Usage Note
Kape is a staple in Filipino breakfast and merienda culture, where it is common to dip pandesal into the cup. You can also use it as a verb, 'magkape,' to invite someone to have a coffee break together.
Examples
" Gusto mo ba ng kape? "
Natural Translation
Do you want coffee?
Literal Translation
Want you [question] of coffee?
" Gusto ko ng mainit na kape. "
Natural Translation
I want a hot coffee.
Literal Translation
Want I of hot coffee.
" Tuwing umaga, iniinom muna namin ang mainit na kape bago kami magsimulang magtrabaho sa bukid. "
Natural Translation
Every morning, we drink hot coffee first before we start working in the field.
Literal Translation
Every morning, drink first we the hot coffee before we start to-work in field.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
Magkano: How to Ask "How Much" in Tagalog
Magkano means how much in Tagalog. Learn to ask a price, tell it apart from ilan and gaano, sound polite with po, and haggle at the palengke.