From root: talaga
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
tumalaga
tu-ma-la-GA
dedicated oneself
Present (Incomplete)
tumatalaga
tu-ma-ta-la-GA
dedicating oneself
Future (Contemplated)
tatalaga
ta-ta-la-GA
will dedicate oneself
Usage Note
Tumalaga is typically used in formal or spiritual contexts to describe a person committing or dedicating themselves to a cause, duty, or deity. It implies a deep, intentional level of devotion rather than casual effort.
Examples
" Tumalaga siya sa simbahan. "
Natural Translation
He dedicated himself to the church.
Literal Translation
Dedicated he to church.
" Kailangan mong tumalaga sa iyong mga tungkulin. "
Natural Translation
You need to dedicate yourself to your duties.
Literal Translation
Need you to dedicate yourself to your duties.
" Matapos ang mahabang pagninilay, tumalaga siya sa paglilingkod sa mga mahihirap habambuhay. "
Natural Translation
After a long period of reflection, he dedicated himself to serving the poor for the rest of his life.
Literal Translation
After the long reflection, dedicated he to serving to the poor lifelong.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
talaga has 7 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.

Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.

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 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.

Tagalog Slang Guide: 20 Words You'll Hear on TikTok
Tagalog slang explained: lodi, petmalu, werpa, astig, chika and more. Decode Filipino TikTok comments, group chats, and pop culture with this practical guide.