Usage Note
Igat is the freshwater eel found in Philippine rivers, lakes, and paddies — both a food source and a subject of folklore, sometimes associated with the mythical bakunawa serpent. It is often cooked in adobo or grilled.
Examples
" May igat sa palaisdaan. "
Natural Translation
There are eels in the fishpond.
Literal Translation
There-is eel in-the fishpond.
" Nahuli kami ng igat sa ilog kahapon. "
Natural Translation
We caught an eel in the river yesterday.
Literal Translation
Caught we of eel in-the river yesterday.
" Tuwing tag-ulan, dumarami ang igat sa mga sapa kaya marami ang nangingisda dito gamit ang bingwit. "
Natural Translation
During the rainy season, eels become more plentiful in the streams, so many people fish here using a hook and line.
Literal Translation
Every rainy-season, increases the eel in-the streams so many the fishing here using the hook-and-line.
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.
Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.
Filipino Family Words and Honorifics: Ate, Kuya & Tita
Filipino family words like ate, kuya, tita, tito, lolo, and lola go far beyond family — learn how Filipinos use them with strangers, plus mano po etiquette.
Tagalog Pronouns Explained: Complete Chart with Examples
Every Tagalog pronoun explained with clear charts: ang/ng/sa forms, tayo vs kami, ikaw vs ka, politeness markers, and the mistakes beginners make.
Magkano: How to Ask "How Much" in Tagalog
Magkano means how much in Tagalog. Learn to ask a price, tell it apart from ilan and gaano, sound polite with po, and haggle at the palengke.