Tagalog Lesson 2 – In the Philippines

Opening Dialog for Lesson 2 – Listen to the dialog and follow along with the written dialog below.  After you listen to the dialog and follow along with the conversation by reading below, play around listening to the parts of the conversation below.  See if you can pick out what means what in the sentences. 

Then, read through the Lesson Notes for Lesson 2.  In the notes, you will learn more about the words used in this dialog. Also included in the notes are other words used further down the page.




Gng. Cruz: Ginoo at Ginang Turner, gusto kong ipakilala sa inyo ang mga kaibigan ko, sina Ginoo at Ginang Ramos. Mr. and Mrs. Turner, I’d like to introduce you to my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Ramos.
Bob Turner: Nagagalak kaming makilala kayo. We are pleased to meet you.
G. Ramos: Gayon din po kami. Matagal na ba kayo sa Pilipinas? We are too. Have you been in the Philippines long?
Bob Turner: Hindi po, dalawang buwan lamang. No, just two months.
G. Ramos: Gusto ba ninyo ang Pilipinas? Do you like the Philippines?
Anne Turner: Opo, gustung-gusto namin. Yes, we like it very much.
Anne Turner: Maganda ang Pilipinas pero mainit. The Philippines are beautiful but hot.
Gng. Ramos: Taga-saan po kayo? Where are you from? [From-where po you?]
Bob Turner: Taga Michigan po. Taga-Olongapo po ba kayo? Are you from Olongapo?
Gng. Ramos: Hindi po. Taga-Maynila kami. No. We are from Manila.

 

Practice Introducing Someone

The Filipinos are known for their hospitality.  The same personal qualities carry into conversation.  It’s always a good thing to learn how to introduce someone.  Lesson 2 looks at introducing your spouse or friend or even a co-worker.  Like always, practice these sentences until you feel very comfortable saying them.  Listen to them over and over too. In that way you will be able to understand when somebody is being introduced to you!

In the following sentences you will see the phrase “Gusto kong..”  (I want, or I like).  I like to think of it as “Want my..”, or “Like my..”.   There is more information about Gusto ko further down this page.  It is a very common phrase.

Ginoo at Ginang Ramos gusto kong ipakilala sa inyo ang asawa ko, si Sarah. Mr. and Mrs. Ramos, I’d like to introduce to you my wife, Sarah.
Ginoo at Ginang Ramos… Mr. and Mrs. Ramos…
lala
ipakilala to introduce
Gusto kong ipakilala I want to introduce ..
gusto kong ipakilala sa inyo.. I want to introduce to you…
…ang asawa ko, si Sarah. …my wife, Sarah
Ginoo at Ginang Ramos gusto kong ipakilala sa inyo ang asawa ko, si Sarah. Mr. and Mrs. Ramos, I’d like to introduce to you my wife, Sarah.

 

Where are You From?

In the following sentences you see the word “taga” used.  The word means “from”.  But there are other words in Tagalog that also mean from. The word “taga” is used when asking where someone is from.  It is not used when saying something like “I’m coming from the store”  or “How far is it from here to Manila”.  Those types of sentences will be covered later.  For now, just remember that “taga” is used when asking where someone resides.  I often ask new acquaintences “Taga saan ka sa Pilipinas?” Where are you from in the Philippines? [From where you in Philippines].

Taga-saan po kayo? Where are you from? (From-where you?)
Taga Michigan. From Michigan.
Taga-Michigan ako. I am from Michigan.
Taga-California si John. John is from California.
Taga-Michigan ako. I am from Michigan.
Taga-New York ang asawa ko. My wife is from New York.
Taga-Maynila po ba kayo? Are you from Manila?

 

Do You Like the Philippines?

Here we see the word “gusto” used in a question.  A very important word used here is “ba”.  The word ba is explained more in the notes for this lesson, but let me briefly explain it.  The word “ba” is like a question mark in speech. Even though we raise the pitch of our voice when asking a question (just like in English) to indicate a question is being asked.  We also have the word “ba” in Tagalog.   It can change a sentence to a question very simply.  Here are two examples.

