Skip to content

kwento

story

noun verb ku-WEN-to Spanish origin Common
Illustration of "kwento" (story)

Usage Note

Kwento refers to both fictional stories and real-life anecdotes, and it is a central part of Filipino social culture when sharing news or personal updates. It is frequently used with the prefix 'mag-' to describe the act of narrating or recounting an event to others.

Examples

Beginner

" Gusto kong marinig ang kwento mo. "

Natural Translation

I want to hear your story.

Literal Translation

Want I to-hear the story your.

Intermediate

" Nakakatawa ang kwento niya. "

Natural Translation

His story is funny.

Literal Translation

Funny the story his/her.

Advanced

" Tuwing magkikita kami ng lola ko, palagi siyang may bagong kwento tungkol sa buhay nila noong bata pa sila. "

Natural Translation

Whenever my grandmother and I meet, she always has a new story about their life when they were still young.

Literal Translation

Every meet we of grandmother my, always she-that has new story about the life their when child still they.

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

Actor Focus Verbs

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.