banal-banalan
hypocritically holy
From root: banal
Usage Note
Banal-banalan is used to describe someone who pretends to be pious or religious but is actually insincere. It carries a negative connotation of hypocrisy.
Examples
" Banal-banalan lang siya. "
Natural Translation
He is just hypocritically holy.
Literal Translation
Hypocritically-holy only he.
" Ayaw ko sa taong banal-banalan. "
Natural Translation
I don't like people who are hypocritically holy.
Literal Translation
Dislike I to-the person-who-is hypocritically-holy.
" Huwag kang maniwala sa mga taong banal-banalan na mabait sa simbahan ngunit malupit sa kapwa. "
Natural Translation
Don't believe in people who are hypocritically holy, kind in church but cruel to others.
Literal Translation
Don't you believe in the people hypocritically-holy who kind in church but cruel to fellow.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
banal has 4 related forms built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.

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.

Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.

How to Say "I Love You" in Tagalog: Phrases & Meaning
Learn how to say I love you in Tagalog. Mahal kita, Iniibig kita, and Filipino terms of endearment for partners, family, and friends — with cultural notes.