taon
/taˈʔon/
The Tagalog word for 'year' is taon.
taon refers to the unit of time representing one revolution of the Earth around the Sun. You can use it in various common expressions such as ngayong taon (this year), nakaraang taon (last year) and sa susunod na taon (next year). When expressing age, the phrase taong gulang is used to mean 'years old'. Additionally, Bagong Taon is the term for 'New Year'.
Meaning: time it takes for the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
taon is an invariant noun, so it does not change its form to indicate plurality. To express the plural 'years', place the marker mga before the word: mga taon.
How do you pronounce it?
/taˈʔon/
Did you know?
- The word taon is a descendant of the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *taqun, making it a cognate of the Malay word tahun and the Malagasy word taona.
- In the Philippines, Bagong Taon celebrations often include 'Media Noche', a feast where round fruits are displayed to attract prosperity for the coming year.
- When describing age, Tagalog uses taon alongside gulang, a word that specifically refers to the state of being grown or mature.
Examples in context
- Buong taong bukas ang tindahan.The store is open all the year round.This sentence shows how to use taon when describing a store being open all year round.Tatoeba #1850434 by nonong, translation #44860 by CS
- Isang taon na noong narito tayo.We were here a year ago.This sentence uses taon to refer to a period of time in the past.Tatoeba #1848453 by nonong, translation #1351008 by _undertoad
- Babalik ako sa katapusan ng taon.I'll be back by the end of the year.This sentence demonstrates using taon to indicate a specific time in the future.Tatoeba #8665860 by artemio, translation #6529281 by CK
- Siya'y sampung taong gulang.She is ten years old
- Ika-12 ng Hunyo, 1898June 12, 1898
- 94 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jasmine and Juan are talking about their travel plans.
- JasmineKailan ka huling pumunta sa Japan?When was the last time you went to Japan?
- JuanIsang taon na ang nakalipas, Jasmine.It has been one year, Jasmine.
- JasmineGusto ko ring pumunta doon sa susunod na taon.I also want to go there next year.
- JuanSama ako sa iyo kapag handa ka na.I will go with you when you are ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “year” translations and entries taon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries taon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
