Skip to content

tadhana

fate or destiny

noun verb tad-HA-na Native origin Less Common

Usage Note

Tadhana carries a deeply poetic and philosophical weight in Filipino culture, invoking the sense that life events are preordained. It appears frequently in literature, song, and film, often used to explain why two people met or why something happened beyond human control. It is more elevated in register than kapalaran.

Examples

Beginner

" Naniniwala ako sa tadhana. "

Natural Translation

I believe in destiny.

Literal Translation

Believe I in destiny.

Intermediate

" Naniniwala siya sa tadhana. "

Natural Translation

He/she believes in destiny.

Literal Translation

Believes he/she in destiny.

Advanced

" Sa palagay niya, tadhana ang nagtagpo sa kanila kahit magkaiba sila ng pinagmulang bansa. "

Natural Translation

In her opinion, it was destiny that brought them together even though they came from different countries.

Literal Translation

In opinion her, destiny the brought-together to them even different they of origin country.

Free · iOS & Android

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 work

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.