tapa
tapâ with stress marks
smoked-dried meat or fish
Also means
Tapa can also refer to a cover or lid when the stress shifts to the first syllable as tápa.
Usage Note
Tapa is a beloved Filipino preserved meat, typically made from thinly sliced beef, pork, or fish cured in vinegar, garlic, and salt. It is a defining component of tapsilog — the iconic Filipino breakfast of tapa, sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (egg). Tapa stalls are common in carinderias across the country.
Examples
" Kumain ako ng tapa. "
Natural Translation
I ate some tapa.
Literal Translation
Ate I of tapa.
" Masarap ang tapa na luto ni nanay. "
Natural Translation
The smoked-dried meat cooked by mother is delicious.
Literal Translation
Delicious the smoked-dried-meat that cooked by mother.
" Tuwing Linggo ng umaga, gumigising ako nang maaga para sa tapa, sinangag, at itlog na paborito kong almusal. "
Natural Translation
Every Sunday morning, I wake up early for the tapa, garlic rice, and egg that are my favorite breakfast.
Literal Translation
Every Sunday of morning, wake I early for the tapa, garlic-rice, and egg that favorite my breakfast.
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 workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.
Tagalog Verb Conjugation: Aspects Made Simple
Tagalog verb conjugation uses aspects, not tenses. Learn the three aspects with -um- and mag- verbs, one reduplication rule, and clear example tables.
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.
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 Word Order: Sentence Structure Made Simple
Why Tagalog puts the verb first, and how ang, ng, and sa markers work. A clear guide to VSO word order, forming questions, and negation.