Whether for cooking, traveling, shopping, or more, learning different units of measurement in Tagalog, like pulgada (inches) or kilometro (kilometer), will surely be helpful for you! You see, learning about the metric system, measurement units, or metric units used in one country is one of the most important things to remember when traveling. Let’s go over that and more in this post!
Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, is a fascinating language with a rich history and unique characteristics. One of the most notable features of Tagalog is its vocabulary, which includes many words that are not found in other languages. For example, Tagalog has a number of words that describe concepts and ideas that are specific to the Filipino culture, such as “kilig” (the feeling of butterflies in your stomach when you’re in love), “lakad” (a leisurely stroll or walk), and “pasalubong” (a gift or souvenir brought back from a trip).
In this post, we’ll focus on the unique measurement words or “panukat na mga salita” to expand your vocabulary. Let’s begin!
Philippine Units Of Measurement
Associating numbers with physical quantities and events is the process of measuring or
sukat” in Tagalog. In early times in the Philippines, Filipinos did not use the metric unit or a reference calculator daily. The locals mainly utilized their bodies as measurement tools. For instance, they use body parts like their feet or arms to determine the length/distance (foreign equivalent) of something. Isn’t it quite unique?
To help you understand this concept further, here are some basic words for measurements in Tagalog.
Length/Distance
| English (Estimated) | Tagalog Translation |
| piranggot | ½ inch |
| sandamak | 4 inches |
| dangkal | 8 inches |
| talampakan | 12 inches |
| bisig | 16 inches |
| dipa | 68 inches |
Mass/Weight
| English (Estimated) | Tagalog Translation |
| 10 grams | dakot |
| 100 grams | guhit |
| ½ kilo | kagitna |
| 1 kilo | gatang |
| 6 kilos | chimanta |
| 25 kilos | kaban |
Volume
| English (Estimated) | Tagalog Translation |
| 80 ml | salok |
| 250 ml | saro |
| 400 ml | mangkok |
Note that the term “guhit” (100 grams) is a relatively new term for a unit of weight. Guhit is the Tagalog word for the lines in the scale.
Basic Units Of Measurement In Tagalog
After learning the Philippine units of measurement, let us now move to the standard unit of measurement and the international system of units. These are divided into different categories.
Quantity – Bilang
Shopping in the market? These units of measurement in Tagalog will definitely be helpful for you. The words pack (kaha) and box (kahon) are usually used when buying things sold in packs, like biscuits, instant noodles, and more. Dozens (Dosena), on the other hand, are usually used when buying things that are sold in dozens, like doughnuts, instant coffees, and more. These measurements are really essential when you’re doing groceries and just purchasing in a local or convenience store.
| English | Tagalog Translation |
| pack | kaha |
| box | kahon |
| dozen | dosena |
| half-dozen | kalahating dosena |
| can | lata |
Weight/Mass/Volume – Bigat
Learning about measurement units related to weight, mass, and volume can be helpful, especially when you are cooking, shopping, and more. In the country, kilograms are usually used when you’re buying uncooked rice/rice grains (bigas), fruits (prutas), vegetables (gulay), and more. When one likes to measure liquids for drinks, cooking, and more, liters (litro) and cups (baso) are used.
| English | Tagalog Translation |
| kilograms | kilo |
| gram | gramo |
| liter | litro |
| ton | tonelada |
| milliliters | mililitro |
| spoon | kutsara |
| teaspoon | kutsarita |
| cup | baso |
Length – Haba
If you want to measure things by length, the following words will be helpful for you. Inches (Pulgada) and foot (talampakan) are usually used to determine the height of something or someone. Of course, we should also learn how to say meters (metro) and centimeters (sentimentro) in Tagalog, as it is also one of the most commonly used units of measurement compared to others.
Measurement systems such as hectare (ektarya) and square meters (metro kuwadrado) are used to measure land or floor area.
| English | Tagalog Translation |
| inch | pulgada |
| foot | talampakan |
| centimeter | sentimetro |
| millimeter | milimetro |
| meter | metro |
| square meter | metro kuwadrado/ square meter |
| hectare | ektarya |
Distance
When traveling, remember that taxi fares and other forms of transportation are based on distance in the Philippines. The two units of measurement below are used to tell distance in Tagalog.
| English | Tagalog Translation |
| kilometer | kilometro |
| mile | milya |
Other Units Of Measurement In Tagalog
Looking for something more advanced? Here are the basic words you also need to master!
| English | Tagalog Translation |
| percent | bahagdan/porsiyento |
| arm span | dipa |
| yard | yarda |
| a span; distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of little finger | dangkal |
Phrases Using Units Of Measurements
| English | Tagalog |
| One dozen of egg, please. | Isa nga pong dosena ng itlog. |
| One kilo of uncooked rice, please! | Isang kilo po ng bigas. |
| Add one cup of water. | Dagdagan mo ng isang basong tubig. |
| Tumangkad ako ng isang pulgada. | I grew one inch taller. |
| My house is one kilometer away from here. | Ang bahay ko ay isang kilometro mula dito. |
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