bakterya
bakteryá with stress marks
bacteria
Usage Note
Bakterya is a scientific loanword from Spanish via Latin and Greek, used in formal, medical, and educational contexts. It is widely understood across all registers since basic hygiene education in Filipino schools uses this term.
Examples
" Pumapatay ng bakterya ang sabon. "
Natural Translation
Soap kills bacteria.
Literal Translation
Kills of bacteria the soap.
" Ang bakterya ay sanhi ng sakit. "
Natural Translation
Bacteria is the cause of illness.
Literal Translation
The bacteria is cause of illness.
" Mahalagang lutuing mabuti ang karne dahil maaaring may bakteryang nagdudulot ng sakit kung hilaw pa ito. "
Natural Translation
It's important to cook the meat well because it may have bacteria that cause illness if it's still raw.
Literal Translation
Important to-cook well the meat because possible has bacteria causing of illness if raw still it.
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.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Tagalog?
Survival Tagalog takes ~3-4 weeks and comfortable conversation 6-12 months. FSI's 1,100 hours is the professional bar, not the talking-to-family bar.
Tagalog Pronouns Explained: Complete Chart with Examples
Every Tagalog pronoun explained with clear charts: ang/ng/sa forms, tayo vs kami, ikaw vs ka, politeness markers, and the mistakes beginners make.
Ang, Ng, Sa: The 3 Tagalog Case Markers Explained
Ang, ng, sa are the three Tagalog case markers every noun takes. Learn what each does, the personal forms si/ni/kay, plurals with mga, and clear examples.
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.