From root: tanso
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
nagtanso
nag-tan-SO
copper-plated or used copper
Present (Incomplete)
nagtatanso
nag-ta-tan-SO
copper-plating or using copper
Future (Contemplated)
magtatanso
mag-ta-tan-SO
will copper-plate or use copper
Usage Note
Magtanso is used in technical contexts for copper-plating, but it is more commonly used colloquially to mean deceiving or cheating someone by passing off something cheap as valuable. This usage is often associated with scams involving fake jewelry or imitation gold.
Examples
" Magtanso sila ng singsing. "
Natural Translation
They will copper-plate a ring.
Literal Translation
Copper-plate they of ring.
" Pinili nilang magtanso ng mga dekorasyon. "
Natural Translation
They chose to copper-plate the decorations.
Literal Translation
Chose they copper-plate of the decorations.
" Mag-ingat ka sa mga tindero sa palengke dahil may ilang nagtatanso ng alahas na ipinapasa nilang tunay na ginto. "
Natural Translation
Be careful with the vendors in the market because some pass off copper-plated jewelry as real gold.
Literal Translation
Be-careful you with the vendors in market because there-are some copper-plate of jewelry that pass-off they as real gold.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
tanso has 4 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.

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.

How to Say Sorry in Tagalog: Patawad vs Pasensya
How to say sorry in Tagalog: patawad, pasensya na, and paumanhin compared on a simple severity-and-formality ladder so you pick the right word every time.

Ang, Ng, Sa: The 3 Tagalog Case Markers Explained
Ang, ng, sa are the three Tagalog case markers every noun takes. Learn what each does, the personal forms si/ni/kay, plurals with mga, and clear examples.

Ng vs Nang in Tagalog: The Spelling Rule
Ng vs nang sound identical but spell differently. Use ng to mark nouns (of, the object), and nang for how, when, repetition, and counting time.