kapal
kapál with stress marks
thickness
Also means
Kapal can also refer to shamelessness when used in the common idiomatic expression "kapal ng mukha."
Usage Note
Kapal refers to physical thickness or the density of things like hair and crowds, and is most often used with the prefix 'ma-' (makapal). It is also famously used in the idiom 'makapal ang mukha' to describe someone who is shameless or brazen.
Examples
" Makapal ang ulap ngayon. "
Natural Translation
The clouds are thick now.
Literal Translation
Thick the cloud now.
" Ang kapal ng librong ito. "
Natural Translation
This book is very thick.
Literal Translation
The thickness of book this.
" Dahil sa kapal ng pader na ito, hindi naririnig ang ingay mula sa kalsada kahit gabi. "
Natural Translation
Because of how thick this wall is, you can't hear the noise from the street even at night.
Literal Translation
Because of thickness of wall linker this, not heard the noise from the street even night.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workDerived Words
Actor 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.

Tagalog Verb Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)
The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.

Tagalog Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Tagalog?
Survival Tagalog takes ~3-4 weeks and comfortable conversation 6-12 months. FSI's 1,100 hours is the professional bar, not the talking-to-family bar.

How to Say Sorry in Tagalog: Patawad vs Pasensya
How to say sorry in Tagalog: patawad, pasensya na, and paumanhin compared on a simple severity-and-formality ladder so you pick the right word every time.