How good is ur Visaya or Tagalog?

[+Salty Dog 65,833]

14 minutes ago, Jawny said:

Even though Tagalog is taught in my area, it is not commonly spoken. English is a better choice as a language understood by many. My children struggle each year to get a passing grade in Tagalog.

even speaking Tagalog in my area can be an issue if you go to a Waray region.  Then, even if a visayan speaker tries to use the "common" language of Tagalog, both speakers can have a hard time being understood because of their respective accents.   

Keep in mind, as you learn the language, you also have to listen to it.  Meaning, some things are better not heard (understood). 

Its amusing to witness people cursing in English, and not getting upset.  But, once a "bad word" is spoken in the dialect, look out!

I've been to areas where hardly anyone could speak English. They spoke their local language and when they wanted to converse with someone who didn't speak their language, they spoke Tagalog.

Whatever the first language is, it's a pretty good bet that their second language probably isn't one of the many languages spoken in the Philippines other than Tagalog.

Tagalog is not my wife's first language. When we traveled around the country, she conversed in Tagalog with everyone though. Same here in the USA. Most of the Filipinos we meet are from Mindanao. They usually talk to each other in Tagalog other than English. 

[Soupeod 6,934]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines

Good map of the languages.

Edited September 3, 2017 by soupeod
added link

[Jim Sibbick 1,037]

12 hours ago, Flakes said:

 If i learn Tagolog i get by all parts of phills while Visayas only usefull in Cebu.

You can get by in English in the whole of the Philippines.

I have friends who have been married since 2006. She from Leyte, he from northern Luzon. They were complaining to me a few weeks ago that in all that time, they still struggle to understand each other when speaking Tagalog.

I am back in Australia now. Where I work there are 3 Filipinos. One from Southern Luzon, one from Northern Luzon. One from Cebu. They will mostly talk to each other in English as they can't understand each other speaking in Tagalog.

 

 

[TequilaSunset 2,755]

Maayong buntag!  Ako, si Bruce, ganahan ko sa pilipinas.

I have also learned how to say... Saba diha. GF cracks up anytime I say that to her, said I sound cute 

Next week I will go to my first Filipino party/celebration/gathering, meet many more family members too, should be interesting. I am goign to practice what little I know. Going to do some snorkeling in Moalboal, visit Dumaguete, in general hang out more in the province this time around, slowly acclimating myself with each visit. 

[rep1 2,144]

On 8/30/2017 at 5:45 PM, Flakes said:

Haha Maybe because u to much with u face in the sun? If u see me its obvious i am not a Pinoy even if i would speak the language fluently 

This one is also an pinoy:

Spoiler

I've seen a few white girls who behave like locals but don't look alike at all, not like typical whites either. Not tourist.

If you learn to speak it well they may mistaken you as some Spanish lord.

[Highlighter 524]

You can learn to speak any language you want, but you can bet your balls the minute the locals don't want you to know what they are saying they will speak to each other in a different dialect.

[noddle 456]

25 minutes ago, Highlighter said:

You can learn to speak any language you want, but you can bet your balls the minute the locals don't want you to know what they are saying they will speak to each other in a different dialect.

Only if they know you can understand them,  if you don't let on,  and they don't know you understand,  then you can listen as much as you want  and just act  dumb..   :-)  but sometimes,  ignorance is bliss ..

[Highlighter 524]

26 minutes ago, noddle said:

but sometimes,  ignorance is bliss ..

Most times for me.

[TequilaSunset 2,755]

On my recent trip I heard 3 guys talking as we waited to cross the street, I understood the word "Kano" and nothing else... and I uttered, Hay Naku... they stopped talking and just looked at me.  We laughed later on, still wish i knew what they think I knew they said  

[colemanlee 21,436]

Most of the time its better you dont know what they say...probably would just piss you off...

[M.C.A. 590]

10 hours ago, TequilaSunset said:

On my recent trip I heard 3 guys talking as we waited to cross the street, I understood the word "Kano" and nothing else... and I uttered, Hay Naku... they stopped talking and just looked at me.  We laughed later on, still wish i knew what they think I knew they said  

I'm with Colemanlee you wouldn't want to know the other words but sadly eventually you will know them "Buckla" or faggot is one of the favorites but so many other words and it used to get me a little upset but now I don't react and let go, some people here will also speak English and try to get your goat also, example the other day a Jeepney driver said to me as I was passing on bike, so you like the heat, it got my attention but I had already passed and really what more is there to say except to start up a fight, I have so many better things to do and for those that talk nicely I have time and if busy I'll make time.

