utol
útol with stress marks
term for brother or sister
Usage Note
Utol is a casual, affectionate shortening of 'kapatid' (sibling), used among close friends and family. It is also used loosely to address a close male friend the way 'bro' is used in English, reflecting the Filipino value of close social bonds.
Examples
" Kumusta, utol? "
Natural Translation
How are you, bro?
Literal Translation
How-are-you, sibling?
" Utol ko siya, palagi kaming magkasama. "
Natural Translation
He's my brother, we're always together.
Literal Translation
Sibling my he, always we together.
" Kahit malayo na kami ngayon, itinuturing ko pa ring utol ang kaibigang kasama ko sa mga unang taon sa Maynila. "
Natural Translation
Even though we are far apart now, I still regard the friend who was with me during my first years in Manila as a brother.
Literal Translation
Even far already we now, regard I still sibling the friend that-together me in the first years in Manila.
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.
Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.
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.
Seasons in the Philippines: A Tagalog Guide
The Philippines has two seasons, not four. Learn tag-araw, tag-ulan, and taglamig, the generative tag- prefix, and the weather vocabulary to match.
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.