 Pagod ka.  You are tired. [Tired you]. Pagod ka ba? Are you tired?
 Estudyante sila.  They are students. [Student they]. Estudyante ba sila? Are they students?

In the following sentences, the use of ba basically changes a statement of fact to a question.  Gusto mo. You like. [Liked by-you] becomes Gusto mo ba? Do you like? [Liked by-you?]  The word ‘ang’  puts the focus on the word Pilipinas.  In other words, what is it you are asking if it is liked or not?  In this case, we are asking if the person likes the Philippines.

One other item to look at in these two sentences is the use of “ninyo” and “mo“.   Instead of asking “you” directly, gusto uses an indirect approach.  It’s more like “Is the Philippines like by you?”  [Liked by-you ang Pilipinas?].  To say “by-you” in Tagalog, we can use words like “ninyo” and “mo“.   Both mean “by-you” in a sense.  The first word “ninyo” is used when addressing more than one person, or when addressing someone with respect.  The other  word “mo” also means “by-you”, but is casual.

Note also the placement of “ba” with respect to ninyo and mo.  We place “ba” before “ninyo” but it is placed after “mo”.   At first, I had to drum that into my head, but after listening to a lot of Tagalog, I could easily sense when it was spoken incorrectly.  It just didn’t “sound” right.  Just like in our native language, we learn what sounds right and what doesn’t.  That is a great feeling when you begin to sense what is right and wrong.  Keep listening to Tagalog so you get the same feel for the language.

Gusto ba ninyo ang Pilipinas? (formal or to more than one) Do you like the Philippines?
Gusto mo ba ang Pilipinas? (asking one person) Do you like the Philippines?

 

Answering with “I like” and “We like”

Earlier in this lesson we talked bit about “gusto“.  Keep in mind that the word gusto always uses an indirect pronoun. In other words, we don’t use words like you, they, me, she, he.  I think of the indirect pronouns more like “by-me” not “me”.  For example, the word ako means I.  We don’t say “Gusto ako”  [Like I].  Instead we say, “Gusto ko” [Like by-me] or some will translate it as [Like my].   Gusto ko ang Pilipinas.  The Philippines is liked by me. [Liked by-me ang Philippines].

Note also in the following sentence the use of Gustung-gusto.   It simply is Gusto used twice, with a linker in between.  It means to like or want very much.  It reminds me of the way we say in English “I really really like it!”   Or  “She is super super beautiful”.  The doubling of the words just emphasizes it more!

Gusto Like / Want
Opo, gusto ko. Yes, I like. (formal)
Opo, gusto namin. Yes, we like. (formal)
Gustong-gusto ko. I like very much.
Gustong-gusto namin. We like very much.

Something that you may wonder about in the following sentences compared to the sentences above is the use of Oo and Opo.  You’ve have seen that “po” is used as a respect marker.   It is injected in a phrase to show respect or deference.   “Oo” means yes in English.  The word Opo is simply a shortened version of “Oo po” [Opo].  You don’t need to say “Oo po“, you can simply say “Opo” when saying yes with respect or deference.

Gusto ba ninyo ang San Miguel bir? Do you like San Miguel beer?
Oo, gustong-gusto ko. Yes, I like it very much. [Yes, Lived-very-much  by-me]
Gusto mo ba ang Pilipinas? Do you like the Philippines? [Liked by-you ? ang Philippines]
Oo, gustong-gusto ko. Yes, I like it very much.
Gusto ba ninyo ang Pilipinas? Do you like the Philippines? (formal / plural)
Oo, gustong-gusto namin. Yes, we like it very much.
Gusto ba ninyo Olongapo? Do you like Olongapo? (formal / plural)
Oo, gustong-gusto namin. Yes, we like it very much. [Yes, Lived-very-much  by-us]
Gusto mo ba ang Maynila? Do you like Manila? (singular)
Oo, gustong-gusto ko. Yes, I like it very much.
Gusto mo ba ang San Miguel bir? So you like San Miguel beer? (casual / singular)
Oo, gustong-gusto ko. Yes, I like it very much.
Gusto ba ninyo ang tenis? Do you like Tennis?
Oo, gustong-gusto namin. Yes, we like it very much.

