katam
katám with stress marks
plane tool used by carpenters
Usage Note
Katam is the traditional carpenter's hand plane used to smooth and shape wood. Filipino woodworking has a long tradition, and the katam is a staple tool of 'anluwagi' (carpenters) making furniture, buildings, and boats. The verb form 'kumatam' means to plane or smooth wood.
Examples
" Matalim ang katam na ito. "
Natural Translation
This plane is sharp.
Literal Translation
Sharp the plane this.
" Ginagamit ng anluwagi ang katam para pakinisin ang kahoy. "
Natural Translation
The carpenter uses the plane to smooth the wood.
Literal Translation
Uses the carpenter the plane to smooth the wood.
" Tinuruan ako ng aking lolo kung paano gamitin nang maayos ang katam upang pakinisin ang mga tabla bago gawing muwebles. "
Natural Translation
My grandfather taught me how to properly use the plane to smooth the boards before turning them into furniture.
Literal Translation
Taught me by my grandfather how to use properly the plane to smooth the boards before making furniture.
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 workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
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.
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.
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.
Tagalog vs Filipino: What's the Difference & Which to Learn
Tagalog and Filipino aren't the same language — but they overlap almost completely. Here's the real difference and which one you should actually learn.