Filipino, English, Tagalog, Bisaya, Cebuano: which language is actually spoken in the Philippines? Here’s the clear answer with the latest census figures, the difference between Bisaya and Tagalog, and which language is worth learning for you.
The Philippines has two official languages: Filipino, the national language based on Tagalog, and English. Besides these, more than 170 languages are spoken across the islands. According to the 2020 census, Tagalog is the home language in about 40 percent of households, followed by Bisaya and Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) and Ilocano. Almost all Filipinos understand Filipino, and most speak at least some English.
Maybe you’re planning your first trip to the Philippines. Or maybe you’ve met someone from there, and the first family video call left you confused: your partner speaks Tagalog with one cousin, Bisaya with her mother and English with you. Which of these languages is “the” language of the Philippines? And which one should you actually learn?
The short answer is that the Philippines is one of the most multilingual countries in the world, and most Filipinos switch between two or three languages every day without thinking about it. I’ve spent more than 20 years learning languages, from Norwegian to Danish and Swedish, so I know how confusing closely related languages and dialects can be from the outside. This guide sorts it out for you with official figures, without the usual myths.
Filipino and English: the two official languages
The 1987 Constitution defines Filipino as the national language of the Philippines and names Filipino and English as the official languages. You can read the background in this overview of language policies in the Philippines by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Filipino is based on Tagalog, the language of Manila and the surrounding provinces. In daily life, the two names are used almost interchangeably. Filipino is the standardised form with a slightly larger alphabet and more loanwords from English and Spanish. If you want to know more about that difference and how to start learning, read my guide on how to learn Tagalog.
English is used in government, business, higher education, law and much of the media. Road signs, menus and official forms are usually in English, often alongside Filipino.
🎯 Quick overview: languages of the Philippines
- Official languages: Filipino and English
- National language: Filipino, based on Tagalog
- Number of languages: more than 170
- Most common home language: Tagalog, in about 4 out of 10 households
- Biggest regional languages: Bisaya/Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Bikol, Waray, Kapampangan
- Spanish: no longer official, but hundreds of Spanish loanwords in everyday speech
The major regional languages of the Philippines
More than 170 languages are spoken across the more than 7,000 islands of the Philippines. Most of them belong to the Austronesian language family, so they share structures and many words, but they are separate languages, not just dialects of Tagalog. In everyday English, Filipinos often call their regional language their “dialect”, which is one reason for the confusion.
The 2020 census by the Philippine Statistics Authority asked which language is generally spoken at home. These are the largest ones:
| Language | Share of households | Where it’s spoken |
|---|---|---|
| Tagalog | 39.9 % | Metro Manila, Central and Southern Luzon |
| Bisaya / Binisaya | 16.0 % | Visayas and Mindanao, e.g. Davao, Cagayan de Oro |
| Hiligaynon / Ilonggo | 7.3 % | Iloilo, Negros Occidental, parts of Mindanao |
| Ilocano | 7.1 % | Northern Luzon, Ilocos region |
| Cebuano | 6.5 % | Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental |
| Bikol | 3.9 % | Bicol region, southeastern Luzon |
| Waray | 2.6 % | Samar and Leyte |
| Kapampangan | 2.4 % | Pampanga, Central Luzon |
| Maguindanao | 1.4 % | Central Mindanao |
| Pangasinan | 1.3 % | Pangasinan province, Luzon |
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020 Census of Population and Housing, language generally spoken at home (26.4 million households).
One detail matters here: the census lists Bisaya/Binisaya and Cebuano separately, because people named their language differently. In everyday use, “Bisaya” usually means Cebuano. Taken together, it’s the second biggest language group in the country after Tagalog, with more than one in five households.
Bisaya vs Tagalog: what’s the difference?
This is the question I hear most from people with a Filipino partner. You’ve started learning Tagalog, and then you visit the family in Cebu or Davao and hardly understand a word. That’s not your fault: Bisaya and Tagalog are two different languages, not two dialects of one.
Both are Austronesian languages with a similar grammar and many shared words, a bit like Spanish and Italian or Norwegian and Danish. From my own experience with Scandinavian languages, I know exactly how that feels: you recognise a lot, but a fast conversation still slips away. Many everyday words are completely different:
| English | Tagalog | Bisaya (Cebuano) |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Kumusta? | Kumusta? |
| Good morning | Magandang umaga | Maayong buntag |
| Thank you very much | Maraming salamat | Daghang salamat |
| Yes / No | Oo / Hindi | Oo / Dili |
| What’s your name? | Ano ang pangalan mo? | Unsa imong pangalan? |
| Where? | Saan? | Asa? |
| How much? | Magkano? | Pila? |
| Delicious! | Masarap! | Lami! |
| I don’t understand. | Hindi ko maintindihan. | Wala ko kasabot. |
| I love you. | Mahal kita. | Gihigugma tika. |
Do Bisaya speakers understand Tagalog? Almost always, yes. Filipino is taught in every school, and TV, film and music are dominated by Tagalog. The other way round, it’s different: someone who grew up in Manila often understands little Bisaya. That’s why Tagalog works as the bridge language across the whole country, even in Cebu.
