Skip to content

tungkol

tungkól with stress marks

about; regarding

preposition noun tung-KOL Native origin Common

Usage Note

Tungkol is almost always followed by the markers 'sa' (for general topics) or 'kay' (for specific individuals) to specify the subject of a conversation. It is a fundamental word used in both everyday speech and formal writing to mean 'about' or 'regarding.'

Examples

Beginner

" Tungkol saan ang libro? "

Natural Translation

What is the book about?

Literal Translation

About what the book?

Intermediate

" Ano ang tungkol sa iyong kwento? "

Natural Translation

What is your story about?

Literal Translation

What is about your story?

Advanced

" Ang pelikulang pinanood namin kagabi ay tungkol sa isang batang nahiwalay sa kaniyang pamilya noong digmaan. "

Natural Translation

The movie we watched last night is about a child who was separated from his family during the war.

Literal Translation

The movie that watched we last-night is about a child that separated from his family during war.

Free · iOS & Android

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 work

Object Focus Verbs

Explore Tagalog by topic

Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.