 

Expressing Dislike

There are several ways to say “I don’t like” in Tagalog.  The way I typically say it, and what I find is most common in everyday speech is “Ayaw ko”, or the shorter version “Ayoko”.    Sometimes I will see “Hindi ko gusto”.  The word “hindi” is the Tagalog word for “no”  or “not”.    In this case, “Hindi ko gusto” could be translated as “Not by-me like”  (Not liked by me).  In other words, “I don’t like”.

In the examples below, we also see the word “namin”.  It is used to mean “us” or “our”.  I tend to think of it as “by-us”.  Therefore, “Hindi namin gusto” can be “Not our like” or “Not by-us like” (We don’t like).  You can choose whatever way is easiest for you to remember and go with that.  I do want to mention that “our” or “by-us” comes in two varieties, which will be covered in more detail in Lesson 4.  The other word is “natin”.  I would discuss it now, but it will be covered later.

Another interesting note about “amin” is that it can be used to refer to your home.  For example, you may ask “Where do you want to eat, at your place or ours?” (Saan mo gustong kumain, sa inyo o sa amin?) [Where by-you want+ng to-eat, at yours or ours?]

Don’t Like
Hindi ko gusto. I don’t like. (singular) [not by-me like]
Hindi namin gusto. We don’t like. (plural) [not by-us like]
Examples
Gusto ba ninyo ang Maynila? Do you like Manila? [like ? by-you-all ang Manila?]
Hindi. Hindi namin gusto. No. We don’t like.
Gusto mo ba ang Olongapo? Do you like Olongapo? [liked by-you ? ang Olonapo?]
Hindi. Hindi ko gusto. No. I don’t like.
Gusto ba ninyo ang Baguio? Do you like Baguio?
Hindi. Hindi namin gusto. No. We don’t like.
Gusto mo ba ang San Miguel bir? Do you want some San Miguel Beer?
Hindi. Hindi ko gusto. No. I don’t want.
Gusto mo ba ang Maynila? Do you like Manila?
Hindi. Hindi ko gusto. No. I don’t like.
Gusto ba ninyo ang Olongapo? Do you like Olongapo?
Hindi. Hindi namin gusto. No, we don’t like.
Using ‘Ayaw’ and ‘Ayoko” don’t like / want.
Ayoko po. I don’t like / want.
Ayoko. I don’t like / want.
Ayaw namin. We don’t like / want.
Gusto ba ninyo ng alak? Would you like an alcoholic drink?
Ayoko po. I don’t like / want.
Ayoko po ng alak. I don’t like alcohol.
Ayaw namin ang alak. We don’t like / want an alcoholic drink.
Gusto mo ba ng 7-up? Do you like 7-up?
Ayoko. Ayoko ng 7-up. I don’t like. I don’t like 7-Up. [Not-liked-by-me, Not-liked-by-me ng …]

Would you like some …?

The pattern for asking if somebody likes something uses the word Gusto.  By the way, gusto is known as a pseudo-verb.  I always uses the indirect pronouns such as “mo” and “ninyo“, “niya“, “nila“.   Basically it means Want by-you, Want by-you-all, Want by-him or Want by-her, and Want by-them.   The word “ba” is used to convert the statement to a question.  Again notice the placement of the “ba” word.  It is placed before plural words such as ninyo, or nila.  Ex: Gusto ba ninyo ng kape?  Gusto ba nila ng kape?  (Do you (plural) want coffee?, Do they want coffee?).  However, the ba is placed aftermo“.  Ex: Gusto mo ba ng kape?  (Do you want coffee?).   Note that ninyo+ng can be written and spoken as ninyong. Likewise, nila+ng can be nilang.

Also, note the pronounciate of “tsaa” (tea).  It sounds to English speakers almost like “cha”.   Gatas means milk, an kape means coffee.  San Miguel beer is locally brewed in the Philippines and is a very popular brand.

