Usage Note
Saging is a staple fruit in the Philippines, with varieties like lakatan typically eaten raw and saba used in popular snacks like turon and banana cue.
Examples
" Kumain ako ng saging. "
Natural Translation
I ate a banana.
Literal Translation
Ate I of banana.
" Bumili ako ng saging. "
Natural Translation
I bought a banana.
Literal Translation
Bought I of banana.
" Sa palengke, mas mura ang saging na saba kaysa sa lakatan kaya iyon ang madalas naming binibili. "
Natural Translation
At the market, saba bananas are cheaper than lakatan, so that's what we usually buy.
Literal Translation
In market, more cheap the banana saba than the lakatan so that the often our being-bought.
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.
Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.
Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.
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.
Seasons in the Philippines: A Tagalog Guide
The Philippines has two seasons, not four. Learn tag-araw, tag-ulan, and taglamig, the generative tag- prefix, and the weather vocabulary to match.