Skip to content

kalinga

kalínga with stress marks

care, protection, attention

noun ka-LÍ-nga Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Kalinga expresses nurturing care directed toward another person, often implying emotional investment and long-term responsibility rather than casual attention. It is common in contexts of family, community service, and social welfare, and carries a warm, protective connotation that makes it stronger than simple pagmamahal in institutional or civic speech.

Examples

Beginner

" Kailangan ng kalinga ng matatanda. "

Natural Translation

The elderly need care.

Literal Translation

Need of care the elderly.

Intermediate

" Ang kalinga ng ina para sa kanyang anak ay walang kapantay. "

Natural Translation

A mother's care for her child is unmatched.

Literal Translation

The care the mother for her child is without-equal.

Advanced

" Bukod sa pera, ang tunay na kalinga ay ang pagbibigay ng panahon at pansin sa mga nangangailangan. "

Natural Translation

Beyond money, true care means giving time and attention to those in need.

Literal Translation

Besides money, the true care is the giving of time and attention to the needing.

Free · iOS & Android

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 work

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.