Filipino expresses parts with native forms such as kalahati “half” and sangkapat “one quarter,” while decimals and percentages often use internationally shared notation and borrowed vocabulary. Porsiyento is the everyday percentage word; bahagdan is common in formal, educational, and official Filipino. English readings remain widespread in mathematics and business (code-switched).
Core forms
| Quantity | Common Filipino form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | kalahati / isang kalahati | kalahati ng tinapay |
| 1/3 | sangkatlo / isang katlo | sangkatlo ng klase |
| 1/4 | sangkapat / isang kapat | sangkapat ng badyet |
| decimal | punto between number parts | dalawa punto lima |
| percentage | porsiyento | dalawampung porsiyento |
| formal percentage | bahagdan | dalawampung bahagdan |
Kalahati ng tinapay ang itinabi ko para sa iyo.
I set aside half of the bread for you. (neutral)
Sangkapat ng buwan ang inilaan namin sa pagsasanay.
We allotted one quarter of the month to training. (formal-neutral)
The ng phrase identifies the whole from which the part is taken. Kalahati ang tinapay instead says that the bread constitutes one half in the relevant context; markers and clause structure still matter.
Fractions as modifiers and measures
A fractional quantity takes the ordinary linker before a following unit or noun. Vowel-final kalahati takes -ng: kalahating kilo. Consonant-final sangkapat takes separate na: sangkapat na tasa.
Kalahating kilo ng isda ang sapat para sa hapunan.
Half a kilo of fish is enough for dinner. (neutral)
Magdagdag ka ng sangkapat na tasa ng tubig sa masa.
Add a quarter cup of water to the dough. (neutral instruction)
More complex native fraction names exist, but everyday speakers often choose transparent X sa Y wording, a decimal, or an English fraction in technical settings. Tatlo sa apat na kalahok “three out of four participants” is clearer in ordinary speech than forcing a rare compact fractional form.
The same internal structure applies to ordinary counters and measure phrases: the fraction modifies the unit, then ng introduces the measured substance.
Tatlo sa apat na kalahok ang nakatapos ng pagsasanay.
Three out of four participants completed the training. (neutral)
Decimals and point readings
Written Filipino uses the decimal point in technical and financial notation: 2.5, 0.75, ₱49.50. In Filipino speech, punto introduces the decimal part. Speakers may read the digits or the number after the point according to institutional practice.
Dalawa punto limang litro ang kapasidad ng lalagyan.
The container has a capacity of 2.5 liters. (neutral technical reading)
Here lima + -ng links the decimal quantity to litro. In highly technical workplaces, English two point five liters is widespread (code-switched). The written figure stays the same even when the spoken numeral tradition changes.
Hindi lalampas sa 0.5 litro ang maaaring dalhin.
The amount that may be brought must not exceed 0.5 liters. (formal notice; digits avoid an uncertain spoken convention)
For clarity, leading zero is important in technical writing: 0.5, not .5.
Exact fractions versus approximation
A bare fraction presents an exact mathematical share. Mga before it makes the quantity approximate, while halos means “almost” and places the amount just below the stated boundary.
Kalahati ng badyet ang para sa mga kagamitan.
Half of the budget is for equipment. (exact neutral statement)
Halos kalahati ng badyet ang nagastos sa unang buwan.
Almost half of the budget was spent in the first month. (neutral)
Mga kalahating tasa lang ang natirang gatas.
Only about half a cup of milk remains. (informal estimate)
These modifiers do not change the fraction's internal linker or the ng relation to the whole.
Percentages and comparison
Porsiyento is common across conversation, media, business, and school. Bahagdan is a planned/native formal equivalent often preferred in official Filipino prose. Both follow the quantity.
Dalawampung porsiyento ang diskuwento kapag binayaran agad.
The discount is twenty percent when payment is made immediately. (neutral commercial usage)
Tumaas ng limang bahagdan ang bilang ng mga sumagot sa sarbey.
The number of survey respondents rose by five percent. (formal/official usage)
Do not confuse five percent with five percentage points. If a rate rises from 20% to 25%, the increase is limang puntos na porsiyento “five percentage points,” not a five-percent proportional increase.
Tumaas ang antas mula dalawampu hanggang dalawampu't limang porsiyento—limang puntos na porsiyento ang diperensiya.
The rate rose from twenty to twenty-five percent—the difference is five percentage points. (formal explanatory style)
A short exchange
— Gaano karami ang nagamit nating harina? — Mga kalahating kilo, pero hindi ko eksaktong nasukat.
— How much flour did we use? — About half a kilo, but I did not measure it exactly. (informal conversation)
Mga makes the fraction approximate. Without it, kalahating kilo presents an exact half kilo.
Common Mistakes
1. Omitting the linker before a measure noun
❌ Kalahati kilo ng bigas ang natira.
Incorrect — kalahati must link to kilo.
✅ Kalahating kilo ng bigas ang natira.
Half a kilo of rice remains. (neutral)
2. Using nang for the whole after a fraction
❌ Sangkapat nang badyet ang ginastos.
Incorrect — badyet identifies the whole and takes ng.
✅ Sangkapat ng badyet ang ginastos.
One quarter of the budget was spent. (neutral)
3. Omitting the numerical linker before porsiyento
❌ Dalawampu porsiyento ang diskuwento.
Incorrect in a spelled-out native-number phrase.
✅ Dalawampung porsiyento ang diskuwento.
The discount is twenty percent. (neutral)
4. Mixing systems inside one decimal reading
❌ Dalawa point five litro ang kailangan.
Uncontrolled mixing inside one numeral phrase.
✅ Dalawa punto limang litro ang kailangan.
Two point five liters are needed. (neutral Filipino reading)
Key Takeaways
- Use ng to identify the whole: kalahati ng tinapay.
- Fractional modifiers require linkers: kalahating kilo, sangkapat na tasa.
- Punto reads a decimal point; English decimal readings are common but code-switched.
- Porsiyento is general-purpose; bahagdan is especially formal or official.
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