babae
/baˈbaʔe/
The Tagalog word for woman is babae.
babae is a noun used to refer to an adult female person.
Meaning: adult female person (noun)
Which one should you use?
While babae can refer to both a singular woman and women in general, it is common practice to use the plural marker mga before it to clearly indicate more than one person. For a more formal way to refer to women collectively, you can use Kababaihan.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make babae plural, add the marker mga to form mga babae.
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈbaʔe/
Did you know?
- Tagalog doesn't have a gender-based pronoun system, so the word babae is essential for specifying gender since 'siya' can mean both 'he' and 'she'.
- The phrase babaeng-babae is used to describe a woman who is extremely feminine or embodies traditional feminine traits.
- The word babae shares a common ancestor with the word for 'woman' in many other languages across the Philippines, such as the Cebuano babaye and the Ilocano babai.
Examples in context
- Ang talino niyang babae!What an intelligent woman she is!This sentence shows how to express admiration for an intelligent babae.Tatoeba #11291232 by qwertzu, translation #311884 by Alkrasnov
- Maganda ang mga pisngi ng babae.The woman has beautiful cheeks.This sentence describes a physical attribute of a babae.Tatoeba #11460636 by qwertzu, translation #2125857 by jennieforthesox
- Parang gusto mo nang maging babae.It seems like you want to become a woman.This sentence uses babae to express a desire to become one.Tatoeba #10514551 by nonong, translation #10967252 by 2oid
- Ang kababaihan ay dapat kilalanin at igalang sa lahat ng aspeto ng lipunanWomen should be recognized and respected in all aspects of society
- Siya ay isang babaeng masipag at mabaitShe is a hardworking and kind woman
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ricardo is asking Angela about a person they both know.
- RicardoSino ang babae sa litrato?Who is the woman in the photo?
- AngelaSiya ang aking pinsan.She is my cousin.
- RicardoMabait ba siyang babae?Is she a kind woman?
- AngelaOo, napakabait niya.Yes, she is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries babae, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries babae, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
