7 Easy Ways To Say Beautiful in Tagalog

Ling Learn Languages
4 min readJan 7, 2021

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If you are fond of international beauty pageants, then you must know that the Philippines holds at least 15 crowns under its belt from big-league international beauty pageants. In fact, a number of foreign nationals consider Filipinos as one of the most attractive and sexiest in the world. Want to compliment a Filipina? This post will guide you on the best ways on how to express the word beautiful in the Tagalog language.

The Philippines is considered as the home of unique culture, cuisine, language, and tourist destinations. But aside from all those, another thing that the country is most proud of is its citizens. Deemed as one of the warmest and friendliest people in the world, Filipinos can easily befriend tourists with their amazing skills in English, fit into any foreign place due to their unmatched flexibility, and blend well into a totally new community or culture.

Filipinos are one of the bests don’t you think? If you have a colleague, a friend, or a special someone who shares this nationality, then this post is definitely for you. You see the word “beautiful” is one of the first few adjectives that are commonly translated in different languages- it’s versatile to the point that you can use it to describe a person, a place, a thing, or even an experience! To help you get started on this word in Tagalog, we have divided this post into two: the basic words related to beautiful and the foolproof list on how to use it in common conversations.

If you are up for that, then off we go!

Beautiful in Tagalog

Have you ever heard someone say the magic word ganda once in a while? If you did, then there is a huge chance that that person is a Filipino by heart. Basically, the word beautiful can directly be translated into the Tagalog term maganda. This term comes from the Sanskrit word gandha, which refers to fragrance and amazing scent.

Maganda is like a catch-all kind of word which means it can be used as a generic one to describe English words like beautiful, pretty, cool, great, good-looking, and nice. In this sense, you can use it in saying maganda ang kanyang sulat-kamay (he/she has good handwriting) or to say maganda talaga ang kanyang alaga (his/her pet is good-looking).

In the Philippines, this is also usually used as a compliment for ladies. Some are even using it as a call sign for their special Filipina friends. However, if you want to compliment a man you cannot outright use the word maganda. On the flip side, what you can use is gwapo or pogi.

Just like in English, the word maganda can be substituted by other words. To make sure that you understand its common synonyms, take note of the examples words below.

In today’s world, maganda and ganda are still rampantly used. However, the other terms from the table above are considered archaic and can only be heard or read in classic Filipino novels and dramas.

Other Ways on How to Use The Word Beautiful in Tagalog

It is not enough that you know the basic words if you cannot use them in a real sentence. To give you a glimpse of how the words above are usually used in day-to-day conversations between locals, be sure to take note of the table below.

As I end this article, I hope that I was able to shed light and spark your interest in how to use the word ganda in Tagalog. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it on social media and help us spread the word on what the Philippines have to offer!

Awaken The Filipino In You By Speaking Native Tagalog!

Set aside at least 10 minutes a day with Ling App and we bet that you can speak the language in no time! Unlike other languages, Tagalog is easier to remember even if it holds a unique set of words as influenced by different cultures the country has come across. The language itself is charming in the sense that it holds an ever-growing set of words and phrases which are heavily shaped by the trends and history from all over the world.

Interested to learn more Tagalog language vocabulary words like how to express the basics to the most complex ideas? For extra reinforcement in the Tagalog language, be sure to check out the Ling App. This handy-dandy training buddy features fun mini-games and quizzes that can motivate you to practice and explore more about your target language day by day.

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