Skip to content

ápo

honorific term for an older man

noun A-po Ilocano origin Rare

Also means

Apó with stress on the last syllable means grandchild in standard Tagalog.

Usage Note

Ápo is borrowed from Ilocano and is used in northern Philippine regions as a respectful address for an elderly man or a person of high status. It also appears in reference to ancestral spirits or deities. In Tagalog-speaking areas it is less common but understood in formal or literary contexts.

Examples

Beginner

" Tinawag namin siyang ápo. "

Natural Translation

We called him a respected elder.

Literal Translation

Called we him respected-elder.

Intermediate

" Mahalaga ang sabi ni ápo. "

Natural Translation

What the respected elder said is important.

Literal Translation

Important the said of respected-elder.

Advanced

" Tuwing may handaan sa baryo, ang ápo ang unang inaalok ng pagkain bilang tanda ng paggalang ng mga nakababata. "

Natural Translation

Whenever there is a feast in the village, the respected elder is the first one offered food as a sign of respect from the younger ones.

Literal Translation

Whenever has feast at village, the respected-elder the first offered of food as sign of respect of the younger-ones.

Free · iOS & Android

Take Tagalog with you

The full course, a 12,500-word dictionary, and flashcards that make every word stick — free to start on iOS and Android.

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.