Usage Note
Kanta is the most common word for 'song' and can be used as a verb (kumanta) or a noun. It is central to daily life and Filipino culture, especially during karaoke sessions which are a favorite local pastime.
Examples
" Maganda ang kanta na ito. "
Natural Translation
This song is nice.
Literal Translation
Nice the song that this.
" Paborito ko ang kanta na iyan. "
Natural Translation
That is my favorite song.
Literal Translation
Favorite mine the song that.
" Tuwing naririnig ko ang kantang ito sa radyo, naaalala ko agad ang mga masasayang araw noong bata pa ako. "
Natural Translation
Whenever I hear this song on the radio, I immediately remember the happy days when I was still a child.
Literal Translation
Every-time hearing I the song this on radio, remembering I immediately the happy days when child still I.
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 workActor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Seasons in the Philippines: A Tagalog Guide
The Philippines has two seasons, not four. Learn tag-araw, tag-ulan, and taglamig, the generative tag- prefix, and the weather vocabulary to match.
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.
Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.
Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.