Watch out when they do get upset you'll be ganged up on by others, this happened to me one time and that was the last time I spoke harshly with a group of kids outside a 7-Eleven, they wouldn't stop bugging me for money and I was busy trying to get my grandson and at the time he was 3 years old and then they were trying to mess with him and grab him so I got upset and said leave me the "F" alone and walked in... wow well a group of teenage girls walked in and I could hear some bad words in Tagalog, the Buckla and Kano and also the guy the clerk it turns out they were all family members and get this he couldn't do anything for me nothing worked even the till seem to be broken, this happened another time he played some sort of game on the till but his boss happened to be watching from another area... Lol that was it for him fired.

 

Edited September 27, 2017 by M.C.A.

[TequilaSunset 2,755]

Good to know MCA... 

[rjsessoms 1]

On 9/3/2017 at 4:16 AM, Salty Dog said:

I've been to areas where hardly anyone could speak English. They spoke their local language and when they wanted to converse with someone who didn't speak their language, they spoke Tagalog.

Whatever the first language is, it's a pretty good bet that their second language probably isn't one of the many languages spoken in the Philippines other than Tagalog.

Tagalog is not my wife's first language. When we traveled around the country, she conversed in Tagalog with everyone though. Same here in the USA. Most of the Filipinos we meet are from Mindanao. They usually talk to each other in Tagalog other than English. 

See that's different than my experience here in the USA. My wife is from Davao and speaks Bisaya, Illongo, Tagalog very good. We have several friends here in the USA that are from either Cebu or Bohol, and my they always conversate in Bisaya and not Tagalog at all. The only time they speak Tagalog is when a Non-Bisaya speaker is nearby. We have a couple more friends we associate with that one is from Bohol and one is from Nueva Ecija, they always speak in Tagalog but the woman from NE has learned some Bisayan as well. I think it all depends on who the people are really, because there are a far number of older pinoys here that look down on the younger/newer immigrants. 

[rjsessoms 1]

On 9/3/2017 at 3:51 AM, Jawny said:

Even though Tagalog is taught in my area, it is not commonly spoken. English is a better choice as a language understood by many. My children struggle each year to get a passing grade in Tagalog.

even speaking Tagalog in my area can be an issue if you go to a Waray region.  Then, even if a visayan speaker tries to use the "common" language of Tagalog, both speakers can have a hard time being understood because of their respective accents.   

Keep in mind, as you learn the language, you also have to listen to it.  Meaning, some things are better not heard (understood). 

Its amusing to witness people cursing in English, and not getting upset.  But, once a "bad word" is spoken in the dialect, look out!

That's the same way in Compostela Valley province where my asawa is from. Tagalog and English is taught in school but everybody speaks Bisaya unless your a Nativo then they speak Mandayan. But you will hear English more than you will Tagalog, in fact the only time you usually hear Tagalog is on tv. 

[Foureyes 4]

I have a book called "Magbinisaya Kita" ("Let's speak Visayan" I think); I also have a companion CD.  Primer 1 is in print and and Primer 2 is available directly from the author via Skype (as it was explained to me).  The author is Dr. Jessie Rubrico.  It's quite well done.  Here's the thing:  I've had the book for years and never seem to get more than about a quarter of the way through it.  That definitely says more about me than about the book.

It's way too easy to get around Cebu using nothing but English.

[Monsoon 28,940]

On 9/3/2017 at 7:16 PM, Salty Dog said:

I've been to areas where hardly anyone could speak English. They spoke their local language and when they wanted to converse with someone who didn't speak their language, they spoke Tagalog.

Whatever the first language is, it's a pretty good bet that their second language probably isn't one of the many languages spoken in the Philippines other than Tagalog.

Tagalog is not my wife's first language. When we traveled around the country, she conversed in Tagalog with everyone though. Same here in the USA. Most of the Filipinos we meet are from Mindanao. They usually talk to each other in Tagalog other than English. 

That has been my experience as well. One case in particular, two girls who are often together, are both native Bisaya speakers yet converse in Tagalog. I asked them one night and they just shrugged their shoulders and said, "Cuz we wanna practice our Tagalog."

Same in the US, unless a group are all from the same area, the common language is Tagalog. 

[Jawny 4,617]

I learned one word in Tagalog...."talaga".  It is quite useful.

Best if it is used just once, not repeated.  Wait until the conversation seems to be going into the gossip portion.  Then say "talaga".....and watch the reaction.

usually the speakers will stop and ask "do you understand?"  That’s when playing dumb is important. Whether you understand or not is unimportant.  Once you say "talaga", the speakers think you understand them.

Talaga means "really?"

 

[noddle 456]

26 minutes ago, Jawny said:

I learned one word in Tagalog...."talaga".  It is quite useful.

Best if it is used just once, not repeated.  Wait until the conversation seems to be going into the gossip portion.  Then say "talaga".....and watch the reaction.

usually the speakers will stop and ask "do you understand?"  That’s when playing dumb is important. Whether you understand or not is unimportant.  Once you say "talaga", the speakers think you understand them.

Talaga means "really?"

 

I use    "unsa"    (what in bisayan)   myself..   the looks I get :-)