In Tagalog, the English word “what” is most commonly translated as “ano.”

Basic uses

  • “What is this?” → “Ano ito?”
  • “What is your name?” → “Ano ang pangalan mo?”

When it comes before a noun, “ano” is often written in contracted form as “anong” (from “ano ang”).

  • “What answer?” / “What is the answer?” → “Anong sagot?”

“What?” as an exclamation

If you react like “What?!” in surprise or disbelief, Tagalog also uses “Ano?!” with strong intonation.

So, for most everyday sentences, “what in Tagalog” = “ano” (or “anong” before a noun).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.