Tagalog depending on what language you already speak and how interested and determined you are, can be either an easy, intermediate or a hard language to learn.
Tagalog is spoken all over the Philippines and by millions of people in every nation on earth. It will not be hard to find someone to teach you a few pointers. Mastering it is another thing. Most Filipinos don't even know it that well.
The Bad
In the Philippines, no one really speaks fluent or straight Tagalog. What they speak is mostly Taglish or Tagalog and English, or Tagalog mixed with other Philippine languages.
Is is better and easier to learn Taglish. You don't even want to know or pronounce what the Tagalog words for some words are.
The Good
In Tagalog it is spell as you speak, and speak as you spell. There are no silent letters.
The Hard Part
Accent and stress are key. Plus there are words that have similar spelling but will mean totally different things depending on how it is spoken or used.
Today, we will talk about a few basic English words and phrases that are in common use by Pinoys but may not be easily understood by a non-native Tagalog speaker without some sort of explanation.
Conversation 101
When they say: I second emotion.
They mean: I second the/that motion.
When they say: For a while.
They mean: Please wait, we will be back promptly.
When they say: Open the lights. Close the TB.
They mean: Turn on the light switch. Switch off the TV.
When they say: I will fax you.
They mean: I will send you a fax message.
When they say: I am getting high blood. (Or nakaka-high blood, or nakaka taas ng dugo).
They mean: I am getting hot under the collar.
When they say: Fall in line.
They mean: Form a line.
When they say: Mamser.
They mean: Hello ma'am. Or Hello sir. (Pinoys are ahead of everyone else in terms of gender sensitivity).
When they say: It was trapik.
They mean: Traffic was bad. (Arriving late is normally tolerated).
When they say: Out of stock.
Such as in response to, do you have this shirt in a large or in orange? Or do you have a double cheese burger?
They mean: We are out -- may mean permanently or temporarily.
You can follow up with: "Kailan magkakaroon?" (When will it be available?)
And commonly used words that might be unusual are:
Aircon is AC
CR is Restroom
Ref is Fridge
Pridgider is any fridge
Colgate is any toothpaste
Cok is any soda
Diet any diet soda
Napkin is table napkin but may also refer to the sanitary kind.
Ice water is water inside a plastic bag for drinking (chilled).
Eat all you can is All you can eat.
Lastly, for those who have never been to the Philippines, some Pinoys may call Caucasians as "Joe" or Blacks as "Negro". But they mean no disrespect.
What all visitors to the Philippines will find out, as well as those who gets to speak with any of the millions of Filipinos overseas is that even if you cannot speak aTagalog word, you can get away with basic English phrases and still be able to understand one another. The only issue sometimes is just to figure out the accent. This is the same of any culture. Many times Filipinos would be speaking in English and most times combination Tagalog and English (Taglish) and if you aren't paying attention, you would miss it.
Most first time travellers to the Philippines will be pleasantly surprised that all or all almost all of the street signs, business signs, menus, forms, magazines, newspapers and most everything else are in English. Thus it doesn't take much thinking that at least most of the locals can at least read and understand English, and write and speak it. But as I have said, it might not sound like how you would expect. Of course depending on where you came from, they too might not readily understand your pronunciation and accent.
Tagalog/Taglish Basic Greetings
1. 'Kumain ka na?' (Eat ka na?) Literally this greeting translates to 'Have you eaten yet?' (Also kumain ka na ba).
Most Filipinos are snacking or eating every couple of hours, sometimes every hour or even right after a meal. So a usual greeting or question, you might hear is 'ku-ma-in ka na?'
Response could be Oo, or Opo (formal) for yes. Or Hindi or Hindi po, Hindi pa po (adding po makes it formal or with respect).
2. A follow up would be: 'Kain na' or 'Kain na tayo'. (Let's eat).
This is an invite to eat or come join them to eat. Note, it sometimes would not look good if you turn down this invitation.
Of course, if you aren't sure what is being offered, politely you can ask 'What are we eating?' or 'Ano po ito?' (Literally 'What is this?')
3. 'Saan ka galing?' (Where did you just come from).
Usual answer could be, 'Sa bahay (po)' - From the house.
'Sa mall (po)' - From the mall.
Or 'Sa sine/sinehan (po)' - From the movies/movie house.
[Sine - from Cinema]
Note: 'Saan ka galing', could also mean, 'From which country did you come from?'
4. Also 'Saan ka pupunta?' (Where are you going) or 'Saan kayo pupunta'.
ka - you (singular).
kayo - you (plural).
Note: Always pronounce each syllable separate, 'saan' is not one syllable but two, so it is pronounced as 'sa-an" (short/hard a).
