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).

Summary

Classes