siyempre
/siˈempɾe/
The Tagalog phrase for 'of course' is siyempre.
siyempre is used to indicate enthusiastic agreement. When used with an exclamation point, it conveys a sense of 'obviously' or strong agreement in response to a question. It can also be used to mean 'naturally' as an adverb.
Meaning: indicates enthusiastic agreement (intj)
Which one should you use?
While siyempre is the standard form, Syempre is an informal spelling. The phrase Oo naman is another informal way to express agreement, whereas Oo naman po is the formal version.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/siˈempɾe/
When do people say it?
Using Oo naman po instead of informal options shows proper etiquette when addressing people of higher status or age.
Did you know?
- Although siyempre is used to mean 'of course' today, it is actually a linguistic fossil from the Spanish word siempre, which means 'always'.
- In the Philippines, saying Oo naman po is not just about the words but is often accompanied by a slight nod of the head to show deference.
- The root of siyempre can be traced back to the Latin word semper, which also gave English the phrase 'semper fidelis'.
Examples in context
- Siyempre, tama ako. Kailan ba hindi?!Of course I was right. When am I not!?This sentence shows how siyempre can be used to emphasize a point.Tatoeba #11797343 by qwertzu, translation #11797302 by nelli14
- Siyempre.Of course.This demonstrates using siyempre as a standalone response.Tatoeba #8635239 by artemio, translation #433492 by CK
- Siyempre!Of course!This shows using siyempre with an exclamation point to express enthusiastic agreement.Tatoeba #8635244 by artemio, translation #433730 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ricardo asks Jasmine if she will attend his birthday party.
- RicardoPupunta ka ba sa birthday ko?Are you coming to my birthday?
- JasmineSiyempre, pupunta ako!Of course, I'll go!
- RicardoSalamat, Jasmine!Thank you, Jasmine!
- JasmineWalang anuman.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “of course” translations and entries siyempre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries siyempre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