In the same way, 'kain' is pronounced 'ka-in', two syllables.
5. 'Alis ka na?' Literally, 'Are you going?'
'Alis kayo' or 'Alis na kayo?' - Plural. Responses are:
"Opo' - Yes.
Or 'Hindi pa po" - Not yet.
Boodle Fight - Kain na?
Inspired by the military style of eating. This is a kind of feast that is meant for sharing, and grabbing the food, ususlly served and spread on banana leaves on top of a long table. Meant to be grabbed and eaten using your fingers.
There is a Filipino nursery rhyme titled 'Sampung Mga Daliri', which is literally 'Ten Fingers'.
This would be appropriate, as our lesson for today would be numbers, which is important in everyday conversation.
Like English, Tagalog sentences are normally constructed with the sequence, adjective-noun. Although the reverse is also true. Let us look an an example.
(1) One to Ten
One - Isa
Two - Dalawa
Three - Tatlo
Four - Apat
Five - Lima
Six - Anim
Seven - Pito
Eight - Walo
Nine - Siyam
Ten - Sampu
Ten Fingers - 'Sampung Mga Daliri'
'Daliri' is finger, to make it plural we add the word 'mga' (pronounced ma-nga).
But the term 'sampung daliri' is also acceptable.
'Sampu' is ten, 'ng' is added to indicate that the adjective is describing the succeeding word. Now the rule is if the adjective ends in a vowel, then 'ng" is added to make one word.
If the adjective ends in a consonant. Like in 'siyam', we will not add 'ng' to make one word (because it looks weird).
Instead the rule is to add a second word 'na'. So nine fingers in Tagalog is 'siyam na mga daliri' or 'siyam na daliri'.
(2) 11 to 19
Continuing the count is not that hard, to do this we add the word 'labing'. So 11 is 'labing isa', 12 is 'labing dalawa and so on.
(1) Be smart. Filipinos could tend to be tactless, so be fully aware. And when they say something that might be offensive to your foreign ears and sometimes delicate sensibilities, please remember that most aren't being a jerk. And, this is important, even though they can be a little offensive with the things they say (they have all the excuses -- lost in translation, couldn't find the right word, don't know certain words have several meanings or connotations, cultural thing, and other reasons), you on the otherhand cannot and should not be tactless on what you say or do, as in never.
For one, "oo" (read as two short Os, pronounced separately) is Tagalog for yes.
But, like in many Asian cultures, Tagalog has words that you need to use to make your sentences formal or to show respect. And normally you do so when you are speaking with people who are noticeably older than you.
Examples are adding the simple words "po" or "ho" (remember no long vowel sounds in Tagalog).
So when you are replying to a simple yes or no question and speaking to an older person. You should use:
"oo po" (for yes) or "oo ho" or beter yet, use the shortened version "opo" or "oho".
If the answer is no, then it is "hindi po" or "hindi ho". But most times the answer is almost always "opo" or "oho".
And that is all to it. To make any response more formal, add "po" or "ho". There might be certain rules on when to use "po" or "ho" but in general practice, they are interchangeable.
(2) Simple questions.
Who - (Sino or Sino po).
What - (Ano or Ano ho).
When - (Kailan or Kailan po).
Where - (Saan or Saan po).
Why - (Bakit or Bakit ho). Tip: this question should be used very sparingly. Yes, as in never say no, then also never ask why.
How - (Paano or Paano ho).
How many - (Gaano karami or Gaano karami ho).
and
How much (price) - (Magkano or Magkano ho).
I know, these could be overwhelming, but it shouldn't be. And if you are stuck in how to pronounce, then go back to Lesson 2.
And remember my three simple rules.
Read all syllables separate, do not try to combine them.
Like "paano" (how) is read "pa-a-no"
There are no silent letters, read out every syllable as it is written
If you speak English then you're already half way into mastering Taglish. Now if you are an American then you have an extra edge of having a special connection with most Tagalog speakers and vice-versa.
Now, if you missed Lesson 1, please go back and read it first, if you just browsed through it or already forgot what it was all about, please revisit it and then come back here.
Otherwise, this class is now in session...
(1) The F Depect. Yes, many native Tagalog speakers have a problem pronouncing the letter F. In their depense, Tagalog tradionally does not have the letter F. The closest sound being that made by the letter P or Ph.
So without words with the letter F, foolish heart may come out pullish hart, faithfully is peytpully or fear factor is peer packtor.
Unexplanable though is that some also pronounce the Ps into Fs, hence you can hear ferfect fitch, fayrents or fass your fayfers.
