ambulansiya
ambulánsiya with stress marks
ambulance
Usage Note
Ambulansiya is a Spanish loanword for ambulance, used exactly as in English to refer to an emergency medical vehicle. Response times can be slow in the Philippines due to traffic and infrastructure challenges, so the word sometimes appears in discussions about emergency response reform.
Examples
" Tumawag tayo ng ambulansiya. "
Natural Translation
Let's call an ambulance.
Literal Translation
Call we of ambulance.
" Tinawagan agad nila ang ambulansiya nang matumba ang matanda. "
Natural Translation
They immediately called an ambulance when the old man fell.
Literal Translation
Called immediately they the ambulance when fell the old-man.
" Naabala ang ambulansiya sa matinding trapiko kaya naantala ang pagdating nito sa ospital. "
Natural Translation
The ambulance was held up in heavy traffic, so its arrival at the hospital was delayed.
Literal Translation
Held-up the ambulance in heavy traffic so delayed the arrival its at hospital.
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.
Tagalog Question Words: Ano, Sino, Saan & More
Tagalog question words like ano, sino, and saan need the right frame to work. Learn the ang-vs-pronoun rule, confusable pairs, and the ba particle with audio.
Spaced Repetition for Tagalog: How Flashcards Make Words Stick
Cramming Tagalog vocabulary fails. See how spaced repetition — the science behind smart flashcards — makes words stick for the long term.
Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.
Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.