balyena
/balˈjena/
The Filipino word for whale is balyena. Wiktionary also lists tandayag.
Meaning: large sea mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Filipino | IPA |
|---|---|
| balyena | /balˈjena/ (Standard Tagalog) |
| tandayag | /tanˈdajaɡ/ (Standard Tagalog) |
balyena is the general term used to refer to a whale.
Which one should you use?
While balyena is the general term for a whale, tandayag specifically refers to the whale shark.
How do you pronounce it?
/balˈjena/
Did you know?
- In many parts of the Philippines, the whale shark is more commonly referred to as 'butanding' rather than using the formal 'tandayag'.
- The word balyena is a direct linguistic descendant of the Spanish word 'ballena', a remnant of the long history of Spanish influence in the Philippines.
Examples in context
- Hindi pa ako nakakakita ng buhay na balyena.I've never seen a live whale.This sentence shows how to use balyena when talking about seeing one in person.Tatoeba #8635354 by artemio, translation #258980 by CK
- Ang balyena ay isang napakagandang hayop na matatagpuan sa karagatan.The whale is a magnificent creature found in the ocean.
- Ang butanding ay tunay na kahanga-hanga sa laki at kagandahan.The butanding is truly amazing in size and beauty.
- Malaki ang balyena sa dagat.The whale in the sea is big.
- Nakakita kami ng balyena kanina.We saw a whale earlier.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their recent boat trip.
- JoseNakakita ka ba ng balyena?Did you see a whale?
- AngelaOo, napakalaki ng balyena!Yes, the whale was so big!
- JoseAng galing naman.That is so cool.
- AngelaSana makita natin uli.I hope we see it again.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whale” translations and entries balyena, tandayag, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries balyena, tandayag, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
