From root: tawag
Usage Note
Tawagan refers to the specific terms of endearment or nicknames people use for one another. It can also refer to a place where calls are made.
Examples
" Ano ang tawagan ninyo? "
Natural Translation
What's your nickname for each other?
Literal Translation
What the mutual-nickname your?
" Ano ang tawagan ninyong dalawa? "
Natural Translation
What is your mutual nickname for each other?
Literal Translation
What is the mutual nickname of you two?
" Mula noong bata pa kami, ang tawagan naming magkapatid ay hango sa mga karakter sa paborito naming kuwento. "
Natural Translation
Ever since we were children, the nicknames we siblings use for each other have come from characters in our favorite story.
Literal Translation
From when child still we, the mutual-nickname our siblings is derived from the characters in favorite our story.
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
tawag 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.
Spaced Repetition for Tagalog: How Flashcards Make Words Stick
Cramming Tagalog vocabulary fails. See how spaced repetition — the science behind smart flashcards — makes words stick for the long term.
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.
Tagalog vs Filipino: What's the Difference & Which to Learn
Tagalog and Filipino aren't the same language — but they overlap almost completely. Here's the real difference and which one you should actually learn.