gulantang
gulantáng with stress marks
surprised, shocked
Usage Note
Gulantang describes the state of being suddenly startled or shocked, often with a physical jolt. It is stronger than nagulat and conveys a sharper, more visceral reaction. Common in informal storytelling and everyday speech.
Examples
" Gulantang ako sa ingay. "
Natural Translation
I was startled by the noise.
Literal Translation
Startled I in-the noise.
" Kita ang gulantang sa kanya. "
Natural Translation
The shock on him/her is visible.
Literal Translation
Visible the shock on him/her.
" Gulantang ang buong bahay nang biglang sumabog ang paputok sa kalsada nang hatinggabi. "
Natural Translation
The whole house was startled when a firecracker suddenly exploded on the street at midnight.
Literal Translation
Startled the whole house when suddenly exploded the firecracker in street at midnight.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

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.

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.

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 Root Words: Learn a Few Hundred, Understand Thousands
Tagalog root words unlock vocabulary fast: learn a few hundred and recognize thousands. Real word families, examples, and a practical study strategy.