Indonesia and the Philippines have a long list of things in common. For starters, they're both archipelagic countries in Southeast Asia that are filled with tropical beaches and thousands of islands. Both countries have collectivistic cultures that value family and strong social ties. Another important characteristic they share is linguistic diversity: More than 700 indigenous local languages are spoken in Indonesia and over 180 languages are spoken in the Philippines. But despite their differences in inflection and context, did you know that several words in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog sound almost exactly alike?

They don't always align perfectly. After all, the Philippines was colonised by Spain and the United States for hundreds of years, which explains the heavy influence of English and Spanish in Tagalog. Meanwhile, there are many loanwords in Bahasa Indonesia that can be traced to the Dutch language.

Still, it's very common to pick out familiar words from conversations with the locals in Jakarta or Manila , even if you don't know exactly what they mean. Here, you'll find a list of similar-sounding words translated from Bahasa Indonesia to Tagalog. Test your vocabulary, and see how many you can guess correctly!

Also read: 18 Reasons You Should Visit Indonesia

Pronouns that sound similar in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog

Bahasa Indonesia Words: "Kami" (We / Us)

In Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog, "kami" is used when the person you are talking to is excluded from your statement, while "kita" includes the person you are talking to. | Image credit: Odua Images via Canva Pro

1. Me / I

Bahasa Indonesia: "Aku"

Tagalog: "Ako"

2. We / Us

Bahasa Indonesia: "Kami"

Tagalog: "Kami"

3. We / Us

Bahasa Indonesia: "Kita"

Tagalog: "Kita"

Counting numbers

Counting the number five or "lima" is the same in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: ozgurkeser via Canva Pro

4. Four

Bahasa Indonesia: "Empat"

Tagalog: "Apat"

5. Five

Bahasa Indonesia: "Lima"

Tagalog: "Lima"

6. Six

Bahasa Indonesia: "Enam"

Tagalog: "Anim"

7. Forty

Bahasa Indonesia: "Empat puluh"

Tagalog: "Apatnapu"

8. Fifty

Bahasa Indonesia: "Lima puluh"

Tagalog: "Limampu"

9. Thousand

Bahasa Indonesia: "Ribu"

Tagalog: "Libo"

Parts of the body

"Mata" refers to "eyes" in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: ooie via Canva Pro

10. Eyes

Bahasa Indonesia: "Mata"

Tagalog: "Mata"

11. Brain

Bahasa Indonesia: "Otak"

Tagalog: "Utak"

12. Tongue

Bahasa Indonesia: "Lidah"

Tagalog: "Dila"

13. Ear

Bahasa Indonesia: "Telinga"

Tagalog: "Tainga"

Verbs and actions

14. To wake

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bangun"

Tagalog: "Bangon"

15. To open

Bahasa Indonesia: "Buka"

Tagalog: "Buksan"

16. To wrap

Bahasa Indonesia: "Balut"

Tagalog: "Balot"

17. To bargain

Bahasa Indonesia: "Tawar"

Tagalog: "Tawad"

18. To pay

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bayar"

Tagalog: "Bayad"

19. To drink

Bahasa Indonesia: "Minum"

Tagalog: "Inom"

20. To laugh

Bahasa Indonesia: "Tawa" / "Tertawa"

Tagalog: "Tawa"

21. To sabotage

Bahasa Indonesia: "Sabotase"

Tagalog: "Sabotahe"

People and professions

Similar Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog Words:

"Anak" ("child") is spelled the same way in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: DistinctiveImages via Canva Pro

22. Child

Bahasa Indonesia: "Anak"

Tagalog: "Anak"

23. Youngest child

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bungsu"

Tagalog: "Bunso"

24. Male

Bahasa Indonesia: "Lelaki"

Tagalog: "Lalaki"

25. Teacher

Bahasa Indonesia: "Guru"

Tagalog: "Guro"

26. Judge

Bahasa Indonesia: "Hakim"

Tagalog: "Hukom"

27. Police

Bahasa Indonesia: "Polisi"

Tagalog: "Pulisya"

Furniture, household items, instruments, and other objects

"Lampu" translates to "lamp" in Bahasa Indonesia. | Image credit: stevanovicigor via Canva Pro

28. Lamp

Bahasa Indonesia: "Lampu"

Tagalog: "Lampara"

29. Table

Bahasa Indonesia: "Meja"

Tagalog: "Mesa"

30. Door

Bahasa Indonesia: "Pintu"

Tagalog: "Pinto"

31. Ladle

Bahasa Indonesia: "Sendok"

Tagalog: "Sandok"

32. Scissors

Bahasa Indonesia: "Gunting"

Tagalog: "Gunting"

33. Ring

Bahasa Indonesia: "Cincin"

Tagalog: "Singsing"

34. Weapon

Bahasa Indonesia: "Senjata"

Tagalog: "Sandata"

35. Flag

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bendera"

Tagalog: "Bandila"

The Tagalog word for "flag" is "bandila." | Image credit: Krisia Vinzon via Canva Pro

36. Guitar

Bahasa Indonesia: "Gitar"

Tagalog: "Gitara"

37. Violin

Bahasa Indonesia: "Biola"

Tagalog: "Biyolin"

38. Shoes

Bahasa Indonesia: "Sepatu"

Tagalog: "Sapatos"

39. Wooden sandals

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bakiak"

Tagalog: "Bakya"

