ilang-ilang
ilang-ílang with stress marks
perfume tree or Macassar-oil plant
Usage Note
Ilang-ilang is the ylang-ylang tree whose intensely fragrant yellow flowers are among the most iconic in Philippine culture — strung into garlands, used in religious offerings, and distilled into perfume oil exported worldwide. The scent is a common memory trigger for Filipino diaspora.
Examples
" Mabango ang ilang-ilang. "
Natural Translation
The ilang-ilang smells nice.
Literal Translation
Fragrant the ilang-ilang.
" Mabango ang bulaklak ng ilang-ilang sa hardin. "
Natural Translation
The ilang-ilang flowers in the garden smell wonderful.
Literal Translation
Fragrant the flower of-the ilang-ilang in-the garden.
" Tuwing naaamoy ko ang ilang-ilang, naaalala ko agad ang hardin ng aking lola noong bata pa ako. "
Natural Translation
Whenever I smell ilang-ilang, I immediately remember my grandmother's garden when I was still a child.
Literal Translation
Whenever smell I the ilang-ilang, can-remember I right-away the garden of my grandmother when child still I.
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 Verb Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)
The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.

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.

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.

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.