hilamos
hilámos with stress marks
washing the face
Usage Note
Hilamos refers specifically to washing one's face, a standard part of a morning routine or a way to freshen up during a hot day. It is most commonly used as a verb by adding the prefix mag- (maghilamos).
Examples
" Maghilamos ka muna. "
Natural Translation
Wash your face first.
Literal Translation
Wash-face you first.
" Isang hilamos lang, gising ka na. "
Natural Translation
Just one face-wash, and you're awake.
Literal Translation
One face-wash only, awake you already.
" Tuwing gumigising siya nang antok pa, isang malamig na hilamos ang nagpapaalis ng kanyang pagkaantok. "
Natural Translation
Whenever he wakes up still drowsy, one cold face-wash drives away his sleepiness.
Literal Translation
Whenever wakes he still-drowsy, one cold face-wash drives-away of his sleepiness.
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 workDerived Words
Actor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
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.
Tagalog Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.
Tagalog Slang Guide: 20 Words You'll Hear on TikTok
Tagalog slang explained: lodi, petmalu, werpa, astig, chika and more. Decode Filipino TikTok comments, group chats, and pop culture with this practical guide.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Tagalog?
Survival Tagalog takes ~3-4 weeks and comfortable conversation 6-12 months. FSI's 1,100 hours is the professional bar, not the talking-to-family bar.