Gusto ba ninyo? Do you want / like?
Gusto mo ba? Do you want / like?
Gusto mo ba ng bir? Do you want some beer?
Gusto ba ninyo ng kape? Do you want some coffee?
Gusto ba ninyo ng alak? Do you want an alcoholic drink?
Gusto mo ba ng gatas? Would you like some milk?
Gusto mo ba ng tubig? Would you like some water?
Gusto ba ninyo ng tsaa? Would you like some tea?
Gusto mo bang uminom? Would you like something to drink?
Gusto ba ninyo kumain? Would you like something to eat?
Opo, gusto ko. Yes, I like. (formal)
Oo, gusto ko. Yes, I like. (formal)
Opo, gusto ko. Yes, I like. (formal)
Gusto mo ba ng bir? Would you like a beer?
Oo, gusto ko. Yes, I like / want.
Gusto ko ng San Miguel bir. I would like some San Miguel beer.
Gusto mo ba ng kape, tsaa o gatas? Would you like coffee, tea or milk?
Gusto ko ng tsaa. I would like some tea.

Saying Thank You

Remember, the “po” word is added when speaking to someone older, or when speaking formally.  To say “Thanks a lot”, or “Thank you very much” you would literally say “many thanks”.  (Maraming salamat).   Marami (many) + ng (linker)  = Maraming

Salamat po. Thank you.
Salamat. Thank you.

 

Weather Related Words

One of the things I find interesting between American speakers and Tagalog is the mention of the weather.  In the United States, we often speak of the weather as a way to open conversations after initial greetings.  We may ask “So how’s the weather there?” if talking on the phone to a distant person. We may say “It sure is a nice day today.” when meeting on the street.  In the Philippines people often ask “Where have you been? (coming from)”  or “Have you eaten?”.  They aren’t really being nosy, they are just starting a conversation.

However, it is still fine to ask about the weather.  The weather of course can be quite the story!  During the rainy season (tag-basa)  the rain falls daily and with force.  Then of course, there are the typhoons that plagued the Philippines, especially the Northern Visayas and Luzon.  By the way, one of my favorite sites to track typhoons (hurricanes) and tropical depressions is “www.typhoon2000.com“.

Note in the foll0wing words the use of “ma” to change the meaning of the word.  For example “init” is heat, but “mainit” is hot (a lot of heat).   “Ma” is a prefix for many words that describe.  Another example is “maganda“. The word “ganda” means beauty in English.  “Maganda” means beautiful (full of beauty).   There is a town on the island of Luzon named “Mabalacat”.  Some believe it received its name from the presence of many “balacat” trees in the past.  Thus “mabalacat” (full of balacat).

Not all words that begin with “ma” are being modified as described above. “Ma” is a prefix for some verbs too and in that case is used quite differently.

mainit hot (adjective)
malamig cold (adjective)
mahangin windy
maulan rainy
init heat
lamig coldness
hangin wind
ulan rain

Here are some rain-related sentences you can find by visiting the sister site (tagalogphrases.com).  If you search for “rain” you will find phrases such as these.

Hindi pa malapit umulan.  ( It’s not going to rain soon.)
Hindi magiging maulan.    (It’s not going to rain.)
Dahil uulan.    (Because it’s going to rain.)
Masyadong maulan sa Maynila.   ( It is too rainy in Manila.)
Umuulan ulit.   (It’s raining again.)

 

Using the Weather-Related Words in Sentences

The word “gusto” means want, or like.  You need to determine what is being said by the context of the sentence.  The word “pero” means “but” and is a spanish word that was assimilated into Tagalog.

Some cool words are introduced here.  Masyado means “much” or “too much”.  For example, “Masyadong maint ang kape!”  (The coffee it too hot!).   Another ‘word’ is actually a prefix.  The prefix “napaka-” means very.  Napakaganda (very beautiful), napakainit (very hot).   The last word I want to point out is “konti” or “kaunti”.   It means “a little”.   I can say “Nakakaintindi ako ng konting Tagalog”  (Able-to-understand I ng little Tagalog) (I can understand a little Tagalog).

A note about “nang” and “ng”.  We’ve used “ng” a lot in sentences. Some of the sentences below use “nang”. What’s the difference? They mean the same thing, but spelled differently. Just think of it this way: “ng” is for objects, and “nang” is for verbs, adjectives, adverbs and so on.

