timpalak
timpalák with stress marks
contest; competition
Usage Note
Timpalak is used for formal competitions and contests, from school oratorical contests to regional festivals. It is slightly more formal than the commonly used paligsahan and often appears in official announcements and event titles. The word has a ceremonial quality that lends weight to the event being named.
Examples
" Sasali ako sa timpalak. "
Natural Translation
I will join the contest.
Literal Translation
Will-join I in contest.
" Sumali siya sa timpalak sa pag-awit. "
Natural Translation
He/She joined the singing contest.
Literal Translation
Joined he/she in contest in singing.
" Buong taon kaming naghanda para sa timpalak sa pagsasayaw, kaya't masaya kaming lahat nang manalo ang aming paaralan. "
Natural Translation
We prepared the whole year for the dance contest, so we were all happy when our school won.
Literal Translation
Whole year we prepared for the contest in dancing, so happy we all when won the our school.
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 Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.

Tagalog Affixes Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Word Building
Tagalog affixes turn one root word into dozens of meanings. Learn prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes with clear examples for beginners.

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 Pronouns Explained: Complete Chart with Examples
Every Tagalog pronoun explained with clear charts: ang/ng/sa forms, tayo vs kami, ikaw vs ka, politeness markers, and the mistakes beginners make.