From root: paalam
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
pumaalam
pu-ma-A-lam
said goodbye
Present (Incomplete)
pumapaalam
pu-ma-pa-A-lam
saying goodbye
Future (Contemplated)
papaalam
pa-pa-A-lam
will say goodbye
Usage Note
Pumaalam is used when formally taking one's leave or bidding farewell, often carrying a more literary or serious tone than the everyday 'magpaalam'. It is typically used in writing or formal speeches rather than in casual daily conversation.
Examples
" Pumaalam siya sa amin. "
Natural Translation
He said goodbye to us.
Literal Translation
Said-goodbye he to us.
" Gusto niyang pumaalam nang maayos. "
Natural Translation
He wants to say goodbye properly.
Literal Translation
Want he say-goodbye good.
" Bago siya umalis patungong ibang bansa, pumaalam muna siya sa kanyang mga magulang nang buong pitagan. "
Natural Translation
Before he left for another country, he first bade farewell to his parents with full respect.
Literal Translation
Before he leave toward other country, said-goodbye first he to his parents with full respect.
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 workWord family
paalam has 5 related forms built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Tagalog vs Filipino: What's the Difference & Which to Learn
Tagalog and Filipino aren't the same language — but they overlap almost completely. Here's the real difference and which one you should actually learn.
Days of the Week and Months in Tagalog
The days of the week and months in Tagalog are Spanish loanwords. Learn all 7 days and 12 months with pronunciation, plus how to say dates and 'every Monday.'
May vs Mayroon vs Meron: Have & There Is
May vs mayroon in Tagalog finally made simple: one rule decides which to use, plus how meron and wala fit the same have and there-is family.
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.