talaga
/talaˈɡa/
In Tagalog, 'really' is translated as talaga.
talaga is used to mean 'really' or 'truly'. It serves to emphasize an adjective, an adverb or a verb.
Meaning: actually (adv)
Which one should you use?
While talaga emphasizes the truth or intensity of a statement, it differs from totoo, which refers specifically to the factual correctness of a statement. To express disbelief or to ask 'Really?' as a question, you can add the particle ba after talaga to form talaga ba?
How does it change in a sentence?
In Tagalog, talaga is often placed after the word or phrase it is intended to emphasize.
How do you pronounce it?
/talaˈɡa/
Did you know?
- The word talaga may have a surprising connection to water, as it might be a loanword from the Malay and Sanskrit word for a 'pond' or 'lake'.
- In modern Filipino slang, talaga is sometimes replaced by the word swear borrowed from English to express a higher level of sincerity.
- The meaning of talaga can be shifted from a statement of fact to a gesture of disbelief simply by changing the pitch and lengthening the final vowel.
Examples in context
- Totoo ba talaga iyan?Is that really true?This example shows how to use talaga to ask if something is really true.Tatoeba #10625580 by dyuuuuuuuuls, translation #1396023 by CK
- Uto-uto talaga si Tom.Tom is really gullible.This example shows how to use talaga to emphasize an adjective.Tatoeba #11739551 by qwertzu, translation #2713537 by CK
- Maselan po talaga ito.This is really delicate.Tatoeba #11773505 by qwertzu, translation #3825408 by CK
- Talaga bang ikaw ang susunod na presidente?Is it really you who will be the next president?
- Tunay ngang maganda ang tanawin dito.The scenery here is really beautiful.
- Sadyang napakainit ng panahon ngayon!The weather is really hot!
- Talaga? Di nga?Really? Are you serious?
- Grabe! Ang ganda ng pagkakakanta mo!Seriously! You sing really well!
- Totoo ba na nagbakasyon ka sa probinsya?Is it true that you went on vacation to the province?
- 167 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juan and Jasmine are talking about a new restaurant.
- JuanMasarap talaga ang pagkain doon.The food there is really delicious.
- JasmineTalaga? Gusto kong subukan.Really? I want to try it.
- JuanOo, siguradong magugustuhan mo.Yes, you will surely like it.
- JasmineSige, salamat sa rekomendasyon.Okay, thanks for the recommendation.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry talaga, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries talaga, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
