Usage Note
Ngangá as a verb describes the physical act of opening the mouth wide, whether for eating, speaking, or in a gesture of shock. The part of speech here is better classified as a verb rather than a noun given the infinitive-style meaning in the input.
Examples
" Ngangá ka para makakain. "
Natural Translation
Open your mouth so you can eat.
Literal Translation
Open-mouth you so can-eat.
" Ngangá ka lang at isusubo ko sa iyo ang gamot. "
Natural Translation
Just open your mouth and I will put the medicine in it.
Literal Translation
Open-mouth you just and will-put I to you the medicine.
" Inutusan ng dentista ang bata na ngangá nang husto upang malinis na mabuti ang kanyang mga ngipin. "
Natural Translation
The dentist instructed the child to open his mouth wide so that his teeth could be cleaned thoroughly.
Literal Translation
Instructed by-the dentist the child to open-mouth wide so-that can-clean well the his plural tooth.
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
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Magkano: How to Ask "How Much" in Tagalog
Magkano means how much in Tagalog. Learn to ask a price, tell it apart from ilan and gaano, sound polite with po, and haggle at the palengke.
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 Root Words: Learn a Few Hundred, Understand Thousands
Tagalog root words unlock vocabulary fast: learn a few hundred and recognize thousands. Real word families, examples, and a practical study strategy.
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.