From root: talo
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
nagtalo
nag-ta-LO
argued
Present (Incomplete)
nagtatalo
nag-ta-ta-LO
arguing
Future (Contemplated)
magtatalo
mag-ta-ta-LO
will argue
Usage Note
Magtalo is used when two or more people engage in a verbal disagreement or debate over a specific topic. It highlights the act of arguing back and forth rather than the emotional weight of a more serious confrontation.
Examples
" Ayaw kong magtalo sa iyo. "
Natural Translation
I don't want to argue with you.
Literal Translation
Dislike I to-argue with you.
" Hindi mabuti ang magtalo sa harap ng bata. "
Natural Translation
It is not good to argue in front of children.
Literal Translation
Not good the to-argue at front of child.
" Sa halip na magtalo tungkol sa politika, mas mabuti pang pag-usapan natin kung paano matutulungan ang komunidad. "
Natural Translation
Instead of arguing about politics, it's better that we talk about how to help the community.
Literal Translation
In place that to-argue about politics, more good still talk-about we if how will-be-helped the community.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
talo has 9 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.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Tagalog?
Survival Tagalog takes ~3-4 weeks and comfortable conversation 6-12 months. FSI's 1,100 hours is the professional bar, not the talking-to-family bar.

Tagalog Numbers 1-100: Counting, Time & Money Explained
Learn Tagalog numbers 1-100 and beyond. Master both native and Spanish-derived counting systems, plus telling time, reading prices, and ordinals.

Philippines Geography for Learners: Islands & Language
Philippines geography for Tagalog learners: 7,641 islands, three island groups, and the Southern Luzon heartland where the Tagalog language was born.

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.