Skip to content

ama

amá with stress marks

father

noun a-MA Native origin Common
Illustration of "ama" (father)

Usage Note

Ama is the formal or literary term for 'father,' commonly used in religious contexts or formal writing. In everyday conversation, Filipinos more frequently use the casual and affectionate terms 'tatay' or 'papa.'

Examples

Beginner

" Doktor ang aking ama. "

Natural Translation

My father is a doctor.

Literal Translation

Doctor the my father.

Intermediate

" Masipag ang aking ama. "

Natural Translation

My father is hardworking.

Literal Translation

Hardworking my father.

Advanced

" Ang pagpapahalaga sa pagsusumikap at katapatan ay natutuhan kong lahat mula sa aking ama noong ako ay bata pa. "

Natural Translation

I learned to value hard work and honesty entirely from my father when I was still a child.

Literal Translation

The valuing for hard-work and honesty learned I all from my father when I still child yet.

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.