pulis
/puˈlis/
The English word police is translated into Tagalog as pulis. Wiktionary also lists pulisya.
Meaning: local or general law enforcement agency (noun)
Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA |
|---|---|
| pulis | /puˈlis/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| pulisya | /pulisˈja/ (Standard Tagalog) /puˈlisja/ (Standard Tagalog) |
The term refers to a local or general law enforcement agency.
What does it mean word for word?
The word pulis is a loanword derived from the Spanish word policía.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the individual and the institution: pulis refers to the individual officers, while pulisya refers to the police force or the agency as a whole.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quezon, Southern Tagalog, the term pulis is sometimes replaced with the colloquial term parak.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural form of pulis (police officers), add the marker mga before the word.
How do you pronounce it?
/puˈlis/
Did you know?
- The Tagalog word pulis is a linguistic traveler that shares the same Ancient Greek root, politeía, as the English word 'police'. This root originally referred to the administration of a city or a state.
- The word pulis can be found in other Philippine languages like Cebuano, where it appears as polis, showing the widespread influence of these terms across the archipelago.
Examples in context
- Tumawag ka ng pulis.Call the police.This sentence is useful for learning how to request that someone call the pulis.Tatoeba #8749036 by fishda, translation #2245030 by CK
- Nahuli siya ng pulis.The police have caught him.This sentence is useful for describing how someone was caught by the pulis.Tatoeba #12994882 by dyuuuuuuuuls, translation #238361 by CK
- Inakusahan siya ng pulis.The police accused him.This sentence is useful for describing how someone was accused by the pulis.Tatoeba #11447548 by qwertzu, translation #238354 by CK
- Tinawagan ko ang pulisya dahil may krimen na nangyari.I called the police because a crime occurred.
- May pulis sa kanto.There's a police officer at the corner.
- Kailangan nating tawagin ang pulis.We need to call the police.
- 139 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mark and Christina are walking and see a police officer nearby.
- MarkTignan mo, may pulis doon.Look, there is a police officer there.
- ChristinaSaan tayo magtatanong ng direksyon?Where should we ask for directions?
- MarkTanungin na lang natin ang pulis.Let's just ask the police officer.
- ChristinaSige, tara na.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “police” translations and entries pulis, pulisya, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pulis, pulisya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
