Tagalog Polite Expressions

When talking to older people, superiors, adult strangers or adult customers, po’/ho’ (p. 325) is added and kayo (p. 45) is used instead of ikaw/ka. Examples:

Kumusta?

Kumusta po’?

Mabuti naman. Ikaw, kumusta?

Mabuti naman po’. Kayo po’, kumusta?

Magandang umaga.

Magandang umaga po’.

Please respect copyright. Learn more

Contents  |  Detailed Contents  |  Up ▲

See notes on Terminology and Pronunciation Marks

This grammar guide is part of the Learning Tagalog Course.
Do you want to speak Tagalog fluently?

Try the course

Tagalog grammar book

From Essential Tagalog Grammar: A Reference for Learners of Tagalog, Second Edition
By Fiona De Vos

“I got a copy of your book and I love it. It’s really the best I’ve come across.”
— Martin Kelemenis, Geneva, Switzerland