Skip to content

dali

dalî with stress marks

quickness; a short duration of time

noun adjective da-LI Native origin Common
Time Time Expressions

Also means

Dali can also mean the quality of being easy to do or understand; to be caught or; to be scolded

Usage Note

Dalî is frequently used as an exclamation to urge someone to hurry and is also the root for words describing tasks that are easy or quick to finish. You will often hear it in daily conversation when someone is being rushed or when a task requires very little effort.

Examples

Beginner

" Dali, gising na! "

Natural Translation

Hurry, wake up now!

Literal Translation

Quick, awake already!

Intermediate

" Dali, bilisan mo! "

Natural Translation

Hurry, be fast!

Literal Translation

Quickly, hurry you!

Advanced

" Sa dali ng pagkakagawa niya sa proyekto, akala ng iba ay ginawa lang niya iyon nang bara-bara. "

Natural Translation

Because he finished the project so quickly, others assumed he just rushed through it carelessly.

Literal Translation

In quickness of-the making his of project, thought of-others is made only he it carelessly.

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.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.

How Tagalog words work

Actor Focus Verbs

magmadali AF VERB

to hurry

dumali AF VERB

to become easy

Object Focus Verbs

daliin OF VERB

to hasten something

dalian OF VERB

to hurry something

Explore Tagalog by topic

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

Culture5 min read

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.

Vocabulary5 min read

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.

Culture5 min read

Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More

Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.

Grammar5 min read

Tagalog Affixes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Word Building

Tagalog affixes turn one root word into dozens of meanings. Learn prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes with clear examples for beginners.

View all articles