Lesson 004

Sampung Mga Daliri (Ten 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.

20 is Dalawampu

(3) 21 to 29 - Dalawampu't isa and so on.

30 is, yes Tatlumpu

(4) 31 to 99 - Talumpu't isa and so on.

40 - Apatnapu
50 - Limangpu
60 - Animnapu
70 - Pitumpu
80 - Walongpu
90 - Siyamnapu

(5) 100 - 1,000,000

100 - Isang daan (or sandaan)
200 - Dalawang daan
300 - Tatlong daan
400 - Apat na raan
500 - Limang daan
600 - Anim na raan
700 - Pitong daan
800 - Walong daan
900 - Siyam na raan

1,000 - Isang libo (sanlibo)
2,000 - dalawang libo

And so on

1,000,000 - Isang milyon
2,000,000 - Dalawang milyon

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Lesson 003

Welcome back!

Are you ready? (Redi ka na?)

Yes. (Oo.)

Okay...

(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

• And again no long vowel sounds

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Lesson 002

Taglish

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)

Other food terms:

Pig (or pork) - baboy
Chicken - manok
Egg - itlog
Fish - isda
Shrimp - hipon
Vegetables - gulay
Goat - kambing

So all these Tagalog words you can use in place of 'baka'.

Practice these in your free time.

Until next time. Hasta la vista (Spanish). Hanggang sa muli (Tagalog).

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Lesson 001

Lesson #1:
The Bad and the Good

Bad News: 

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).

Come back for our next lesson...

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