Foreign Words in Tagalog
When a foreign word is borrowed or assimilated into Tagalog, it is written according to the conventions of Tagalog phonetics. However, the names of persons and places need not be changed. Many foreign words (mostly Spanish and English) have been absorbed into the Tagalog vocabulary and remain foreign when their original spelling and pronunciation is retained. But when changed to conform with the Tagalog alphabet, they become Tagalog words. Although many new English loan words have come into the language in recent years (especialy technical and scientific terms), there are still many common, everyday words in the language that were borrowed from Spanish in earlier times. Between the English word telephone and the Spanish equivalent telefono, for example, the Tagalogs have adopted the latter and write it as teléponó.
In writing and pronouncing Spanish loan words in Tagalog, be guided by the following:
| SPANISH | TAGALOG | ENGLISH | |||
| hard c | is changed to k | as in | calesa | kalésa | rig |
| soft c | is changed to s | as in | circo | sírko | circus |
| ch | is changed to ts | as in | lechon | litsón | roast pig |
| f | is changed to p | as in | final | pinál | final |
| soft j | is changed to h | as in | cajon | kahón | box, drawer |
| or s | as in | jabon | sabón | soap | |
| ll | is changed to ly | as in | calle | kálye | street |
| q | is changed to k | as in | maquina | mákina | machine |
| v | is changed to b | as in | vapor | bapór | ship |
| z | is changed to s | as in | lapiz | lápis | pencil |
English words also undergo changes when they are assimilated into the Tagalog language. Some words may bear some resemblance to the original English words although others have an added hint of Spanish influence. Still others undergo odd, sometimes comical changes when English sounds are given the nearest Tagalog equivalent such as kwaliti for quality. Since kalidád is another Tagalog loan word (from Spanish), an English word may often have more than one Tagalog equivalent.
A current but debatable issue on the Filipinization of English words has also led to the use of words such as efektiv from the English word effective, the Tagalog equivalent of which is mabísa. Another example is varayti from variety (or urí in Tagalog).
The following lists a few of the rules:
| ENGLISH | TAGALOG | |||
| soft c | is changed to s | as in | cinema | sine |
| hard c | is changed to k | as in | academic | akadémik |
| ck | is changed to k | as in | gimmick | gímik |
| ct | is changed to k | as in | addict | ádik |
| qua or q | are changed to kwa | as in | quality | kwáliti |
| long i | is changed to ay | as in | driver | dráyber |
| f | is changed to p | as in | traffic | trápik |
| v | is changed to b | as in | believe | bilíb |
| long o | is changed to u | as in | approve | aprúb |
| cle | is changed to kel | as in | tricycle | tráysikel |
| tion | is changed to syon | as in | institution | institusyón |
| x | is changed to ks | as in | boxing | bóksing |
| j | is changed to dy | as in | janitor | dyánitor |
| beginning s | is changed to is | as in | sport | ísport |
| soft ch |