tatuan
tatúan with stress marks
to tattoo [it]
From root: tato
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
tinatuan
ti-na-TU-an
tattooed
Present (Incomplete)
tinatatuan
ti-na-ta-TU-an
is being tattooed
Future (Contemplated)
tatatuan
ta-ta-TU-an
will be tattooed
Usage Note
Tatuan is the object-focus infinitive of tato, used when the body part or person receiving the tattoo is the grammatical focus rather than the artist. It reflects the growing tattoo culture in the Philippines, where indigenous tribal designs and modern flash art coexist.
Examples
" Gusto kong tatuan ang braso ko. "
Natural Translation
I want to get a tattoo on my arm.
Literal Translation
Want I to-tattoo the arm my.
" Planong tatuan ang kanyang likod ng larawan ng agila. "
Natural Translation
The plan is to tattoo his/her back with an image of an eagle.
Literal Translation
Plan to-tattoo the his/her back with image of eagle.
" Bago tatuan ng artist ang balikat mo, kailangan munang malinis at tuyo ang balat. "
Natural Translation
Before the artist tattoos your shoulder, the skin needs to be clean and dry first.
Literal Translation
Before to-tattoo by artist the shoulder your, need first clean and dry the skin.
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 workWord family
tato has 1 related form 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 Root Words: Learn a Few Hundred, Understand Thousands
Tagalog root words unlock vocabulary fast: learn a few hundred and recognize thousands. Real word families, examples, and a practical study strategy.
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.
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.
Mano Po and Filipino Etiquette: A Visitor's Guide
Mano po presses an elder's hand to your forehead as a blessing. Learn who to mano, how to lip-point, and the etiquette that wins over a Filipino family.