telenobela
telenobéla with stress marks
soap opera
Usage Note
Telenobela, from Spanish 'telenovela', refers to Filipino primetime drama serials — a cornerstone of Philippine broadcast culture. These shows often dominate household viewing, shape popular language and fashion trends, and launch the careers of major Filipino celebrities. ABS-CBN and GMA are the dominant producers.
Examples
" Mahilig sa telenobela si lola. "
Natural Translation
Grandma loves soap operas.
Literal Translation
Fond in soap-opera grandmother.
" Paborito ni nanay ang telenobela tuwing gabi. "
Natural Translation
The soap opera every night is mother's favorite.
Literal Translation
Favorite of mother the soap-opera every night.
" Hindi makapaghapunan nang tahimik ang pamilya kapag nagsimula na ang paborito nilang telenobela sa telebisyon. "
Natural Translation
The family can't have a quiet dinner once their favorite soap opera starts on television.
Literal Translation
Not can-dine quietly the family when started already the favorite their soap-opera on television.
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.
Filipino Family Words and Honorifics: Ate, Kuya & Tita
Filipino family words like ate, kuya, tita, tito, lolo, and lola go far beyond family — learn how Filipinos use them with strangers, plus mano po etiquette.
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.
Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.
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.