Asia and the Middle East
Tagalog translation and interpreting services
Certified Tagalog (Filipino) translation and Tagalog interpreters for hospitals, courts, schools, government agencies, and employers, written in the register Filipino Americans actually read and speak.
Tagalog, in its own words
Tagalog
Ang lahat ng tao'y isinilang na malaya at pantay-pantay sa karangalan at mga karapatan.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Tagalog in the United States
1 in 4 People who speak Tagalog at home told the Census their language is “Filipino” (2017–2021).[3] source
- Speakers at home
- 1.9 million people age 5 and older speak Tagalog or Filipino at home (1,921,526 in 2024)[1] source
- Rank
- Third among languages other than English spoken at home, after Spanish and Chinese[2] source
- Limited English
- 584,724 of them, about 30 percent, speak English less than “very well”[1] source
- Largest communities
- California (820,806 speakers), far ahead of Texas (106,830) and Nevada (99,823); Hawaii (63,264) has the highest share, about 4.6 percent of residents age 5 and older[1] source
- Tagalog or Filipino
- Census counts both names together; in 2017–2021, 1,316,000 people reported Tagalog and 407,100 reported Filipino[3] source
- Other Philippine languages
- Ilocano (92,620 speakers) and Cebuano (53,970) are counted separately, and more than half of Ilocano speakers report limited English[3] source
Tagalog in Colorado
Our headquarters is in Aurora, in the Denver metro area, so we schedule on-site Tagalog interpreters across Colorado and nationwide.
- Colorado
- About 10,700 Coloradans speak Tagalog or Filipino at home[12] source
- Denver metro
- About 6,200 live in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area[12] source
What good Tagalog translation takes
TagalogFilipino
Tagalog or Filipino
Filipino, the national language of the Philippines, is the standardized form of Tagalog, with the same grammar. One translation serves readers who use either name, so list both on language menus and signage to help people find it.
Taglish
The right register
Everyday speech mixes Tagalog and English, a style known as Taglish, while formal written Filipino uses fewer English words. Patient and benefits materials should read naturally to a Filipino American audience, keeping familiar English terms where readers expect them rather than unfamiliar coinages.
IlokoCebuanoHiligaynon
Not every Filipino speaks Tagalog first
Ilocano, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and other Philippine languages are separate languages, and limited English is more common among Ilocano speakers than among Tagalog speakers. Ask which language the person understands best; Ilocano and Cebuano have their own pages.
ÑNG
Letters beyond A to Z
The modern Filipino alphabet includes Ñ and the letter NG. Names and words with ñ must keep it in certified translations, forms, and databases, or records stop matching.
Respect you can hear: po and opo
Tagalog builds respect into small words that English has no equivalent for. Speakers use them with elders, strangers, and people in authority.
- poRespect particleadded to a sentence when speaking to an older person or a stranger
- opoPolite “yes”the respectful answer
- ooFamiliar “yes”the everyday answer
- ho ohoPolite, more distantoften used with older neighbors, strangers, officials, and bosses
- kayoFormal “you”the plural form, used for one person as a mark of respect
English carries this respect in tone and titles, not in separate words. An interpreter has to hear it in Tagalog and render it in English, and back again, and written Tagalog addressed to older readers should use the polite forms.
Tagalog interpreters
Our Tagalog interpreters work in person, by phone, and by video, in consecutive and simultaneous modes. We match each assignment to the setting, with court-certified or credentialed interpreters where the work requires them, send briefing materials ahead so interpreters arrive prepared, and assign a team for long or simultaneous sessions. Every Tagalog interpreter is background-checked and bound by a confidentiality agreement.
More Tagalog services
Tagalog phone and video interpreting
Interpreters for clinic calls, benefits lines, and claimant interviews, in the polite register older callers expect.
On-site Tagalog, Ilocano, and Cebuano interpreters
In-person interpreters for hospitals, hearings, and parent meetings in the Philippine language the person speaks, with advance booking for Ilocano and Cebuano.
