yaya
yayâ with stress marks
to invite or induce
Also means
When stressed on the first syllable, yaya refers to a nanny or nursemaid, a domestic caregiver for children.
Usage Note
Yaya in this sense means to invite, entice, or coax someone into doing something or going somewhere, used in everyday informal speech when encouraging friends or family to join an activity. The stress on the final syllable distinguishes it from the homonym meaning nanny.
Examples
" Niyaya niya ako sa palengke. "
Natural Translation
She invited me to the market.
Literal Translation
Invited she me to market.
" May yaya siya na maglaro sa labas. "
Natural Translation
They have an invitation to play outside.
Literal Translation
Has invitation they to play at outside.
" Niyaya ko sana sila sa piknik, pero ayaw nilang sumama dahil umuulan nang malakas. "
Natural Translation
I had hoped to invite them to the picnic, but they didn't want to come because it was raining hard.
Literal Translation
Invited I hopefully them to picnic, but dislike they-link to-come because raining intensely strong.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workActor Focus Verbs
Object Focus Verbs
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Is Tagalog Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer
Tagalog takes around 1,100 hours to reach professional proficiency. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and what to expect at 3, 6, and 12 months.

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.

Ng vs Nang in Tagalog: The Spelling Rule
Ng vs nang sound identical but spell differently. Use ng to mark nouns (of, the object), and nang for how, when, repetition, and counting time.

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.