Tagalog uniquely uses two completely different sets of numbers in daily conversations.

You’ll hear native Filipino speakers use both native Tagalog numbers and Spanish-derived numbers.

Knowing which set to use depends on exactly what you’re counting.

I’ll show you how to count using both systems and explain exactly when to use each one.

The two number systems in Tagalog

The Philippines was a Spanish colony for over 300 years.

This long history deeply influenced the Tagalog language.

Modern Filipino relies heavily on Spanish loanwords for counting as a result of this history.

These Spanish numbers are spelled using the modern Filipino alphabet instead of traditional Spanish spelling.

Native Tagalog numbers are still widely used alongside these Spanish words today.

You must learn both number systems to truly understand native speakers in the Philippines.

Native Tagalog numbers

Let’s look at the native Tagalog numbers from one to ten.

These words are entirely indigenous to the Philippines and belong to the Austronesian language family.

Native numbers combine with specific prefixes and suffixes to form larger numbers.

For example, the word for twenty is dalawampu.

This literally combines dalawa (two) and sampu (ten) to create a multiple of ten.

Spanish-derived Tagalog numbers

Now let’s look at the Spanish-derived numbers used in Tagalog.

Notice that they sound exactly like Spanish numbers but are spelled very differently.

Tagalog orthography generally replaces the letters C and V with K and W.

This phonetic spelling makes the pronunciation much easier for native Filipino speakers to read.

When to use native Tagalog numbers

Native Tagalog numbers are primarily used for counting physical objects.

If you’re counting the number of apples on a table, you should use native numbers.

They’re also heavily used for sequential counting from one to ten.

You’ll frequently hear native numbers used to express basic measurements like length or weight.

Here are a few examples of native numbers in action.

Notice that we add the grammatical linker ng to the end of the number when it modifies a noun.

When to use Spanish numbers in Tagalog

Spanish numbers are strictly used for specific categories of counting in daily life.

The most common use for Spanish-derived numbers is telling time.

Filipinos almost always use Spanish numbers when reading the clock.

Money and prices are also routinely stated using Spanish numbers.

When talking about a person’s age, both systems are acceptable in conversation.

However, older generations tend to prefer Spanish numbers when discussing ages.

For numbers higher than ten, Filipinos heavily prefer using the Spanish system.

Native Tagalog numbers above twenty can become very long and difficult to say quickly.

It’s simply much faster to say bente (20) than dalawampu.