Skip to content

kulintang

kulintáng with stress marks

set of eight gongs

noun ku-lin-TANG Native origin Rare

Usage Note

Kulintang is a row of small, horizontally laid bronze or brass gongs of graduated size, played by striking with padded mallets and central to the musical traditions of Muslim Mindanao and Sulu. The kulintang ensemble typically includes other percussion instruments and is played at ceremonies, celebrations, and healing rituals.

Examples

Beginner

" Marunong siyang tumugtog ng kulintang. "

Natural Translation

She knows how to play the kulintang.

Literal Translation

Knows she play of kulintang.

Intermediate

" Maganda ang tunog ng kulintang. "

Natural Translation

The sound of the kulintang is beautiful.

Literal Translation

Beautiful the sound of kulintang.

Advanced

" Sa bawat pista sa Mindanao, ang tunog ng kulintang ang nagbibigay-buhay sa sayaw at pagdiriwang ng buong pamayanan. "

Natural Translation

At every festival in Mindanao, the sound of the kulintang brings life to the dancing and celebration of the whole community.

Literal Translation

In every festival in Mindanao, the sound of kulintang the gives-life to-the dance and celebration of whole community.

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.