This article is dedicated to telling every location in Filipino. Please be informed that before every word listed below, the speakers add the word sa which marks the next word as an adverb of place. It is very similar in use to the English word in. In English, we always encounter the word the after the in (in the…). In Filipino, the word ang is the equivalent of the, but it is not used in this way. Ang is used for the subjects and the objects in the sentences and not in adverbs of place.

Four cardinal points in Filipino

Below, we have here enumerated the four basic cardinal points. However, since the Philippines have several provinces which have Spanish names (along with are the words like norte and sur), I will include these Spanish terms for directions in this article. Notice that I did not add the Spanish for east and west. This is because they are not used in the Philippines. Instead, there are words oriental which is eastern or the orient and occidental which means western used in Philippine provinces.

Hilaga/Norte – North

Timog/Sur – South

Silangan – East

Kanluran – West

The in betweens (cardinal points)

The point that we will be discussing in this next group of directions are the variations in southern areas. Katimugang is derived from timog which we already know as south. The affixes ka and an (note that the g attached is used as modifier) are used to mean a certain place. Remember that there are some words which do not have ka in the end to mean a place and just have an alone is attached. As for the timug, Filipino tends to change sounds depending on the nearby sound for better blending.

Hilagang silangan – Northeast

Hilagang kanluran – Northwest

Timog silangan – Southeast

Timog kanluran – Southwest

Katimugang silangan – Variation of southeast

Katimugang kanluran – Variation of southwest

More specific directions (cardinal points)

About this next group, it is common to hear this in weather news in the local media.

Hilaga hilagang silangan – NNE

Silangan hilagang silangan – ENE

Hilaga hilagang kanluran – NNW

Kanluran hilagang kanluran – WNW

Timog timog silangan – SSE

Silangan timog silangan – ESE

Timog timog kanluran – SSW

Kanluran timog kanluran – WSW

Different locations in Filipino

Below are some of the words indicating locations in Filipino. I further sort them to clarify that there are root words that are used in adverbs of place without having affixes attached (like the basic cardinal points).

Taas – Up

Baba – Down

Labas – Outside

Loob – Inside

Gilid – Side

Tabi – Beside

Sunod – Next

Kanan – Right

Kaliwa – Left

Gitna – Center or Middle

Harap – Front

Likod – Rear or Back

Below are some of the words indicating locations in Filipino which have affixes to it. Look at the words above and below. They are derived from the words up and down which are listed above. The prefix i is attached. These two are also used as imperative verbs (raise/lift and put down/under). To avoid confusion, please remember that verbs in Filipino are usually in the beginning of the sentence and the adverbs of place always have the word sa before it. Itaas mo ang bandila natin. – Raise our flag (itaas is used as verb). Sa itaas, nakatulog ako – Upstairs, I fell asleep (itaas is used as adverb of place). Look at the word for below and beneath in my list below. They are derived from root words babaw which means superficial and lalim depths. Now, let us go to the words for beside and flanking. The prefix used here is ka. If you remember, I said earlier that there are words which do not have ka but instead retain an as its suffix. There are words which do not have an as suffix but retain ka as prefix. Katabi and kasunod are the examples of it.

Itaas – Above

Ibaba – Below

Ibabaw – Top

Ilalim – Beneath

Katabi – Beside

Kasunod – Flanking

Pagitan – Between