filipino

IPA/ˌfɪlɪˈpiːnəʊ/
KK[fˌɪləpˈino]IPA/ˌfɪlɪˈpiːnəʊ/

filipino — noun

  • filipinosingular
  • filipinosplural

1. a person who was born in or has citizenship in the Philippines, an island countr

1.nounA2
Definition

a person who was born in or has citizenship in the Philippines, an island country in Southeast Asia

Example

Christopher's neighbour is a Filipino who moved to Manila to study engineering.

countable noun for nationality

Marco met a friendly Filipino at the market who helped him pick fresh mangoes.

Common collocations
  • Filipino nurse
  • Filipino worker
  • Filipino community
  • Filipino family
Synonyms
  • Filipina

    female-specific term for a woman or girl from the Philippines

  • Pinoy

    informal, friendly term for a Filipino person, common within the community

Usage Note

Commonly used as a countable noun for people from the Philippines. The female-specific form 'Filipina' also exists, but 'Filipino' is often used as the gender-neutral term in modern English.

Common Mistakes

She is a Philippine.
She is a Filipino.
'Philippine' is an adjective, not a noun for a person.

2. the language used for official business and teaching in the Philippines, based m

2.nounB1
Definition

the language used for official business and teaching in the Philippines, based mainly on the Tagalog dialect of the Manila area

Example

Liang is learning to speak Filipino so he can talk with his relatives in Manila.

learn / speak + Filipino (language name)

Hassan listens to Filipino songs on the radio to improve his listening skills.

Common collocations
  • speak Filipino
  • learn Filipino
  • in Filipino
  • Filipino dictionary
  • Filipino lesson
Synonyms
  • Tagalog

    the language that Filipino is primarily based on; sometimes used interchangeably in everyday speech

Usage Note

As a language, Filipino is based on Tagalog and is one of two official languages of the Philippines, alongside English. 'Filipino' and 'Tagalog' are sometimes used interchangeably in casual conversation, though they are technically distinct.

Common Mistakes

I can speak Philippine.
I can speak Filipino.
The language is called 'Filipino', not 'Philippine'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Filipino as a noun with sense "person from the Philippines" is the most common and neutral term for both men and women. Filipina is a female-specific form used when you need to specify a woman or girl — for example, 'She is a Filipina nurse from Cebu.' Philippine is an adjective, not a noun, so you cannot say 'a Philippine' — instead use it before a noun: 'Philippine culture' or 'the Philippine government.' Pinoy is an informal, friendly term used within and about the Filipino community, similar to 'Aussie' for Australians. In everyday use, 'Filipino' works well for all genders and is the safest choice for learners.

Filipina ↗Philippine ↗Pinoy

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

SpanishEnglish

The word 'Filipino' comes from Spanish 'Filipino', which was derived from 'Filipinas', the Spanish name for the Philippine Islands. The name 'Filipinas' was given in honor of King Philip II of Spain (Felipe II in Spanish) during the 16th century. Originally the term referred only to Spanish-born residents of the colony, but over time its meaning broadened to include any person from the islands. The language sense emerged in the 20th century when Filipino, based on Tagalog, was declared the national language.