Skip to content

balik

balík with stress marks

return

noun verb ba-LIK Native origin Common

Usage Note

Balik is one of the most productive roots in Tagalog, forming dozens of derived words including bumalik, ibalik, balikbayan, and balik-aral. Universally used across all registers and regions, it is an essential building block for learners to recognize early.

Examples

Beginner

" Babalik ako bukas. "

Natural Translation

I will come back tomorrow.

Literal Translation

Will-return I tomorrow.

Intermediate

" Bumalik na ang tatay galing trabaho. "

Natural Translation

Father has returned from work.

Literal Translation

Returned already the father from work.

Advanced

" Pagkatapos ng mahabang biyahe, masaya kaming bumalik sa bahay na kinalakhan namin. "

Natural Translation

After the long trip, we were happy to return to the house we grew up in.

Literal Translation

After of long trip, happy we return to house that grew-up-in we.

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

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.