Ano ang tawag sa pelikula?

Ano means what. It is a question word used when you are asking for information about a thing, name, idea, or description.

In this sentence, it starts the question, just like what does in English.

Ang is a marker. Here, it marks tawag as the thing being asked about.

So Ano ang tawag... is literally something like What is the name/call...

A good way to think of it is:

• ano = what
• ang tawag = the name / what it is called

Ang does not work exactly like English the, but in many cases it points to the main noun being talked about.

In this sentence, tawag means name, term, or what something is called.

By itself, tawag can also mean call in other contexts, but in the pattern ang tawag sa..., it usually means:

what is it called?
or
what is the name for ... ?

So Ano ang tawag sa pelikula? is asking for the movie’s name or title.

Because tawag sa + noun is the natural pattern for saying the name for or what something is called.

So:

• ang tawag sa pelikula = what the movie is called

Here, sa marks the thing receiving the name.

If you used ng instead, it would sound unnatural for this meaning.

Pelikula means movie or film.

It is a very common word in Filipino. Depending on context, it can refer to:

• a movie in general
• a specific film
• cinema/film as a medium

In this sentence, it simply means the movie.

Usually, yes.

Ano ang tawag sa pelikula? naturally means What is the movie called?, which in most situations is basically the same as asking for the title.

If you want to be more specific, you can also say:

Ano ang pamagat ng pelikula?

Here, pamagat means title, so that version is more directly What is the title of the movie?

Yes. A very common shorter form is:

Anong tawag sa pelikula?

This comes from ano + -ng, which links ano to the next word.

Both are understandable, but:

• Ano ang tawag sa pelikula? sounds fuller and more neutral
• Anong tawag sa pelikula? sounds a bit more casual and conversational

Filipino word order often does not match English word-for-word.

English says: What is the movie called?

Filipino says: Ano ang tawag sa pelikula?

A more literal breakdown would be:

• Ano = what
• ang tawag = the name / the term
• sa pelikula = for the movie

So the structure is closer to: What is the name for the movie?

That is why it feels different from English, even though the meaning is natural.

Yes, it is natural.

But depending on what you want, native speakers might also say:

• Ano ang pamagat ng pelikula? = What is the title of the movie?
• Anong title ng pelikula? = What’s the movie title?

So your sentence is correct and natural, but in everyday conversation, some speakers may choose a different wording that is more direct.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

Ano ang tawag sa pelikula?
AH-no ang TA-wag sa pe-li-KU-la?

Notes:

• ano = AH-no
• tawag = TA-wag
• pelikula = pe-li-KU-la

The stress in pelikula is on KU.

Yes. The pattern Ano ang tawag sa + noun? is very useful.

For example:

• Ano ang tawag sa bagay na ito? = What do you call this thing?
• Ano ang tawag sa hayop na iyon? = What do you call that animal?
• Ano ang tawag sa kantang iyon? = What is that song called?

So once you learn this structure, you can reuse it in many situations.