palace is magnificent.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student asks a teacher about a historical story.
- MariaSino ang naging hari ng bansang ito?Who was the king of this country?
- MarkIsang matalinong hari ang namuno sa amin.A wise king ruled over us.
- MariaMabuti ba siyang hari sa kanyang mga tao?Was he a good king to his people?
- MarkOo, mahal siya ng lahat.Yes, everyone loved him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations and entries hari, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hari, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
