tantiya
tantiyá with stress marks
to estimate or calculate
Usage Note
Tantiya comes from Spanish tantear (to estimate or probe). It is used for making rough calculations or eyeballing measurements — common in carpentry, cooking, and budgeting contexts where precision instruments are not used. It implies an educated guess rather than an exact figure.
Examples
" Tantiya ko lang ang presyo. "
Natural Translation
I'm just estimating the price.
Literal Translation
Estimate my only the price.
" Tama ang kanyang tantiya sa oras. "
Natural Translation
His/her estimate of the time is correct.
Literal Translation
Correct the his/her estimate of time.
" Bago kami bumili ng pintura, tinantiya muna ng karpintero kung ilang lata ang kakailanganin namin. "
Natural Translation
Before we bought paint, the carpenter first estimated how many cans we would need.
Literal Translation
Before we buy of paint, estimated first by carpenter if how-many cans the will-be-needed our.
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
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Na vs -ng in Tagalog: The Linker Rule Made Simple
When do you use na vs -ng in Tagalog? One simple rule, with clear examples, memory tips, and common mistakes explained for English-speaking beginners.
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.
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.
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.