kalabitin
kalabitín with stress marks
to tap [someone]
From root: kalabit
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
kinalabit
ki-na-la-BIT
tapped
Present (Incomplete)
kinakalabit
ki-na-ka-la-BIT
is being tapped
Future (Contemplated)
kakalabitin
ka-ka-la-bi-TIN
will be tapped
Usage Note
Kalabitin is the object-focus -in form of kalabit, with the person being tapped as the grammatical focus. It is used in contexts where the receiver of the attention-getting touch is prominent — directing someone to notice, wake up, or pay attention without raising one's voice — and reflects the same culturally polite register as its actor-focus partner kumalabit.
Examples
" Kalabitin mo ang bata. "
Natural Translation
Tap the child.
Literal Translation
Tap you the child.
" Subukan mo na kalabitin ang bata. "
Natural Translation
Try to tap the child.
Literal Translation
Try you to tap the child.
" Mahinahon niyang kinalabit ang katabi upang ipaalam na nahuhulog na ang dala nitong libro sa sahig. "
Natural Translation
She gently tapped the person beside her to let them know that the book they were carrying was about to fall to the floor.
Literal Translation
Calmly she tapped the seatmate so-that to-inform that falling already the carried of-this book to floor.
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
kalabit has 1 related form 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.
Philippines Geography for Learners: Islands & Language
Philippines geography for Tagalog learners: 7,641 islands, three island groups, and the Southern Luzon heartland where the Tagalog language was born.
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 Root Words: Learn a Few Hundred, Understand Thousands
Tagalog root words unlock vocabulary fast: learn a few hundred and recognize thousands. Real word families, examples, and a practical study strategy.
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.