Tagalog is a language spoken in the Philippines. It is the language of the people around Manila and the areas near it, and it is also the base of Filipino, the national language of the country.

Tagalog is a language spoken in the PhilippinesTagalog是菲律賓使用的一種語言 It is the language of the people around Manila and the areas near it它是馬尼拉附近及周邊地區人民所使用的語言 and it is also the base of Filipino, the national language of the country同時也是Filipino（菲律賓語）——這個國家官方國語——的基礎

That last part is where people get confused, so let me say it slowly. Filipino is the official national language. Filipino is built mostly on Tagalog, with words taken in from Spanish, English, and other Philippine languages. So Tagalog and Filipino are very close, but they are not exactly the same name for the same thing: Tagalog is the older, regional language of one people, and Filipino is the newer, national one made from it.

That last part is where people get confused最後這一點最容易讓人搞混 so let me say it slowly讓我慢慢說清楚 Filipino is the official national languageFilipino是官方國語 Filipino is built mostly on TagalogFilipino主要是建立在Tagalog的基礎上 with words taken in from Spanish, English, and other Philippine languages再加進從西班牙文、英文、以及其他菲律賓語言借來的詞彙 So Tagalog and Filipino are very close所以Tagalog和Filipino非常接近 but they are not exactly the same name for the same thing但不完全是同一個東西的兩個名字 Tagalog is the older, regional language of one peopleTagalog是一個民族比較古老的地方語言 and Filipino is the newer, national one made from it而Filipino是從它衍生出來、比較新的國家語言

Many Filipinos say "Tagalog" in everyday talk when they mean either one, and nobody thinks that is wrong. But in school, or in government writing, the two names are kept apart.

Many Filipinos say "Tagalog" in everyday talk when they mean either one很多菲律賓人日常講話時，不管指哪一個，都會說'Tagalog' and nobody thinks that is wrong也沒有人覺得這樣說不對 But in school, or in government writing, the two names are kept apart但在學校裡，或是政府的正式文件裡，這兩個名字會分得清清楚楚

It also helps to know that the Philippines has more than a hundred languages. A person from Cebu may speak Cebuano at home, not Tagalog, and may not enjoy being told that Tagalog is "the" Filipino language.

It also helps to know that the Philippines has more than a hundred languages還有一件事也有幫助：知道菲律賓有超過一百種語言 A person from Cebu may speak Cebuano at home, not Tagalog一個來自宿霧的人，在家裡可能講的是Cebuano（宿霧語），不是Tagalog and may not enjoy being told that Tagalog is "the" Filipino language而且可能不喜歡被人說Tagalog就是'那個'菲律賓語言

The word is also used for the people themselves — the Tagalog people — and as an adjective, as in Tagalog songs, Tagalog movies. It is always written with a capital T. Say it TA-ga-log, with the stress on the first part.

The word is also used for the people themselves這個字也可以用來指這群人本身 the Tagalog peoplethe Tagalog people（他加祿人） and as an adjective, as in Tagalog songs, Tagalog movies還可以當形容詞用，例如Tagalog songs（他加祿語歌曲）、Tagalog movies（他加祿語電影） It is always written with a capital T開頭一律要大寫T Say it TA-ga-log, with the stress on the first part唸法是TA-ga-log，重音在第一個音節