Disclaimer: I am not a linguist or an expert in Tagalog. I just speak it. With this guide, I will attempt to convey what I know about the language. The contents of this section will change from time to time to assure accuracy. Please e-mail me regarding any concerns about the accuracy of this document. It will be HIGHLY appreciated.

The Tagalog Pronunciation Guide

All vowels are pronounced the same throughout the language.

a = ah, pronounced like the "a" in BARN, only shorter

Examples: babae (woman), ani (harvest), langit (heaven) e = eh, pronounced like the "e" in BEND, only shorter

Examples: ewan (don't know), lalake (man), mesa (table) i = ee, pronounced like the "ea" in BEAN

Examples: itlog (egg), hintay (wait), sisi (regret) o = oh, pronounced like the "o" in TOY, only shorter

Examples: opo (yes, respectful), payong (umbrella), bote (bottle) u = oo, pronounced like the "oo" in FOOL

Examples: buko (coconut), urong (move), pulot (pick up) ng = no English equivalent, approximate sound is the "-ng" on the English word KING

Examples: ngayon (today), saging (banana), ngiti (smile) mg = no English equivalent, similar to "ng" above. These last two sounds require practice to get it right.

Examples: mga (article denoting plurality) Mr. Jesus Dizon's Tagalog Homepage - Mr. Dizon's homepage will allow you to actually listen to the vowels being ennunciated!

Family Titles By Seniority

Lolo = grandfather Lola = grandmother Nanay/Inay = mother Tatay/Itay = father Tito = uncle Tita = aunt Kuya = Older brother or male cousin Ate = Older sister or female cousin

Respect Titles = These have no English equivalent. These words are essential for proper ettiquette when speaking to individuals that are older than the speaker.

Po

Ho

Po and Ho are interchangable. To answer "Yes" respectfully, just say "Opo" or "Oho".

Basic Greetings

To make these greetings formal, add the word "po" in the end.

Magandang Umaga (Po) = Good Morning

Magandang Hapon (Po) = Good Afternoon

Magandang Gabi (Po) = Good Evening

Name Titles

As in English, these are placed before the name of individuals.

Binibini = Miss

Ginang = Mrs.

Ginong = Mister

Numbers

isa = one dalawa = two tatlo = three apat = four lima = five anim = six pito = seven walo = eight siyam = nine sampu = ten

labing-isa = eleven (to make the rest of the numbers from eleven to nineteen, use the prefix "labing" and the number right after)

dalawampu = 20 dalawampu't-isa = twenty-one (to make the rest of the numbers from 21 to 29, use the prefix "dalawampu't" and the number right after)

Do the same for the rest of the numbers from 30 to 99. The contraction "-pu't" means "-pu at" ("at" meaning "and"). The rest of the numbers are formed by basic addition. In short, if I were to say "135" in Tagalog, it would be "isang daan (100) tatlumpu't (30) lima (5).

Hundreds: isang daan = 100 dalwang daan = 200 talong daan = 300 ...etc...

Thousands: isang libo = 1000 dalwang libo = 2000 ...etc...

When making compound numbers (1000+), this is the formula: "thousand, number of hundreds, "NA", the word for hundred, the number in tens and/or ones".

Example: If I were to say the year of my birth (1973) in Tagalog, it would be "isang-libo[1000] siyam[nine] na[of] (d)raan[hundred] pitumpu't-tatlo[73]".

Sound confusing? Don't worry, noone says their numbers like that anymore. Most people prefer the English way of saying numbers except for the numbers in the ones category.

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