Usage Note
Katok is the standard word for knocking on a door. The verb form 'kumatok' is used when someone knocks, while 'katukan' means to knock on something specific. It is a high-frequency word in everyday Filipino life where visitors announce themselves by knocking.
Examples
" May katok sa pinto. "
Natural Translation
There's a knock at the door.
Literal Translation
There-is knock on door.
" Rinig ko ang katok sa pinto. "
Natural Translation
I hear the knock on the door.
Literal Translation
Hear I the knock on-the door.
" Pagkarinig ko ng malakas na katok, dali-dali akong bumangon dahil baka mahalaga ang dumating na bisita. "
Natural Translation
Upon hearing the loud knock, I quickly got up because the visitor who arrived might be important.
Literal Translation
Upon-hearing I of loud knock, quickly I got-up because maybe important the arrived visitor.
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.
Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More
Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.
Is Tagalog Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer
Tagalog takes around 1,100 hours to reach professional proficiency. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and what to expect at 3, 6, and 12 months.
Filipino Food: 12 Essential Dishes (With Tagalog Names)
Filipino food, from adobo to halo-halo: learn the Tagalog names, pronunciations, and ingredients behind 12 dishes you'll want to try on your first trip.
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.