Sample Menu
This depect is also prevalent with the letter V (interchangeable with B ), so vacuum is bakyum and The Voice is Da Boys (which can be confusing to say the least).
But yes because for the same reason that for generations Tagalog words had no letter V. Also, just so you know, there are also no Cs, Js, Qs and Zs either.
There is an NG, that is not in the English alphabet. But please, the Tagalog alphabet does not really have more letters than English.
Really, for all intents and purposes, it is just and will always be:
(2) Tagalog Alphabet
A Ba Ka Da E Ga Ha I La Ma Na Nga O Pa Ra Sa Ta U Wa Ya.
Tagalog Alphabet Video
Now, the most important lesson for today is to get those sounds right. Watch and rewatch that video above until you say the Tagalog alphabet and sound like a native speaker.
(3) Silent Letters. Unlike other languages, there are no silent letters in Tagalog words. Syllables are read as it is written. That is if you can pronounce them, hence you do need to get the sounds just right. Note that there are no long vowel sounds.
(4) Stress. Now, be aware though that a change on which syllable you place or not place the stress or the emphasis, will matter to words that may have several meanings. For example:
The word 'baka' is a cow, (stress on first syllable, or no noticeable stress)
while
'Baka" with the stress on the second syllable means perhaps or maybe.
Also the same word 'baka' is weirdly conjugated and when it is, it has a totally different meaning. As in:
Nakibaka, nakikibaka, makibaka, makikibaka.
Now, we are not going into conjugations yet, so we can put this in the back burner first, as we tackle the appetizers.
(5) Taglish. As already discussed it is alright to mix and match Tagalog with English words, hence the term Taglish.
So for example, here is a question at lunch or dinner:
Will you eat cow (or beef)?
Will you eat baka?
Will you kain cow (or beef)? -- ka'in is eat.
Kakain ka ng cow (or beef)? --
ka-kain is a conjugated form of kain.
E eat ka ng baka?
Kakain ka ng baka? (The same question in full Tagalog)
Not all Filipinos know Tagalog. Worse, some know Tagalog but will not speak it. Even worse, many native speakers who look confused or who just smile back or do not respond to you in English when you talk to them in English, do so because they did not understand you, some just aren't confident enough to respond in English, locally known as "nose bleed", of course the rest
did not really understand or only half understand, the problem is you will probably never know who's who without some help.
Until recently, most educated Tagalog speakers are really confident and can communicate in English. Of late, even being a college graduate do not generally translate to being a fluent English speaker.
The Good News:
(1) Filipinos do and can understand a lot of English words and phrases. Filipinos are very familiar with most English songs, English (American) TV shows and English movies.
Native Tagalog speakers cannot and do not speak straight Tagalog. Mostly they speak a combination of Tagalog and English. Well many English words do not have a Tagalog equivalent, or if they do, no local will use those seldom used terms anyway. For example, 'good morning' in Tagalog is "magandang umaga'. 'Happy birthday' is 'maligayang bati' or 'maligayang bati sa iyong kaarawan' or 'maligayang kaarawan'.
So while being able to say 'magandang bati sa iyong kaarawan' ' will indeed get you "pogi" points (brownie points), 'happy birthday' is universally understood and widely used all over the country.
(2) Throughout the years, many Foreign words have become Tagalog words. Tagalog has borrowed Spanish, Chinese, Indian, Malay and many other Asian words. So Tagalog speakers can understand Spanish words such as mesa and chuchara, and numbers and ordinals - uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, primera, segunda, tercera, cuarta (yes femine). Be aware that sometimes the borrowed Spanish word may mean something else in Tagalog. Like 'puto' is not a bad Tagalog word. Now the femine form may get you a slap in the face.
(3) If you really want to learn Tagalog, you can, and we can help you.
Tagalog speakers can also learn a thing or two, when they come visit and sit in the classes here.
Ready? Ok, class is in session.
Free Tip #1:
There was a popular Tagalog sitcom in the 70s and 80s, it was called "Iskul Bukol", literally (Head) Lump School -- iskul is the Tagalized word for School.
It featured students and teachers in a fictional school named Wanbol University.
Mahjong (ball) tiles
Wanbol is, you might have already guessed it, the Tagalized word for One ball (referring to a tile used in the Chinese gambling game of mahjong).
The tip for today is that Filipinos are fun loving people, they are rhyme makers (i.e. Iskul Bukol) and they use rhyming words to make jokes or for fun. Many are gamblers and they love sitcoms, romcoms, telenovelas and action films.
"Walang anuman" (Tagalog for 'you're welcome', but can also mean several other things depending on how it is used).
