Philippines travel has long been popular, thanks to its stunning beaches, rich history and friendly people. But how can visitors maximize their visit? Here’s some advice on making sure their trip meets expectations.
Your Tagalog travel phrases can make the most out of your trip. Use it to greet and introduce yourself, inquire for directions, and order food at restaurants.
What to Know Before You Go
Filipino people are known for being extremely welcoming, so it’s crucial that visitors properly greet them upon arriving.
Although there is no exact translation for “hello” in Tagalog or Filipino, Pinoys usually greet each other by exchanging “kumusta ka?” which roughly translates as, “how are you?”
Tagalog, like many Asian languages, contains gender-specific polite words to use when speaking with someone of another sex or age. For instance, “mano po” should only be used when conversing with older relatives (parents, grandparents and godparents), colleagues or acquaintances of similar age and acquaintances of the same age; it would not be suitable when conversing with friends who share your age bracket.
Tagalog is an ergative language, which means its subjects typically precede its objects. This may cause some initial confusion if you are studying it from audio books or courses that teach object before subject, however in practice all this means is that when listening to native speakers you’ll need to switch the order in your head; eventually it should come naturally!
Getting There
As one of the world’s top spoken languages, Tagalog can be an invaluable asset for international businesses and travelers. Although more complex than some other languages, with some effort and practice you can quickly learn it!
Like other Austronesian languages, Tagalog is an ergative-absolutive one with a verbal system consisting of infixes, suffixes, and circumfixes to mark categories such as focus, tense, aspect and mood. Furthermore, three demonstrative pronouns with inclusive and exclusive forms for the 1st person singular as well as possessive and non-possessive forms for 2nd and 3rd person are present to signify different aspects of meaning within sentences.
Although heavily influenced by English, Tagalog still retains a distinct vocabulary and grammar that sets it apart from other Western languages. Its phonology features stress falling on either the last or next-to-last syllable of words with lengthening vowels; additionally it boasts two conjugation systems (regular and suppletive) to distinguish between subjective and objective cases.
Language skills can help make traveling to and through the Philippines much simpler, understanding its culture and people better, doing business there more smoothly, and even popping up in pop culture (Meghan Markle speaks Tagalog!). Rosetta Stone provides an intuitive learning experience that makes mastering any language easy – not only Tagalog!- and offers instant and adjustable feedback from its patented TruAccent speech recognition engine to quickly assess pronunciation compared to native speakers for instantaneous feedback on pronunciation accuracy.
Getting Around
Once in the Philippines, it’s essential that you learn how to navigate its transportation options. Tagalog contains several words related to transportation; para (to stop), tumi (go somewhere), and kotse (bus). These vocabulary terms will prove invaluable when trying to figure out how best to move from point A to B!
Additionally, it is beneficial to learn some transportation terms in Tagalog in order to communicate more effectively with drivers and passengers alike. For instance, to inform a driver that it’s time for you to leave, say “para!” in a loud voice extending your hand while also showing your appreciation – this shows respect. Adding “po” as the ending phrase also shows respect.
As with English, “na” can be translated to mean “now” or “already.” Like its English equivalent, this slang word can be used before adjectives and nouns as well as verbs – though unlike its English equivalent it needn’t always precede singular nouns and adjectives but can also precede plural or possessive nouns if necessary – while keeping in mind it can also be dropped if already introduced within a sentence.
Getting Started
Preparing for your trip to a place where Tagalog is spoken can make your stay much more pleasurable and effortless. Learning just a few useful words and phrases will go far towards making the experience more fulfilling; even for travelers unfamiliar with either Spanish or English it may appear challenging at first, yet learning it actually becomes much simpler over time.
As with other languages, Tagalog incorporates loan words from English, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese languages – such as loan words from English becoming loan words from other sources – into its own vocabulary and grammar system. Some changes may be subtle – for instance ua changing to uwa and j becoming h – while some more dramatic (jack en poy is Filipino for jackfruit; boondock being Philippine mountain) though learning all this won’t necessarily make things simpler! Knowing some basics will certainly make things much simpler!
Utilizing a bilingual dictionary and practicing pronunciation are excellent ways to get started in learning Tagalog. Listening to audio lessons or podcasts may also prove helpful; when possible, try practicing with native speakers as often as possible; staying abreast of news developments and watching Tagalog movies could also prove invaluable in building up one’s knowledge.
Tutoring is another option; however, it can be costly. Be sure to find an understanding tutor who understands that language learning requires continuous use and feedback from their instructor. Aim to keep conversations focused around Tagalog rather than on explaining specifics; the focus should remain on correcting speech rather than explaining things step-by-step.