mikrobyo
mikróbyo with stress marks
microbes; germs
Usage Note
Mikrobyo is the everyday Tagalog word for microbes or germs and is used by parents and educators when talking about hygiene, handwashing, and illness prevention. It appears frequently in public health campaigns and became even more prominent after COVID-19.
Examples
" Maraming mikrobyo sa maruming bagay. "
Natural Translation
There are many germs in dirty things.
Literal Translation
Many germ in dirty thing.
" Kailangan mong maghugas ng kamay upang maiwasan ang mga mikrobyo. "
Natural Translation
You need to wash your hands to avoid microbes.
Literal Translation
Need you to-wash of hand in-order to-avoid the plural microbe.
" Tinuruan ng nanay ang mga bata na maghugas ng kamay bago kumain upang hindi makapasok ang mga mikrobyo. "
Natural Translation
The mother taught the children to wash their hands before eating so that germs would not get in.
Literal Translation
Taught by-the mother the plural child to wash of hand before eat so-that not enter the plural germ.
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.

Tagalog Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.

Tagalog Verb Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)
The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.

Na vs -ng in Tagalog: The Linker Rule Made Simple
When do you use na vs -ng in Tagalog? One simple rule, with clear examples, memory tips, and common mistakes explained for English-speaking beginners.

Tagalog Affixes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Word Building
Tagalog affixes turn one root word into dozens of meanings. Learn prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes with clear examples for beginners.