Tagalugin Kasi (translate please)

One effective way of extending our worlds is by sharing the nuances of our language cross culturally. I intend to do this with a newsletter which I promise to send out once every two months. Of course, if you say you don’t need it because it will only clog your mailboxes, I won’t be hurt and I will stop sending it to you at once.

My concern is for the Tagalog language to be better understood and appreciated. I truly cringe at translations which are overly literal and therefore difficult to understand. Most translators, sometimes in a hurry and in order to play safe especially in translating technical materials, use words which are indeed Tagalog but these Tagalog words are rarely used in conversations and are therefore non-existent in the minds of the users. Somehow, I intend to stress that a language isn’t merely a set of codes but also a summation of thoughts, unique but understood by a culture.

Tagalog is one of the major languages in the Philippines and is widely spoken in Manila, most of central and Southern Luzon, and Mindoro. The presence of Overseas Filipino workers and migrants abroad will testify to its wide circulation in Canada, Guam, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Israel and other Middle East countries, United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Hongkong, Taiwan, Korea and the USA.

Since, most of the other people groups in our country learn Tagalog grammar as part of their elementary and secondary curriculum most of them understand spoken Tagalog to a certain extent. Variations in Tagalog, or dialects are sharp in places such as Lubang, Manila, Marinduque, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Tanay-Paete, and Tayabas, Quezon.

Tagalog is the basis for Filipino which is a confluence of languages from all over the islands. Filipino is distinguished from Tagalog because it contains words coming from other languages in the islands such as Cebuano, Ilocano, Bicolano and other Philippine languages. For example, “day” and “manang” are accepted Tagalog words but they are not Tagalog. “Day” is Cebuano for “girl” and “Manang” is Bicolano for elderly woman. So Filipino is a development of Tagalog, and is more widely used in conversations. Pure Tagalog is rarely used, except in certain literatures, and in academic discourse.

Prefixes and Suffixes
1 Tagalog inflection is by the use of prefixes, and here, confusion arises because regional differences abound.

Kain –eat
Kumain – to eat

Kumakain – eating but also Nakain – eating (Batangas/Mindoro)
Kakain – going to eat Kakain – going to eat (Batangas/Mindoro)
Kumain na – has eaten Nakakain na – has eaten(Batangas/Mindoro)

Sentences (translations follow Filipino natural order of words as spoken)

Kumakain ako Nakain ang bata
Am eating I is eating the child.

Kakain siya Kakain si Manny
Will eat she/he Will eat Manny

Kumain na sila Nakakain na kami
Have eaten they Have eaten we.

There are many such variations that is why it’s important to always check out in translation when a dialect has been used instead of the more generally accepted Tagalog.
In fact, if there is one area translators need to be very conscious of, this is the use of prefixes, affixes, and suffixes. A little misuse will always be suspect.

Nagkain ka na ba ng bata? Have you eaten a child?
Must be
Nagpakain ka na ba ng bata? Have you fed a child?

Nakain ka na? (dialect known in a region to mean “are you now eating?” but literally this can also mean, “have you now been eaten?”)
Is better translated as
Kumakain ka na? (more generally accepted to mean “are you now eating?)

2 Many times, one root word has two or more meanings, and depending on the prefixes and suffixes used, the meaning will be established.
Alis
remove go away

Alisin – to remove Paalis-alis – frequently [going] away
Inalis – removed Paaalisin – will be told to go away or leave
Alis- alisin [with pressure and sarcasm] aalis – will leave
paki-alis– please remove umalis – left [umalis na—has left]
Inaalis – is being removed paalisin – tell [him/her] to leave

Sentences
Inalis ang takip
was removed the cap/cover

Alis-alisin mo nga ang nakakainis.
Please remove you [indeed/do] the irritant.

Paki-alis ang sagabal.
Please remove the hindrance.

Inaalis na ang sagabal.
Is being removed [now] the hindrance.

Paalis-alis ang kuya.
Comes and goes the [elder] brother.

Paaalisin ang babae.
Will be told to leave the lady.

Aalis ang kaaway.
Will leave the enemy.

Umalis [na] ang nangungupa.
Left has the renter.

Paalisin mo nga ang balasubas.
[Please] ask to leave you indeed/do the bad payor.

3 The infinitive form is a root word plus a prefix or a suffix. The meaning is often determined by these prefixes, suffixes and other affixes. Conjugation thereby follows:

Punta – um [go] Punta – in [go] punta – hin/han [go]
Pupunta – to go ipunta – to go [noun] puntahan – go
Pumunta – went ipinunta [because] pinuntahan – had gone
Pupunta – will go reason for going [past tense] pupuntahan – will go
Pumunta na – has gone ipupunta – reason for going pinuntahan na – has gone already
Pumupunta – goes [future tense] pinupuntahan – is [still] going

4 One of the trickiest aspects of Tagalog translation is how to make the tone consistent all through out. Even the formality and informality of the final language used is determined by the translators choices of prefixes and suffixes.

Please go to the nearest store for additional information.

Formal
Maaari po lamang na puntahan ang pinakamalapit na tindahan para sa karagdagang impormasyon.

Informal
Paki-punta na lang sa pinakamalapit na tindahan para sa dagdag na impormasyon.

It is always a big challenge for me to make sure that the integrity of the language is intact. One way is by making sure that root words are developed properly using the right affixes. This makes my job as translator truly rewarding.

Tagalog Greetings

Mga Pagbati
Greetings

Ibang Paraan
Variation

Kamusta Ka
How are you

Kamusta [na]
How are you [now]

Magandang gabi
Good evening

Magandang gabi [po]
Good evening [polite]

Magandang umaga
Good morning

Magandang umaga [po]
Good morning [polite]

Magandang tanghali
Good afternoon

Magandang tanghali [po]
Good afternoon
[polite]

Saan ka pupunta?
Where are you going?
[Usually there’s a second question following how are you. This one is a habitual second question.]

Dinaglit:
Pa’saan ka?
Pa’sa’n ka?
Pasan [po] kayo?
Contractions: [To] where are you going?
[polite]
Hoy!
Hey!


Mabuhay!
[literal: long live!]

Isang gamit : Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

One application:
Long live the Filipino!

Maligayang pagdating
Happy homecoming

Maligayang bati
Happy birthday
Salin ayon sa bigkas
Hapi bertdey
Transliterated

Magandang araw
Good day

Magandang araw [po]
Good day [polite]

Idiomatic: Tuloy [po] kayo
literal: Pasok [po] kayo
Come in

Who are you?
Sino po sila? (third person/plural or polite)
Sino po kayo? (third person/polite)
Sino ka? (direct-impolite)
Who’s there?

Sasama ka?
Are you coming with us/me/?
Pinaikli (short cut)
Sama ka?
Coming?

Iniimbita kita
[I am] inviting you
Imbitado ka
You are invited

Pumunta ka sa amin
Come to our place
Pinaikli (short cut)
Punta ka [sa amin]

Gusto mo ito?
Do you like this?
Pinaikli (short cut)
Gusto mo?

Sige na, tanggapin mo na
Please, accept [this] now
Pinaikli (short cut)
Sige na
Please

Salamat po
Thank you [polite]

Salamat
Thanks