lalaki
/laˈlaki/
The Tagalog word for man is lalaki.
lalaki is a simple and straightforward way to say man in Tagalog. It can be used as a noun meaning man or as an adjective meaning male.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Which one should you use?
lalaki (man) is the direct counterpart to babae (woman).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Ilocos and Pangasinan regions, Manong is used to refer to an older brother or an older male acquaintance.
How does it change in a sentence?
lalaki is an invariant noun and does not change its form to indicate plurality.
How do you pronounce it?
/laˈlaki/
Did you know?
- The word lalaki is a reduplicated form of the root word laki, which refers to 'size' or 'greatness' in many Austronesian languages.
- In traditional Filipino kinship the term Manong is not just a name but a marker of respect that prevents a younger person from addressing an older man by his first name.
- While lalaki means 'male', the closely related Malay word laki can mean 'husband'.
Examples in context
- Matanda na ang lalaki.The man is old.Tatoeba #11895499 by qwertzu, translation #1174867 by CK
- Nakahubad po ang lalaki.The man is naked.Tatoeba #11658706 by qwertzu, translation #956237 by CK
- Isa akong matandang lalaki.I'm an old man.Tatoeba #11674720 by qwertzu, translation #1306715 by CK
- Magandang umaga, ginoo!Good morning, sir!
- Nakita mo ba yung lalaki doon?Did you see that man over there?
- Kamusta, tol?How are you, dude?
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman asks a man about a stranger.
- JasmineSino ang lalaking iyon?Who is that man?
- RicardoHindi ko kilala ang lalaki.I do not know the man.
- JasmineMukhang mabait naman ang lalaki.The man looks kind.
- RicardoMaaaring totoo ang sinasabi mo.What you are saying might be true.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries lalaki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lalaki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
