Time for some Tagalog

Magandag umaga: Good morning

Since so many people speak English in Manila, ranging from functional to perfect, I am struggling to find any need to learn Tagalog or Filipino. It seems PC to call it Filipino but no-one I have spoken to in Manila who is from here calls it anything but Tagalog. When I went out to lunch with some of my colleagues a few weeks ago they tried to teach me a few things but I wasn't a very brilliant student. What I did learn was that Spanish would get me a little further on some things that I would have expected, no where close to understanding but enough to recognise a few words and more words than I would have expected - numbers I can do in Spanish, almost all the days of the week and months and they will be understood as Tagalog.

So now for your test in Tagalog - 10 words and phrases to see how you do. Those who speak Spanish will have a good head start in most of the words I've selected

Tagalog
1. Basura
2. Pasahero
3.Yelo
4. Elektrisidad
5. Turista
6. Oo (po), siyempre
7. Hindi (po)
8. Salamat
9. Anong oras?
10. Kumusta!
11. Ebanghelyo (a bonus one, I know 11 isn't 10!)

Answers below - gap left to try and avoid inadvertent cheating - those who really want to cheat will do so even if I put this on a separate page!!


English and Spanish equivalents
1. Rubbish/trash (En) or Basura (Sp)
2. Passenger (En) or Pasajero (Sp)
3. Ice (En) or Hielo (Sp)
4. Electricity or Electricidad
5. Tourist or Turista
6. Yes, of course or Si, claro
7. No
8. Thankyou or Gracias - OK no similarities in English and Spanish it's simply my first Tagalog word
9.What time? o A que hora?
10. Hello or Hola but you can see the Como esta? How are you link? If you just say the word.
11. Gospel or Evangelio

It seems Tagalog doesn't have the multiple forms of you but if you want to show respect to someone, especially if they are older than you, you add "po" to the phrase. However I was warned this can cause offence if someone isn't enough older than you as they might think you are saying they are old, one of those things you decide as a foreigner if you try and get it wrong you hope the other person gives you lots of grace in your execution as a ignorant Banyaga (foreigner).