maalam
knowledgeable or wise
From root: alam
Usage Note
Maalam describes a person who is well-informed or has expertise in a certain field.
Examples
" Maalam siya sa pagluluto. "
Natural Translation
She is knowledgeable about cooking.
Literal Translation
Knowledgeable she in cooking.
" Siya ay maalam sa teknolohiya. "
Natural Translation
He/She is knowledgeable about technology.
Literal Translation
He/she is knowledgeable in technology.
" Kahit maalam siya sa maraming bagay, hindi siya nagyayabang at handang matuto pa. "
Natural Translation
Even though he is knowledgeable about many things, he doesn't boast and is willing to learn more.
Literal Translation
Even knowledgeable he in many things, not he boast and ready learn more.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
alam has 8 related forms built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Magkano: How to Ask "How Much" in Tagalog
Magkano means how much in Tagalog. Learn to ask a price, tell it apart from ilan and gaano, sound polite with po, and haggle at the palengke.

Tagalog Root Words: Learn a Few Hundred, Understand Thousands
Tagalog root words unlock vocabulary fast: learn a few hundred and recognize thousands. Real word families, examples, and a practical study strategy.

Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.

Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.