Summary 000

Homonyms

Yes it gets even harder. There are a number of Tagalog homonyms, or words that have the same spelling but have different meanings.

Pronouncing these and many other Tagalog homonyms are key to getting understood.

1. Kita

Kita depending on how it is pronounced will mean one of these:

a. See
b. You
c. Income

Kita kita - Means I see you.

Watch in Youtube and turn on Closed Captioning in English

Liit kita - Means low income.

Laki kita - Means big income.

(Liit is little, short)

(Laki is large, tall)


2. Kaibigan

a. Friend
b. Lover

Kaibigan kita - Means You are my friend.

Kaibigan tayo - Means We are friends.

(Kai bigan)

Kaibigan ko - My lover.
(Ka i bigan)


3. Baba

a. Chin (When spoken gently)
b. Descend, Drop, Go Down

Nasa baba - Means on the chin.
Q. Where is your mole?
A. Nasa baba.

(Spoken gently)

Baba spoken with emphasis will mean to go down, or drop or descend.

Baba ba? Means Going down?


Everything depends on the intonation, which part of the word is accented, how fast or how slow it is pronounced, and so on.

So you want to learn Tagalog? Immersion and practice will get you there. And you need a little patience and humor. Good luck.

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