Laro

Laro is a Tagalog word meaning "game" or "play." In everyday Filipino usage it refers to recreational activities, especially those undertaken by children, but it can also denote organized sports or competitive activities. The related verb is maglaro, meaning "to play," and the noun form can appear in compound expressions describing types of games, such as larong basketball or larong patintero in cultural contexts.

Linguistically, laro functions as a basic nominal root in Filipino grammar. It can be used descriptively to refer to the activity of playing, the objects used in play (as in laruan, meaning toys), or the social act of playing with others. The term appears across everyday speech, literature, and media to evoke themes of childhood, leisure, and social interaction.

In addition to its common linguistic use, Laro can appear as a proper name in some contexts. It may be encountered as a surname or as part of geographical or organizational names in regions and languages where similar phonemes occur. Such proper-noun uses are distinct from the Tagalog word’s standard meaning and etymology.

Overall, laro is a concise entry point into discussions of play, culture, and language in the Filipino context, reflecting how a simple concept of recreation is embedded in daily life and communication.