hinliliit
hinlilíit with stress marks
little finger, pinkie
Usage Note
Hinliliit is the standard Tagalog word for the little finger or pinky. The name roughly means 'small finger'. It appears in children's songs, body-part instruction, and medical contexts. In Filipino culture, linking pinky fingers (kaliwete or 'pinky promise') is a gesture of commitment among children and friends.
Examples
" Maliit ang hinliliit ko. "
Natural Translation
My little finger is small.
Literal Translation
Small the little-finger my.
" Sugatan ang kanyang hinliliit. "
Natural Translation
His/Her little finger is wounded.
Literal Translation
Wounded the his/her little-finger.
" Pinagkawit namin ang aming mga hinliliit bilang tanda ng pangako na hindi kami magtataksilan sa isa't isa. "
Natural Translation
We hooked our little fingers together as a sign of our promise that we would never betray each other.
Literal Translation
Hooked-together by-us the our little-fingers as sign of promise that not we will-betray to each-other.
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 workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Ang, Ng, Sa: The 3 Tagalog Case Markers Explained
Ang, ng, sa are the three Tagalog case markers every noun takes. Learn what each does, the personal forms si/ni/kay, plurals with mga, and clear examples.
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.
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.