What is the closest language to tagalog?

The closest language to Tagalog is Bisaya, also known as Cebuano. They are both part of the Central Philippine languages and share a significant number of cognates (words with a common origin).

Here's why Bisaya is considered the closest:

* Mutual intelligibility: Speakers of Tagalog and Bisaya can often understand each other to a significant degree, especially in basic communication.

* Shared vocabulary: Many words are similar or identical, especially those relating to everyday life and concepts.

* Grammar similarities: The grammar structures of both languages are quite close, though there are some differences in pronunciation and word order.

Other closely related languages to Tagalog include:

* Hiligaynon (Ilonggo)

* Waray-Waray

* Kapampangan

It's important to note that while these languages are considered closely related, they are still distinct languages with their own unique features and dialects.