I love Filipino English—it is so wrong! There are Filipinisms that someone who did not grow up in the Philippines may have difficulty figuring out.
Conjugated Unconjugatables
I-google mo.
Paki-xerox nga.
Baka ma-Ondoy uli tayo!
Pinost mo ba sa Facebook?
Let’s half the dessert.
Hinahanting ka ni misis! (Your wife is hunting you.)
Inglisera—English-speaking Pinoy, also known as wurs wurs or Inglis-ispoken
Transformed Prepositions
Please “on” the electric fan.
“Off” the TV when you go.
“I’ll go ahead!”—to mean “I’ll leave now.”
Droppings
In English, some words are dropped since the abbreviated form is understood. Such as “chair” for chairperson, “House” for House of Representatives, or even “staff” when it refers to only one member. (“I sent my staff to fetch the book.”)
Here are some Tagalog examples:
May senior po ba kayo? (senior citizen card)
“High blood ka ba?” “Hindi, heart!” “Ako kidney.”
Type! (meaning “I like”—the guy with you; to join you where you’re going; your gift to me)
Chicken! (for “chicken feed!”)
Picture! (Take out your cameras. Pose. Smile.)
Usually a question from maid or waiter: “Okay na po ba?” (meaning “Are you finished eating?/reading the newspaper? Can I clear the table? Can I leave you now?”)
Okay, oks or k is a most overused word. So is lang. As in:
Okay lang—meaning pwede; hindi pwede; baka pwede, or pwede na. (Yes, it’s okay but not all right.)
Wait lang—Just a second. Also known as “For a while.”
Wala lang—It’s nothing; it doesn’t mean much; just something I fancied.
When one can’t remember right off the object one is referring to or even what to do with it, the sentence may end up like this: “Pakilagay naman ng kwan sa ano!” (And somehow the maid always understands it.)
Invented terms
Wang-wang
Imeldific
Tililing —(touched in the head)
Tweetums (pa-cute)
Chancing—take a chance (kiss/caress on the sly not one’s GF).
Colorum—unlicensed vehicle operating with a legitimate (taxi, bus) line. Invented word from the Latin secula seculorum, which sounds like secret words in the Mass. Once applied to the “colorum” sect.
ONLI IN DA PILIPINS do we hear…
Sobrang kulang (yata ang handa natin)
Super sarap!
English words that mean differently
Arbor—to ask for; obtain for free. Example: Di ko binili yan, na-arbor ko lang.
Alaska—to harass; to needle. Example: Panggulo lang yan, walang alam kundi mang-alaska.
Indian (-in)—not to show up for an appointment
Chapter—(Ugly! The end!)
Drama—“Anong drama na naman niyang kaibigan mo?” (What attention-getting tactic is your friend up to?)
Spelling (or ispeling)—I can’t understand it. Example: “Di ko ma-ispeling ang mukha niya!”
Carry—“Carry mo ba yang kulay na yan/yari ng damit?” (Do you think that color/dress style fits you?)
Dead ball or dedbol—patay
Gimmick (or gimik)—small money-making job; a party, pakulo or happening
Eternal; ageless; everlasting; institution; monument; pillar; deathless; legend—gurang.
Shortcuts
Musta ka?
Ro-Ro (Roll-on, roll-off-ferries for land vehicles)
Sakto!
Kita-kits!
Nota bene: Although “info” and “intro” are accepted English abbreviations, “orig” and “unli” are not.
Nini Dalena’s maid texted her one day: Gud am mam Nini! Di ako makapasok ngaun sa merkules na lang un magbantay k princes may sur ice. tx
The shortest shortcuts are the Jejemon messages in text, as in:
Qnq ayw mNg mquluhN wq mNq tqnAn sa kmplkdNq praan. (Kung ayaw mong maguluhan wag mong tignan sa komplikadong paraan.)
But the most incomprehensible are those in numbers:
11\/3r l00l< b4cl< U11L355 +l-l3r3’5 411 4++r4c+i\/3 5+r41163r b3l-li11l). (Never look back unless there’s an attractive stranger behind.)
Old metaphors that still work
Kaliwaan—cash on delivery
Mani-mani (minani-mani)—Peanuts! Easy!
Kalabasa; kamote; itlog—zero
May asim pa—still desirable/sexy
Isang barangay—the whole town (came to my lunch)
Sabunin—to scold
KKB—kanya-kanyang bayad or Dutch Treat
Tamaritis—lazybones. (We used to hire a slow carpenter whom the maids nicknamed “Katam.” Later on we found out what it stood for—Katamaran!)
Abubot, anik-anik—kung ano ano; bits and pieces; trinkets
May topak; may toyo; maluwag ang tornilyo; baltik—touched in the head
Walang ni ho ni ha—without as much as saying a word; without notice. Example: “Umalis na lang, walang ni ho ni ha.”
Parehas—always used by the help to mean pareho.
Nakakabato—turns one into stone—boring
Nilangaw —unpopular (“nilangaw sa takilya”—nobody came to watch the movie/play).
“Ano ka, sinuswerte?”—How lucky do you think you can get! (I’m no fool! Why should I trust you!) Example: “Pahiram naman ng P1,000 ngayon. Ibabalik ko agad.”
“Panahon pa ni Mahoma/Methuselah/Magellan/kopong-kopong”—a very long time ago
“Gulay na ako”—I’m too tired/worn-out
Kuno-kuno or kuning-kuning—Rumors/gossip has it…
Pinawisan ng malapot; dinugo—went through a difficult chore/exam.
