nanay at tatay
The Tagalog phrase for "mom and dad" is nanay at tatay.
This phrase is used as a casual way to refer to one's female and male parents. It combines nanay, which refers to one's mother and tatay, an endearing term for one's father.
What does it mean word for word?
at means "and".
Which one should you use?
While nanay at tatay is the standard casual way to say "mom and dad", Ina at Ama is the formal or literary way to say "mother and father". In modern Filipino households, the even more informal Mama at Papa is frequently used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
nanay at tatay is the standard casual way to refer to parents. For a more colloquial tone, one might use Inay for mother and Itay (a casual alternative to tatay) for father. For modern, informal settings, Mama at Papa is more common.
How does it change in a sentence?
When nanay at tatay is the subject of a sentence, the marker sina is often placed before them, as in sina nanay at tatay.
Did you know?
- In traditional Filipino culture, children may use nanay or tatay to address any older adult in the community as a sign of respect.
- One theory suggests tatay may come from the Hokkien phrase tōa-tāi, which means 'elder generation'.
- In many Filipino households, the terms nanay and tatay are used not just for biological parents, but also for godparents or elder caregivers.
Examples in context
- Nag-aaway uli sina nanay at tatay.Mom and Dad are fighting again.This sentence uses nanay at tatay as the subject of the sentence.Tatoeba #11807449 by qwertzu, translation #6634565 by Hybrid
- Nais kong pasalamatan ang aming ina at ama sa kanilang mga sakripisyo.I want to thank our mother and father for their sacrifices.
- Ang ina at ama ay nagsilbi bilang inspirasyon sa amin.Our mom and dad served as our inspiration.
- Ang luto ni Nanay ang pinakamasarap.Mom's cooking is the most delicious.
- Nagmamaneho si Tatay ng tricycle.Dad drives a tricycle.
- Inay, maraming salamat po sa pag-alaga sa amin.Mom, thank you very much for taking care of us.
- Iniisip ka ni Inay palagi.Mom always thinks of you.
- Itay, maaari bang magpa-hiram ng pera?Dad, can I borrow some money?
- Parating maaga si Itay sa opisina.Dad always arrives early at the office.
- Mahal na mahal ko sina nanay at tatay.I love my mom and dad very much.
- Nasaan sina nanay at tatay ngayon?Where are mom and dad right now?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Angela and Mark are talking about their upcoming weekend plans.
- AngelaPupunta tayo sa bahay nina nanay at tatay?Are we going to mom and dad's house?
- MarkOo, sabik na silang makita tayo.Yes, they are excited to see us.
- AngelaSige, magdadala ako ng regalo para sa kanila.Okay, I will bring a gift for them.
- MarkMabuti iyan, siguradong matutuwa sila.That's good, I'm sure they will be happy.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries at, nanay, tatay, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
