raha
ráha with stress marks
rajah; title for precolonial chieftains
Usage Note
Raha is a Sanskrit loanword via Malay, used as the title for precolonial Philippine chieftains and rulers — most famously Rajah Sulayman and Rajah Matanda of Manila. It reflects the Indianized political culture that flourished in the archipelago before Spanish colonization.
Examples
" Si Raha Sulayman ay matapang. "
Natural Translation
Rajah Sulayman was brave.
Literal Translation
Si Rajah Sulayman brave.
" Ang Raha Sulayman ay isa sa mga pinuno ng Maynila bago dumating ang mga Español. "
Natural Translation
Rajah Sulayman was one of the rulers of Manila before the Spanish arrived.
Literal Translation
The Rajah Sulayman is one of-the plural leaders of-the Manila before arrived the plural Spanish.
" Bago pa man sumakop ang mga Espanyol, isang makapangyarihang raha ang namuno sa mga komunidad sa tabi ng ilog Pasig. "
Natural Translation
Even before the Spanish conquered, a powerful rajah led the communities along the Pasig River.
Literal Translation
Before even conquer the plural Spanish, a powerful rajah the led to plural community at side of river Pasig.
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 Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.

Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More
Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.

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.

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.