Questions · Tagalog for kids
Simple Tagalog questions for kids, with the English right there
Lots of Filipino kids abroad understand Tagalog but answer in English. These short questions, in both languages, are a playful way to keep the Tagalog in their ears and get a few words on their tongue, at dinner, in the car or at bedtime.
- 16 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
When you get home, what’s the first thing you usually do?
Pag-uwi mo, ano yung unang bagay na usually mong ginagawa?
That first move can be funny, tired, quiet, or automatic. It can say something about how you settle in.
Yung first move na iyon pwedeng nakakatawa, pagod, tahimik, o automatic. May sinasabi rin siya kung paano ka nagse-settle.
The questions
16 simple questions in English and Tagalog for kids
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
Short ones to read aloud
6 questions
Good first Tagalog sentences for a kid to read, with a parent’s help.
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When you get home, what’s the first thing you usually do?
Pag-uwi mo, ano yung unang bagay na usually mong ginagawa?
Back of the card
That first move can be funny, tired, quiet, or automatic. It can say something about how you settle in.
Yung first move na iyon pwedeng nakakatawa, pagod, tahimik, o automatic. May sinasabi rin siya kung paano ka nagse-settle.
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What would you like to watch with a friend?
Ano ang gusto mong panoorin kasama ang friend?
Back of the card
Talking through the whole thing or saving comments until the end?
Kuwentuhan habang nanonood o comments pagkatapos na lang?
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You and a friend want different snacks. What would you do?
Magkaiba kayo ng friend mo ng gustong snack. Ano ang gagawin mo?
Back of the card
Same choice every time, or would it depend on the day?
Pareho ba ang gagawin mo palagi, o depende sa araw?
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If you could understand one kind of animal, which would you choose?
Kung maiintindihan mo ang isang klase ng hayop, ano ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Imagine the animal gets to ask you something too. What might it ask?
Isipin na may tanong din sa'yo ang hayop. Ano kaya iyon?
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Which toy would you want to make as tall as you?
Anong laruan ang gusto mong maging kasingtangkad mo?
Back of the card
You can choose a toy you know or invent one. What would you do with it?
Puwedeng laruan na kilala mo o sariling imbento. Ano ang gagawin mo rito?
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Name one small part of today that felt okay.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na part ng araw mo na okay naman.
Back of the card
An okay moment still counts. It does not have to fix the whole day to be worth noticing.
Bilang pa rin ang okay na moment. Hindi niya kailangang ayusin ang buong araw para mapansin mo siya.
Food words lola uses
4 questions
Ulam, merienda and sawsawan: the Tagalog words kids hear most.
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Name one ulam you would be happy to eat every week.
Magbanggit ng isang ulam na happy kang kainin every week.
Back of the card
Some dishes earn a permanent place in the rotation. They do not need drama, just rice and a happy yes.
May ulam na deserve maging regular sa rotation. Hindi kailangan ng drama, kanin lang at happy yes.
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Finish this: Childhood merienda feels extra special when...
Tapusin ito: Mas special ang childhood merienda kapag...
Back of the card
Merienda memories are small, but they can carry whole afternoons with them. One bite can bring back a place, a person, or a mood.
Maliit lang ang merienda memories, pero may dala silang buong hapon. Isang kagat lang, may bumabalik agad na lugar, tao, o feeling.
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Which sawsawan do you automatically look for, and what food is it best with?
Anong sawsawan ang automatic mong hinahanap, at anong pagkain ang pinakabagay doon?
Back of the card
A sawsawan choice can say a lot without becoming serious. Tiny food loyalties are part of the fun.
May sinasabi rin ang sawsawan choice, pero hindi kailangang maging serious. Masaya yung small food loyalties natin.
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What flavor of ice cream would you invent?
Anong lasa ng ice cream ang iimbentuhin mo?
Back of the card
Give your invented ice cream a name if you like.
Kung gusto mo, bigyan mo ng pangalan ang ice cream na inimbento mo.
Silly ones for bath time and bedtime
6 questions
Islands, animals and made-up rules. Answers in any language count.
