Skip to content

alam

alám with stress marks

knowledge; awareness

noun adjective a-LAM Arabic origin Common

Usage Note

Alam is used for knowledge of facts or information, whereas 'kilala' is used for knowing people. It is most commonly used as a pseudo-verb in everyday phrases like 'Alam ko' (I know) or 'Alam mo ba?' (Do you know?).

Examples

Beginner

" Alam ko na. "

Natural Translation

I know already.

Literal Translation

Know I already.

Intermediate

" Alam mo ang sagot. "

Natural Translation

You know the answer.

Literal Translation

You know the answer.

Advanced

" Alam mo bang siya pala ang nasa likod ng lahat ng nangyari sa amin noong isang taon? "

Natural Translation

Did you know that he was actually the one behind everything that happened to us last year?

Literal Translation

Know you [q] he [pala] the at back of all of happened to us last one year?

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

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

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