Certified Tagalog translation
Letters, affidavits, and text messages written in Tagalog, Filipino, or Taglish, translated for courts and USCIS with a signed statement of accuracy.
Tagalog translation services
Our Tagalog translators work into and out of English and other languages, following an ISO 17100 process: translation by a qualified linguist, then revision by a second linguist before delivery. Certified translations include a signed statement of accuracy, and files move through our encrypted client portal.
What we translate in Tagalog
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates
- Diplomas, transcripts, and immigration documents
- Contracts, court filings, and legal evidence
- Medical records and patient materials
- Technical manuals and safety documents
- Websites, software, and training content
Our Tagalog work
Selected Tagalog projects for our clients.
- County human services agenciesVideo and phone Tagalog interpreting.
- Colorado Department of Labor and EmploymentTagalog phone interpreting for the Unemployment Division.
Why agencies choose us for Tagalog
Our Tagalog team carries the credentials courts, hospitals, and agencies ask for.
Court-certified interpreters
Tagalog interpreters certified by the Colorado Judicial Branch, for hearings, depositions, and attorney–client meetings.
CCHI-certified medical interpreters
Medical interpreters nationally certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters.
Who relies on our Tagalog linguists
Healthcare
Discharge instructions, consent forms, and patient education in Tagalog, and interpreters for appointments, including for older patients.
Courts and legal
Certified translation of evidence and filings, and Tagalog interpreters for depositions, hearings, and attorney meetings.
Immigration documents
Certified translations of letters, affidavits, and other records written in Tagalog or Filipino for family-based and employment petitions.
Government agencies
Language access notices, benefit forms, and outreach for Tagalog-speaking residents.
Schools
Parent notices, report cards, and special-education documents, and interpreters for parent-teacher conferences.
Tagalog translation and interpreting FAQs
Should we ask for Tagalog or Filipino translation?
Either request gets the same result. Filipino is the national standard based on Tagalog, and U.S. readers recognize both names. We write in the register your audience uses, which for most U.S. materials is clear, natural Tagalog rather than formal textbook Filipino.
Many of our Filipino clients speak English. Do they still need Tagalog?
Many do not, but nearly a third of Tagalog speakers in the United States report limited English, and needs rise in medical, legal, and benefits settings where precision matters. Offer Tagalog and let the person choose.
What if a client speaks Ilocano or Cebuano instead?
Book that language. Ilocano and Cebuano are separate Philippine languages, and some speakers follow Tagalog only partly. Tell us where in the Philippines the person is from and we match the interpreter.
Do you provide certified Tagalog translation?
Yes. Certified Tagalog translations include a signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate, the format courts, schools, and immigration authorities such as USCIS require.
How much does Tagalog translation cost?
Price depends on the word count, subject matter, deadline, and whether you need certification. Send your files for a fixed quote and delivery date, with no obligation.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, Table C16001: Language spoken at home for the population 5 years and over (national and state) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, Table B16001: Language spoken at home by ability to speak English (national) (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English, 2017–2021 ACS (Table 1, United States) (opens in a new tab)
- Migration Policy Institute, Filipino Immigrants in the United States (opens in a new tab)
- Filipino language (opens in a new tab)
- Filipino alphabet (opens in a new tab)
- Taglish (opens in a new tab)
- OHCHR, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Filipino (Tagalog) translation (opens in a new tab)
- Tagalog language (section on pô/hô and opò/ohò) (opens in a new tab)
- Living Language, Tagalog: Politeness in Filipino culture (opens in a new tab)
- Fontillas, Lemuel R., Form and functions of stance markers in Tagalog, PhD dissertation in Applied Linguistics, De La Salle University, 2015 (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, Table B16001: Colorado and the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area (opens in a new tab)
Tell us what’s at stake. We’ll show you how we’d handle it.
Send your files or describe your event. A language specialist replies with a fixed quote and a delivery date, with no obligation.
Prefer to call? 720-325-0459