From root: ilan
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
nag-ilan
nag-i-LAN
were how many
Present (Incomplete)
nag-iilan
nag-i-i-LAN
are how many
Future (Contemplated)
mag-iilan
mag-i-i-LAN
will be how many
Usage Note
Mag-ilan is used when inquiring about or determining the total number of people or objects that will comprise a specific group or set. It is relatively uncommon in modern speech, as speakers usually prefer using the simple interrogative 'ilan' instead.
Examples
" Mag-ilan tayo bago umalis. "
Natural Translation
Let's count how many we are before leaving.
Literal Translation
Be-how-many we before leave.
" Kailangan mong mag-ilan ng mga tao. "
Natural Translation
You need to say how many people there are.
Literal Translation
Need you be-how-many of plural people.
" Bago magsimula ang lakbayan, kailangan munang mag-ilan ang grupo upang matiyak na walang maiiwang kasama sa lugar. "
Natural Translation
Before the trip starts, the group first needs to count how many they are to make sure no companion is left behind at the place.
Literal Translation
Before start the trip, need first be-how-many the group so-that ensure that none will-be-left companion at place.
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 workWord family
ilan has 3 related forms built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
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.
Filipino Food: 12 Essential Dishes (With Tagalog Names)
Filipino food, from adobo to halo-halo: learn the Tagalog names, pronunciations, and ingredients behind 12 dishes you'll want to try on your first trip.
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.
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.