From root: ingat
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
nag-ingat
nag-I-ngat
was careful
Present (Incomplete)
nag-iingat
nag-i-I-ngat
is being careful
Future (Contemplated)
mag-iingat
mag-i-I-ngat
will be careful
Usage Note
Mag-ingat is used as a common imperative to tell someone to take care, often serving as a polite parting phrase similar to 'take care' in English. It is also frequently used as a general warning to be cautious or mindful of one's safety in various situations.
Examples
" Mag-ingat ka sa daan. "
Natural Translation
Be careful on the road.
Literal Translation
Be-careful you on road.
" Huwag mong kalimutang mag-ingat palagi. "
Natural Translation
Do not forget to be careful always.
Literal Translation
Do-not you forget be-careful always.
" Dapat tayong mag-ingat sa mga estranghero lalo na kapag malalim na ang gabi sa lungsod. "
Natural Translation
We should be careful around strangers, especially when the night gets late in the city.
Literal Translation
Should we be-careful with plural strangers especially when deep already the night in city.
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
ingat has 5 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.
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.
Spaced Repetition for Tagalog: How Flashcards Make Words Stick
Cramming Tagalog vocabulary fails. See how spaced repetition — the science behind smart flashcards — makes words stick for the long term.
Tagalog Slang Guide: 20 Words You'll Hear on TikTok
Tagalog slang explained: lodi, petmalu, werpa, astig, chika and more. Decode Filipino TikTok comments, group chats, and pop culture with this practical guide.
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.