From root: ina
Usage Note
Ina-inahan refers to a woman who plays a maternal role without being the biological mother, such as a stepmother or godmother.
Examples
" Para siyang ina-inahan ko. "
Natural Translation
She is like a foster mother to me.
Literal Translation
Like-she foster-mother my.
" Itinuring niya itong ina-inahan. "
Natural Translation
She considered her a foster mother.
Literal Translation
Considered she this foster-mother.
" Naging ina-inahan ng aking ninang ang lahat ng batang ulila sa kanilang baryo noong panahon ng digmaan. "
Natural Translation
My godmother became a foster mother to all the orphaned children in their village during the time of war.
Literal Translation
Became foster-mother of my godmother all of child orphaned in their village during time of war.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
ina has 2 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.

Tagalog Affixes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Word Building
Tagalog affixes turn one root word into dozens of meanings. Learn prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes with clear examples for beginners.

Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.

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.

Is Tagalog Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer
Tagalog takes around 1,100 hours to reach professional proficiency. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and what to expect at 3, 6, and 12 months.