There’s also a bit of regional pride involved. In Cebu and Mindanao, people are proud of their language and sometimes prefer English to Tagalog with outsiders. If your partner’s family is Bisaya, learning even a few Bisaya words like salamat kaayo (thank you so much) or lami kaayo (so delicious) will win hearts.
Which language should you learn?
It depends on why you’re learning. Here’s the honest recommendation I’d give a friend:
- Your partner’s family lives in Manila or Luzon: learn Tagalog. It’s the language at the dinner table and the one you’ll hear everywhere.
- The family is from Cebu, Bohol, Davao or elsewhere in the Visayas and Mindanao: start with Tagalog anyway, because structured courses and materials exist almost only for Tagalog, and everyone understands it. Then add Bisaya words and phrases from the family, step by step.
- You’re travelling: English gets you through almost everything. A few words of Filipino, especially salamat po and kumusta, still open doors and smiles everywhere.
- You’re a heritage learner: learn the language your parents spoke at home. If that’s Tagalog, a course helps you turn passive understanding into speaking.
To be transparent: for Cebuano and the other regional languages, there are hardly any structured online courses for English speakers, and I don’t know one I could recommend. For Tagalog, there is.
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How well do Filipinos speak English?
Very well, compared with most countries in Asia. English is an official language, it’s used as a medium of instruction in schools and universities, and the Philippines has a large call centre and outsourcing industry built on English. In cities and tourist areas, you can get by in English without problems. In rural areas and with older people, English skills vary more.
What you’ll hear most in everyday life, though, is Taglish: Tagalog and English mixed in the same sentence. “Wait lang, I’ll call you later” is perfectly normal. In the Visayas and Mindanao, the same happens with Bisaya and English. For learners, that’s good news, because English words keep popping up and help you follow the conversation.
Is Spanish spoken in the Philippines?
Not as an everyday language anymore. The Philippines was a Spanish colony for more than 300 years, and Spanish was an official language for much of the 20th century, but today very few Filipinos speak it fluently. It lost its official status with the 1987 Constitution.
Spanish lives on in thousands of loanwords, though. The days of the week (Lunes, Martes), the months, many food words, kumusta (from ¿cómo está?) and the numbers used for time and prices (alas tres, three o’clock) all come from Spanish. You’ll find many of them in my list of common Filipino phrases.
There’s one exception: Chavacano, spoken mainly in Zamboanga City in Mindanao, is a Spanish-based creole language. Its vocabulary is largely Spanish, its grammar is Philippine. It’s the largest Spanish-based creole in Asia, and Spanish speakers can often understand a surprising amount of it.
Baybayin: the old Filipino script
Before the Spanish arrived, Tagalog and several other Philippine languages were written in Baybayin, a script in which each character stands for a syllable. Under Spanish rule, the Latin alphabet replaced it. Today, Baybayin is experiencing a revival: you’ll see it in tattoos, art, logos and on Philippine banknotes. For everyday reading and writing, however, all Philippine languages use the Latin alphabet, so you don’t need to learn Baybayin to learn Filipino.
Frequently asked questions about the languages of the Philippines
What is the main language of the Philippines?
The national language is Filipino, which is based on Tagalog. Together with English, it is one of the two official languages. Tagalog is also the most common home language: according to the 2020 census, it is spoken in about 40 percent of Filipino households.
Do Filipinos speak English?
Yes, most Filipinos speak at least some English, and many speak it fluently. English is an official language and is used in schools, government, business and the media. In daily life, many people mix Tagalog and English, which is called Taglish.
Is Bisaya a dialect of Tagalog?
No. Bisaya, usually meaning Cebuano, is a separate language. Both belong to the same language family and share many words, but a Tagalog speaker from Manila usually does not understand a fast conversation in Bisaya. Most Bisaya speakers understand Tagalog because it is taught in school and dominates TV and music.
Is Spanish spoken in the Philippines?
Only by very few people today. Spanish lost its official status in 1987, but thousands of Spanish loanwords remain in Filipino, for example the days of the week and numbers. Chavacano, spoken in Zamboanga, is a Spanish-based creole language.
How many languages are spoken in the Philippines?
More than 170 languages are spoken in the Philippines. The largest are Tagalog, Bisaya and Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Bikol, Waray and Kapampangan. Filipino and English are the two official languages that connect the country.
Related links
- Learn Tagalog: a practical guide for English speakers
- Filipino phrases Filipinos really use
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning languages quickly, is it possible?
Prefer another language?
Sven Mancini has published four books on language learning and has over 20 years of hands-on experience learning languages through self-study, from Norwegian (business fluent since 2005) to English, Danish, Swedish, French and Spanish. He doesn’t claim to speak every language he writes about. He writes about the methods and courses that actually work. Read more about Sven here.
