altar
altár with stress marks
altar
Usage Note
Altar comes from Spanish altar and is the sacred centerpiece of both churches and home prayer spaces in the predominantly Catholic Philippines. Many Filipino homes maintain a small altar (altaryo) with saints' images and candles, and it serves as a place for family offerings during All Saints' Day and other observances.
Examples
" May kandila sa altar. "
Natural Translation
There is a candle on the altar.
Literal Translation
Has candle on-the altar.
" Nagdasal siya sa harap ng altar sa simbahan. "
Natural Translation
He/She prayed in front of the altar in the church.
Literal Translation
Prayed he/she in-front of-the altar in-the church.
" Tuwing Undas, nag-aalay ang pamilya ng bulaklak at kandila sa altar na puno ng larawan ng mga yumao. "
Natural Translation
Every All Saints' Day, the family offers flowers and candles on the altar full of photos of those who have passed away.
Literal Translation
Every All-Saints, offers the family of flowers and candle on-the altar full of photos of the deceased.
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 workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.
Tagalog vs Filipino: What's the Difference & Which to Learn
Tagalog and Filipino aren't the same language — but they overlap almost completely. Here's the real difference and which one you should actually learn.
Ng vs Nang in Tagalog: The Spelling Rule
Ng vs nang sound identical but spell differently. Use ng to mark nouns (of, the object), and nang for how, when, repetition, and counting time.
Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.