Usage Note
Bakla is the traditional Filipino term for a feminine gay man or male-to-female transgender person and carries a distinct cultural identity that does not map exactly onto Western LGBTQ+ categories. Bakla individuals have long been visible in Philippine entertainment, beauty, and fashion industries. The term can be used neutrally or affectionately within the community, though its appropriateness varies by context and speaker.
Examples
" Bakla ang kapatid niya. "
Natural Translation
His/her sibling is gay.
Literal Translation
Gay-male the sibling his/her.
" Mabait ang aking kaibigang bakla. "
Natural Translation
My gay friend is kind.
Literal Translation
Kind the my friend-that gay-male.
" Maraming baklang artista sa Pilipinas ang nagpapatunay na malaki ang ambag nila sa sining at libangan. "
Natural Translation
Many gay celebrities in the Philippines prove that their contribution to art and entertainment is significant.
Literal Translation
Many gay-male celebrity in Philippines who prove that big the contribution their to art and entertainment.
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
- AWOL absence without leave
- Amboy short for American boy
- Ati ethnolinguistic group in Panay
- Balbalan ethnolinguistic group (Kalinga)
- Hiligaynon ethnolinguistic group/language
- Ilokana female native of the Ilocos region; Ilokana woman
- Ilokano Ethnolinguistic group in Ilocos
- Ilonggo Language/People of Western Visayas
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
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.
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.
Is Tagalog Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer
Tagalog takes around 1,100 hours to reach professional proficiency. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and what to expect at 3, 6, and 12 months.
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.