---
title: Tagalog (Filipino)
description: Tagalog is the basis of Filipino, the national language of the Philippines. You will learn pronunciation, verb focus and grammar, everyday vocabulary and resources for conversation.
category: languages
subcategory: asian-languages
difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced
url: /subject/tagalog-filipino
---

# Tagalog (Filipino)

Tagalog is the basis of Filipino, the national language of the Philippines. You will learn pronunciation, verb focus and grammar, everyday vocabulary and resources for conversation.

## Available Resources

4 Books • 1 Websites

## Books

### 1. Tagalog Reference Grammar

**Author:** Paul Schachter, Fe T. Otanes

A 576-page descriptive grammar of Tagalog covering sound system, sentence structure, topic and focus relations, verb affixation and aspect, modification, and enclitics, with thousands of example sentences. It is used as a reference, not read in order.

**Difficulty:** Advanced | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0520049438?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** tagalog grammar, reference grammar, verb focus, verb affixes, linguistics

### 2. Modern Tagalog: Grammatical Explanations and Exercises for Non-native Speakers

**Author:** Teresita V. Ramos, Restituto M. Cena

Grammar workbook for learners past the beginner stage, expanding Ramos's Tagalog Structures. Explains phonology, affixation, verb focus and aspect, linkers and complex sentences with many examples, and gives practice exercises for each point. Bridges beginner courses and the Schachter & Otanes reference with explanation plus drills, the step where self-learners usually stall on the affix/focus system.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0824813324?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** tagalog grammar, verb focus, verb affixes, grammar exercises

### 3. Tagalog for Beginners

**Author:** Teresita V. Ramos, Videa P. de Guzman

A 732-page University of Hawaii course text in drill-based lessons, each with dialogues, grammar notes and substitution and transformation drills on sentence structure, markers and verb forms. The best fully free, complete university course in Tagalog. Its 1971 audio-lingual style is dated and has no bundled audio, but its drill volume and systematic coverage of structure fill the free-first slot that nothing else matches. Free as an open-access PDF and EPUB under a CC BY-NC-SA license.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/4e67fb96-a63a-4586-a13b-8699384a5183

**Tags:** tagalog course, grammar drills, sentence structure, open textbook

### 4. Elementary Tagalog: Tara, Mag-Tagalog Tayo! Come On, Let's Speak Tagalog!

**Author:** Jiedson R. Domigpe, Nenita Pambid Domingo

University-level first-year Tagalog textbook built from the UCLA Filipino program. Covers pronunciation, markers, pronouns, verb focus and aspect, and everyday vocabulary through dialogues, cultural notes and exercises, with downloadable native-speaker audio. A companion workbook is sold separately.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/080484514X?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** tagalog textbook, beginner tagalog, verb focus, conversation, vocabulary

## Websites

### 1. Essential Tagalog Grammar (Free Online Reference)

**Author:** Fiona De Vos

Free online edition of Fiona De Vos's Essential Tagalog Grammar. Covers pronunciation, markers, pronouns, enclitics, linkers and word formation, and verbs (affixes, aspect, focus roles), with literal and natural translations of each example sentence. The literal-plus-natural translation format suits self-learners. The grammar section is free to read; the rest of the site sells the paid course, which is not being recommended.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://learningtagalog.com/grammar/index.html

**Tags:** tagalog grammar, markers, enclitics, verb focus, pronunciation

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