Check this site out for more about “nang” and “ng”

Gusto mo ba ang Alaska? Do you like Alaska?
Oo, gusto ko pero malamig. Yes, I like but is cold.
Gusto mo ba ang Oregon? Do you like Oregon?
Oo, gusto ko pero maulan. Yes, I like but is rainy.
Gusto mo ba ang Florida? Do you like Florida?
Oo, gusto ko pero mainit. Yes, I like but is hot.
Gusto mo ba ang Chicago? Do you like Chicago?
Oo, gusto ko pero mahangin. Yes, I like but is windy.
nang konti. a little
malamig nang kaunti a little cold
mahangin nang kaunti a little windy
maulan nang kaunti a little rainy
Mainit ba sa Pilipinas? Is it hot in the Philippines?
Oo, mainit nang kaunti. Yes, a little hot.
Mainit ba sa Maynila? Is it hot in Manila?
Oo, mainit nang kaunti. Yes, a little hot.
Malamig ba sa Baguio? Is it cold in Baguio?
Oo, malamig nang kaunti. Yes, a little cold.
Mahangin ba sa Baguio? Is it windy in Baguio?
Oo, mahangin nang kaunti. Yes, a little windy.
Maulan ba sa Pilipinas? Is it rainy in the Philippines?
Oo, maulan nang kaunti. Yes, a little rainy.
mainit na mainit very hot
malamig na malamig very cold
mahanging-mahangin very windy
maulan maulan very rainy
masyado much
napaka- very
masyadong mainit too hot
napakainit very hot
masyadong malimig too cold
napakalamig very cold
masyadong mahangin too windy
napakahangin very windy
masyadong maulan too rainy
napakaulan very rainy
mainit na mainit sa Pilipinas. very hot in the Philippines

Changing a Statement to a Question using “ba” and Duplicating Words for Emphasis

I think “ba” is a cool word.  It can take a statement of fact and convert it to a sentence.  For example, “Maganda ka”  means “you are beautiful”.  But let’s throw in a “ba” and make it a question “Maganda ka ba?”, which means “are you beautiful?”.   Nice word.  Keep in mind, we still raise our voice higher at the end of a question, just like in English.

I would like to point out another very common phrase.  “di ba?”   or “diba?”    The longer version is “Hindi ba?”  Remember that the word “hindi” means no, or not in English.  Let’s look at an example using “diba”.   “Mainit sa Pilipinas di ba?”  (It is hot in the Philippines, no?).  Note the “no?” at the end.  It is basically saying “Hindi ba?”  But it was shortened to “di ba?”.  You may think of like this “It is hot in the Philippines, right?).

Another word used in the following sentences is “bagyo”.  According to the Tagalog dictionary at “bansa.org” the word “bagyo” means storm, typhoon, cyclone or tempest.

ba * question marker *
mainit na mainit ba sa Pilipinas? Is it hot in the Philippines?
Mainit sa Pilipinas. It is hot in the Philippines
Mainit ba sa Pilipinas? Is it hot in the Philippines?
Mahangin sa Baguio. It is windy in Baguio.
Mahangin ba sa Baguio? Is it windy in Baguio?
Masyadong maulan sa Maynila. It is very / too rainy in Manila.
Masyadong maulan ba sa Maynila? Is it very / too rainy in Manila?
Malamig sa Baguio kung Decembre. It is cold in Baguio during December.
Malamig ba sa Baguio kung Decembre? Is it cold in Baguio during December?
Mainit na mainit kung Hulyo. It is very hot in July.
Mainit na mainit ba kung Hulyo? Is it very hot in July?
Napakahangin kung Oktubre. It is very windy during October.
Napakahangin ba kung Oktubre? Is it very windy during October?
Nobyembre, Disyembre, Enero at Pebrero. November, December, January and February
Marso, Abril at Mayo March, April and May
Hunyo, Hulyo at Agosto June, July and August
Septyembre at Oktubre September and October
Panahon ng bagyo typhoon season
Malamig nang kaunti kung Nobyembre, Disyembre, Enero at Pebrero. It is a little cold during November, December, January and February.
Mainit na mainit kung Marso, Abril at Mayo. It is very hot during March, April and May.
Maulan kung Hunyo, Hulyo at Agosto. It is rainy during June, July and August.
Masyadong mahangin at maulan kung Septyembre at Oktubre. It is very windy and rainy during September and October.
Panahon ng bagyo kung Septyembre at Oktubre. Typhoon season is during September and October.
Maganda ang Hundred Islands. The Hundred Islands are beautiful.
Mainit sa Pilipinas. It is hot in the Philippines
Mainit ang kape. The coffee is hot.
Malamig kung Disyembre. It is cold during December.

