Skip to content

karaniwan

karaniwán with stress marks

ordinary, common

adjective ka-ra-ni-WAN Derived origin Common

Usage Note

Karaniwan means typical, usual, or ordinary, and is one of the most frequently used descriptors in Tagalog, applicable to people, events, and things alike. Depending on tone it can be neutral or carry a slightly dismissive shade.

Examples

Beginner

" Karaniwan lang ang araw ko. "

Natural Translation

My day was just ordinary.

Literal Translation

Ordinary just the day my.

Intermediate

" Karaniwan lang ang buhay namin sa probinsya pero masaya kami. "

Natural Translation

Our life in the province is ordinary but we are happy.

Literal Translation

Ordinary just the life our in-the province but happy we.

Advanced

" Karaniwan nang umuulan tuwing Hunyo kaya laging may dalang payong ang mga tao sa kalye. "

Natural Translation

It usually rains in June, so people on the street always carry an umbrella.

Literal Translation

Common already rains every-time June so always has carrying umbrella the (plural) person in street.

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.