balana
balána with stress marks
everybody, everyone
Usage Note
Balana is a somewhat formal or literary term for everyone or all people, more commonly encountered in written Tagalog or speeches than in casual conversation, where lahat is generally preferred. It is occasionally heard in regional Philippine languages as well.
Examples
" Bukas ang parke sa balana. "
Natural Translation
The park is open to everyone.
Literal Translation
Open the park to everyone.
" Ang mensahe ng guro ay para sa balana. "
Natural Translation
The teacher's message is for everyone.
Literal Translation
The message of-the teacher is for everyone.
" Ipinahayag ng pangulo na ang mga bagong patakaran ay magsisilbi sa kapakinabangan ng balana, hindi lamang ng iilan. "
Natural Translation
The president declared that the new policies would serve the benefit of everyone, not only a few.
Literal Translation
Declared by the president that the new policies will-serve in benefit of everyone, not only of few.
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.
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.
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.
Seasons in the Philippines: A Tagalog Guide
The Philippines has two seasons, not four. Learn tag-araw, tag-ulan, and taglamig, the generative tag- prefix, and the weather vocabulary to match.
Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.