🇪🇸 Spanish Influences on the Filipino Language & Everyday Vernacular
More than 300 years of Spanish rule left a deep mark on the Philippines—not just in religion, architecture, or food, but in the very language millions speak every day. From borrowed vocabulary to sentence structure, Spanish remains baked into Filipino life, especially in Tagalog and urban vernacular.
In this post, we'll explore how Spanish shaped Filipino speech: the words we use, how we greet each other, and even the way we tell time.
📜 A Quick Look at History
The Spanish colonized the Philippines from 1565 to 1898, a total of 333 years. Unlike some colonies where language was imposed more aggressively, Spain's linguistic influence in the Philippines came gradually—through missionaries, education, and legal structures.
Spanish was once the language of the church, elite, and government. Over time, it filtered into everyday conversations and mixed with local languages.
🗣️ Everyday Words with Spanish Roots
Spanish loanwords make up 20% to 33% of commonly spoken Tagalog vocabulary. You might already recognize many of them—especially in these categories:
🕊️ Religion
- santo/santa – saint
- misa – mass
- kasalan – wedding (from casar – to marry)
⏰ Time & Numbers
- lunes, martes, miércoles… – days of the week
- alas dos, alas tres – 2:00, 3:00 (from a las dos…)
- bente, trenta, singkuwenta – 20, 30, 50
These aren't just optional—many are essential for everyday communication. Filipinos often use Spanish numbers for time, money, and formal speech.
🏠 Household Objects
- mesa – table
- silya – chair
- kutsara – spoon
- bintana – window
- reloh – watch
Even the word "gobyerno" (government) is straight out of Spanish.
💬 Greetings and Expressions
One of the most popular greetings in Tagalog is "Kumusta?" — which comes from the Spanish "¿Cómo está?" ("How are you?").
You'll also hear:
- "Susmaryosep!" – a playful exclamation combining Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
- "Ay jusko!" – roughly "Oh my gosh!"; some say it echoes Spanish ¡Ay, Dios ko!
These expressions show how Spanish blended not only into vocabulary, but also into tone and emotion.
🧾 Names and Identity
Many Filipino surnames are Spanish due to the Clavería Decree of 1849, which standardized family names across the archipelago.
Common surnames like:
- Cruz
- Santos
- Garcia
- Reyes
…are all Spanish in origin. This move made census-taking easier—but also permanently reshaped Filipino identity.
🧠 Formality and Syntax
While native Tagalog syntax stayed largely intact, certain formal writing structures—especially in law, religion, and academia—mirror Spanish phrasing.
Some sentence patterns, such as subject-verb-object order or the use of multiple clauses, feel more European in tone when you read government forms or legal documents.
📢 Tagalog vs Spanish Pronunciation
Despite the shared vocabulary, pronunciation differs:
- Spanish: "mesa" → meh-sa
- Tagalog: "mesa" → meh-sa (same spelling, but Filipino pronunciation has its own rhythm and stress patterns)
⚠️ Note: In Tagalog, the "e" and "i" or "o" and "u" often sound similar, which leads to spelling variations in older texts and everyday use.
🇵🇭 Filipino, Not Just Spanish
It's important to remember: Filipino is not "just Tagalog with Spanish words." It's a fusion—built on an Austronesian foundation, layered with Chinese, Arabic, Malay, English, and yes, Spanish influence.
The result is a language that feels both Southeast Asian and Latin American—a living legacy of the islands' unique history.
✨ Final Thoughts
Spanish influence is everywhere in Filipino—from "kamusta" to "mesa" to "alas tres." But what makes it fascinating isn't just the vocabulary—it's how Filipinos made these borrowed words their own.
So next time you say "Salamat po!", remember: you're not just learning a language—you're learning a layered story of culture, conquest, and adaptation.
Mabuhay ang wikang Filipino! 🇵🇭