tensiyon
tensiyón with stress marks
tension
Usage Note
Tensiyon, adapted from English 'tension', is used in Filipino for emotional or interpersonal tension as well as physical tension. It is also commonly used as a colloquial term for high blood pressure — 'mataas ang tensiyon niya' (his blood pressure is high) — reflecting how the word has been adapted in everyday health conversations.
Examples
" May tensiyon sa aming bahay. "
Natural Translation
There is tension in our house.
Literal Translation
Has tension in our house.
" Ramdam ang tensiyon sa loob ng kwarto. "
Natural Translation
The tension inside the room is felt.
Literal Translation
Felt the tension inside of room.
" Tumaas ang tensiyon sa pagitan ng dalawang grupo nang hindi sila magkasundo sa paghahati ng gastos. "
Natural Translation
The tension between the two groups rose when they could not agree on splitting the costs.
Literal Translation
Rose the tension in between of two groups when not they agree in dividing of expense.
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 Focus System Explained (It's Not Active vs. Passive)
The Tagalog verb focus system isn't active vs. passive. Learn actor focus, object focus, and more with clear examples that finally make it click.
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 Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.
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.