 

Review Sentences

These sentences are simply reviews of sentences covered previously on this page. You should listen to them over and over again.  You will want to become familiar with them very much.  I suggest you make up your own conversations and practice, practice, practice.  One of my favorite pastimes  is to take my three dogs for long walks.  My dogs probably think I’m crazy, but I often use that time to practice parts of conversations in Tagalog.  Another helpful tip is to pretend you are explaining the language to others.  I was a teacher for many years, and I learned a lot by preparing to teach to others.

Si John ito. This is John.
Gusto mo ba ang Olongapo? Do you like Olongapo?
Taga-California ako. I am from California.
Gusto ba ninyo ang Pilipinas? Do you like the Philippines?
Ginoong Johnson, gusto kong ipakilala sa inyo ang mga kaibigan ko sina Ginoo ang Ginang Reynes. Mr Johnson, I’d like to introduce you to my friends Mr. and Mrs. Reynes.
Nagagalak akong makilala ka. I am pleased to meet you.
Maganda ang Baguio pero malamig ng kaunti. Baguio is beautiful but a little cold.
Masyadong mainit sa Maynila. It is too hot in Manila.
Napakahangin ba sa San Francisco? Is it windy in San Francisco?
Taga-Maynila po ba kayo, Ginang Ramos? Are you from Manila Mrs. Ramos?
Dalawang-pun araw lamang na parito. I have been here for 20 days only.
Dalawang taon na ang kaibigan ko sa Pilipinas. My friend has been in the Philippines for two years already.
Gustong-gusto namin ang Pilipinas. We like the Philippines very much.
Taga-California ako. I am from California.
Mainit na mainit ba sa Baguio kung Mayo? Is it very hot in Baguio in May?
Malamig na kaunti sa California. It’s a little cold in California.
Nagagalak akong makilala kayo. I am pleased to meet you.
Ikinagagalak kong makilala kayo. I am pleased to meet you.
Matagal ka na ba sa Maynila Juan? Have you been in Manila long, Juan?
Taga-saan ka Juan? Where are you from Juan?
Gusto mo ba ang Subic Bay? Do you like Subic Bay?

 

Final Dialog for Lesson 2

Practice by Listening to this dialog. It’s fast! Just keep listening. You don’t need to speak that fast, but it’s nice if you can follow it. It may take some practice.  It is good to listen to Tagalog spoken quickly sometimes.  Native Tagalog speakers obviously speak quickly.  In the dialogs on this site,  you have the advantage or having the words and translation written there for you to read.

Pedro: Hoy, Tom. Saan ka pupunta? Hey, Tom. Where are you going?
Tom: Diyan lang. Kumusta ka? Just there. How are you?
Pedro: Ok lang. Tom, ito si Victoria. Ok. Tom, this is Victoria.
Tom: Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka, Victoria. I am pleased to meet you Victoria.
Victoria: Gayon din ako. I am too. (likewise)
Tom: Matagal na ba kayo rito? Have you been here long?
Pedro: Mga isang oras lang. Ano, gusto ba ninyong uminom? Only about an hour. Would you like something to drink?
Tom: Oo, mabuti, gusto ko ng bir. Yes, fine, I want a beer.
Pedro: Ikaw Victoria, anong gusto mo, coke o bir? You Victoria, what do you want, coke or beer?
Victoria: Coke para sa akin. Coke for me.

Keep working with the sentences on this page and preceding lessons until you can produce conversations yourself very easily. Play with the words. Make up your own conversations. Practice speaking out loud. Answer yourself! You’re not nuts! you are learning a new language!  You want to become very fluent with what is covered so far in Lessons 1 and 2. 

See you in Lesson 3!

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