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You wake up on a peaceful island with food and shelter ready. What do you do first?
Nagising ka sa tahimik na isla na may pagkain at matutuluyan na. Ano ang una mong gagawin?
Back of the card
Imagine you find a path across the island. Would you follow it or stay where you are?
May nakita kang daan sa isla. Susundan mo ba ito o mananatili ka muna sa kinaroroonan mo?
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Make one harmless rule that the whole world follows for a day.
Kung may isang rule na susundin ng buong mundo nang isang araw, ano iyon? Dapat walang masasaktan.
Back of the card
Imagine everyone following it at once. What small scene would be funny or helpful to watch?
Isipin na sabay-sabay itong ginagawa ng lahat. Ano ang nakakatawa o helpful na makikita mo?
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Invent one silly rule everyone should follow for one day.
Gumawa ng silly rule na susundin ng lahat for one day.
Back of the card
Silly rules make ordinary life feel slightly remixed. One harmless rule can turn a normal day into a shared bit.
Yung silly rules, nire-remix lang nang konti ang normal na araw. Isang harmless rule, shared bit na agad.
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If you could change the color of anything, what would you change?
Kung kaya mong palitan ang kulay ng kahit ano, ano ang papalitan mo?
Back of the card
What color would you choose for it?
Anong kulay ang pipiliin mo para rito?
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Pick a mascot for your current mood: sleepy, dramatic, cheerful, chaotic, or something else.
Pumili ng mascot para sa current mood mo: sleepy, dramatic, cheerful, chaotic, o iba pa.
Back of the card
Current mood is sometimes easier to explain through a mascot. It can be tired, dramatic, cheerful, or strangely accurate.
Minsan mas madaling i-explain ang current mood gamit mascot. Puwedeng pagod, dramatic, cheerful, o weirdly accurate.
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Back when you were a kid, what game or activity could keep you busy for hours?
Nung bata ka, anong laro o activity ang kaya mong pagkaabalahan nang ilang oras?
Back of the card
Childhood focus has its own sweetness. It remembers a time when getting lost in play was enough.
May sariling saya yung focus nung bata tayo. Naalala nito yung panahon na sapat na ang maglaro nang maglaro.
How to use them
Before you ask
The easiest way to keep Tagalog alive for kids abroad is to make it part of something fun, not a lesson. A silly question read in Tagalog, answered in whatever mix comes out, does more than a flashcard drill, because the kid is talking about something they care about: animals, toys, snacks, a made-up island.
Read the English first, then the Tagalog, and let your child pick which one to answer in. Point at one word per card (pagkain, food; laruan, toy; hayop, animal) and ask them to use it. Over a few weeks, the words start showing up on their own.
Every card has English and Filipino side by side, written the way families actually speak, so the Tagalog is everyday and not textbook. Grandparents on a video call can play too.
Good for
Tips
- Praise the try, not the grammar. Corrections can wait.
- Answer in Tagalog yourself. Kids copy what they hear more than what they’re told.
- Let older siblings read to younger ones.
- Keep it short. Two cards and stop while it’s fun.
Decks for this
A five-minute routine
- One card a day. At dinner, in the car or at bedtime. Same time every day helps.
- Parent reads in Tagalog, kid answers any way. Taglish is a win.
- One word to keep. Pick a word from the card and use it again that day.
- Call lola. Once a week, let your kid ask lolo or lola the card in Tagalog.
Tagalog for kids
Frequently asked questions
How can I teach my kids Tagalog at home?
Use Tagalog in fun, daily moments: simple questions at dinner or bedtime, songs, and calls with grandparents. Let kids answer in any mix of English and Tagalog, and praise every try.
What are simple Tagalog questions for kids?
Short questions about everyday things work best: favorite food, a toy, an animal they would like to understand, what they do first when they get home. Read them in Tagalog and English together.
Is there an app with questions for kids in Tagalog and English?
Kumustahan is a conversation card app with English and Filipino on every card. Choose Keep it light and the Just for fun or Icebreakers decks for questions that suit kids.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.