40. Rock / Stone

Bahasa Indonesia: "Batu"

Tagalog: "Bato"

41. Umbrella

Bahasa Indonesia: "Payung"

Tagalog: "Payong"

Places and geographical locations

Tagalog Words: "Pulo" (Island)

One of the words used to describe an island is the Tagalog word "pulo." | Image credit: Freeartist via Canva Pro

42. School

Bahasa Indonesia: "Sekolah"

Tagalog: "Eskwela"

43. Island

Bahasa Indonesia: "Pulau" / "Kepulauan"

Tagalog: "Pulo" / "Kapuluan"

44. Nation

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bangsa"

Tagalog: "Bansa"

Money and the value of things

"Mahal" means "expensive" in both Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog. | Image credit: johan10 via Canva Pro

45. Price / Value

Bahasa Indonesia: "Harga"

Tagalog: "Halaga"

46. Debt

Bahasa Indonesia: "Hutang"

Tagalog: "Utang"

47. Economy

Bahasa Indonesia: "Ekonomi"

Tagalog: "Ekonomiya"

48. Less / Deficient

Bahasa Indonesia: "Kurang"

Tagalog: "Kulang"

49. Expensive

Bahasa Indonesia: "Mahal"

Tagalog: "Mahal"

50. Cheap

Bahasa Indonesia: "Murah"

Tagalog: "Mura"

Food and drinks

The word for "garlic" in Bahasa Indonesia is "bawang putih." | Image credit: warrengoldswain via Canva Pro

51. Garlic

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bawang putih"

Tagalog: "Bawang"

52. Liquor

Bahasa Indonesia: "Arak"

Tagalog: "Alak"

53. Chocolate

Bahasa Indonesia: "Cokelat"

Tagalog: "Tsokolate"

54. Sweet

Bahasa Indonesia: "Manis"

Tagalog: "Tamis"

Animals and nature

"Kuting" in Tagalog usually refers to a kitten, not just any normal-sized cat. | Image credit: Michal Collection via Canva Pro

55. Cat

Bahasa Indonesia: "Kucing"

Tagalog: "Kuting"

56. Pig

Bahasa Indonesia: "Babi"

Tagalog: "Baboy"

57. Goat

Bahasa Indonesia: "Kambing"

Tagalog: "K ambing"

58. Crocodile

Bahasa Indonesia: "Buaya"

Tagalog: "B uwaya"

"Crocodile" translates to "buaya" in Bahasa Indonesia. | Image credit: sumos via Canva Pro

59. Tree

Bahasa Indonesia: "Pohon"

Tagalog: "Puno"

60. Sky

Bahasa Indonesia: "Langit"

Tagalog: "Langit"

61. Moon

Bahasa Indonesia: "Bulan"

Tagalog: "Buwan"

Colours

Tagalog Words: "Itim" (Black)

"Itim" means "black" in Tagalog. | Image credit: aldarinho via Canva Pro

62. White

Bahasa Indonesia: "Putih"

Tagalog: "Puti"

63. Black

Bahasa Indonesia: "Hitam"

Tagalog: "Itim"

Emotions, abstract concepts, and ideas

Bahasa Indonesia to Tagalog Words: "Cinta" = "Sinta" (Love)

In Tagalog, "Sinta" is a romantic term of endearment that means "love" or "loved one." | Image credit: Nikita Burdenkov via Canva Pro

64. Love (possessive)

Bahasa Indonesia: "Cinta"

Tagalog: "Sinta"

65. Hope

Bahasa Indonesia: "Asa"

Tagalog: "Asa"

66. Conscience

Bahasa Indonesia: "Budi"

Tagalog: "Budhi"

67. Mistake

Bahasa Indonesia: "Kesalahan"

Tagalog: "Kasalanan"

68. Democracy

Bahasa Indonesia: "Demokrasi"

Tagalog: "Demokrasya"

69. Revolution

Bahasa Indonesia: "Revolusi"

Tagalog: "Rebolusyon"

70. Death

Bahasa Indonesia: "Kematian"

Tagalog: "Kamatayan"

"Kematian" means "death" in Bahasa Indonesia. | Image credit: jeffwasserman via Canva Pro

So, do you think you're ready to watch a Filipino telenovela or an Indonesian drama without subtitles? Not so fast. While there are certainly many words in Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog that look the same, some of them couldn't be more different in translation.

Saying " mahal kita " means "I love you" in Tagalog, but repeating the same phrase in Indonesia will probably make the locals wonder why you're calling your relationship expensive. And of course, there's " selamat pagi ," which stands for "good morning" in Bahasa Indonesia but means "thank you, stingray" in the Philippines.

Also read: 12 Important Filipino Phrases Every Visitor to the Philippines Must Know

Throughout your travels between Indonesia and the Philippines, you're likely to come across differences in verb tenses, conjugation, inflection, word order, and sentence structure. That being said, if you recognised most of the words on this list, give yourself a pat on the back! To our Filipino and Indonesian readers, let us know on our official Facebook page if there are any other similar words we missed.


Featured image credit: MicroStockHub via Canva Pro

About Author

Tiffany Conde

Tiffany Conde

Tiffany is a writer who covers travel, food, shopping, and pop culture. She has a soft spot for stories about Japan and Italy. While she waits patiently for her next adventure, she enjoys writing about the coolest places to stay around the world and where to find them.

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