Skip to content

gising

gísing with stress marks

awake

adjective noun GI-sing Native origin Less Common
Body & Health Health & Illness

Usage Note

Gisíng describes the state of being awake or alert and is the root for common verbs like 'gumising' (to wake up). It is most frequently used in the phrase 'Gising na!' to tell someone to wake up or in questions like 'Gising ka na?' to ask if someone is already awake.

Examples

Beginner

" Gising pa ang bata. "

Natural Translation

The child is still awake.

Literal Translation

Awake still the child.

Intermediate

" Gising na ako. "

Natural Translation

I am awake now.

Literal Translation

Awake now I.

Advanced

" Kahit pagod na pagod na ako, gising pa rin ako hanggang madaling-araw dahil sa dami ng iniisip ko. "

Natural Translation

Even though I'm very tired, I'm still awake until dawn because of how much I'm thinking about.

Literal Translation

Even tired very already I, awake still also I until dawn because of many thinking I.

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

Derived Words

panggising DERIVED

alarm or stimulant to wake someone

paggising DERIVED

the act of waking up

kagigising DERIVED

just woke up

Actor Focus Verbs

gumising AF VERB

to wake up

manggising AF VERB

to wake someone up

Object Focus Verbs

gisingin OF VERB

to wake someone

gisingan OF VERB

to wake up for someone

igising OF VERB

to wake someone with

Explore Tagalog by topic

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

Culture5 min read

Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide

Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.

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.

Grammar6 min read

Tagalog Verb Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)

The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.

Culture5 min read

Philippines Geography for Learners: Islands & Language

Philippines geography for Tagalog learners: 7,641 islands, three island groups, and the Southern Luzon heartland where the Tagalog language was born.

View all articles