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Chekaeitel Llech
Member
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Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 12:22 pm |
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Well, I am a little bit particular with my grammar, most especially when I am writing something for the school and my professor. I admit that I sometimes laugh about the way my other classmates do their grammar during English class, but during conversation, I am not that particular. In fact, for as long as I can understand what they are trying to say, I take it as a consideration.
Many said that we Filipinos are the only people in the world who are very much particular with the use of the English language. We use it as if we are the master of it and our country is the place were the language originated.
We laugh when someone made a mistake and in a deeper sense, we criticize them without all due respect to their skills. We are also disregarding the fact that, even AMERICANS, who are very much familiar in ENGLISH do make mistakes at times.
For instance, when I was in my ELEMENTARY grade, our school made a connection with the CANADIAN students who wanted to friends here in the Philippines. One misused the word "weigh" wherein she used it in a sentence: "My weigh (weight) is blah blah bla" instead of "I weigh(ed) blah blah blah blah blah..."
Some said that we should also put in mind to always be vigilant about our grammar when doing it to poeple familiar with the language, but more often, when doing it with others, we can do mistakes without our knowledge and can just ignore it without doing an appropriate action to correct our mistake.
FOR as LONG as we can UNDERSTAND it, it's okay to have flaws, but what if you are going to read this one, would you still be stalked with your kind of perception of just being contented with "UNDERSTANDING SOMETHING FULL OF FLAWS?"
here how it goes:
HATE LETTER
The following is a letter found at a certain bar in Manila and has been preserved in its original, unedited form. Enjoy reading and you may try direct translation in Tagalog. Pls read with feelings...
To Marjie,
I am not surprise or wander why Dennis leave you.
Why?
What reason you can think about but you're very fat body. I thought before that Dennis only use me to his toy but sooner and later I'm realize that he really can't not beared or stomached to be with you anymore because at first,Dennis say he could not stand you're habit of making pakialam all his walks [lakad] and always calling to their house what he go home or this or that and then he say he get ashame to met iether in school or in his family and then asking you to exercise you're very very ,very fat body but you hate it thoughth your the most preetiest girls he knows about what do you think you are "Beautiful Girl " of Jose Marie Chan even you are beautiful face to your think) you do not have the right to called me whatsoever or else different name one time or the other for the real purposed to insults my personality because I'm never call you names iether in the front of Dennis or in the backs of Dennis, but if you start already to calling me different name, I don't have any other choice but to call you other different name to like you are a P~G, FAT, OBESSED, OVERWIGHT, AND UGLY SHAPE girl.
Shame to you're body that is to a BUDING. You can't not blame Dennis for exchanging you to me because I am the more sexier than you when you look to us in the mirror. I'm repeat again that you are like Ike Lozada when she is a girl.
FROM: THE SEXIEST GIRL OF D.M.
P.S. You say that I'm the bad breathe but who is
Dennis want to kissed. Me or you? You or me? And the final is me.
(taken from: http://www.gov.ph/forum/thread.asp?rootID=29784&catID=11)
there you go. See, can you even understand that one? Tell me if you can have direct translation in TAGALOG with this kind of letter? My mind has been discombobulated while reading this letter.
Another is this one, a forum post from a woman advising a foreigner about BORACAY.
Here it goes:
Hi there , I am already married to American Man ., But i am now in new zealand . What I can advice you is . Why in Boracay ? i was been there before , the weather is very hot. I can help you to bokk for you going to boracay . I can give you some advice . why not you go to Baguio insted . In Baguio there alot of shopping center and affordable. In Boracay everything is expensive because of Boracay is an Island ,. You can get a good rate of the Hotel and its very quite there . You don't need to worried of noise . Most of the transfortation in Boracay is tricycle. let me know when are you going to Boracay and when .Now we have 1 child a boy. I am given you some advices only .hope you don't mind
Sometimes, committing a mistake is not bad, but having it for the second and the third time around is already stupidity. I believe that a mistake will remain a mistake when no one started to correct it, thus, before we do something, let's check it twice and analyze if we have committed a major mistake.
If you really don't know or have a little knowledge about the ENGLISH language, tell it to others because they might help you with your problem. There's nothing wrong about that, for as long as you know how to accept "constructive" criticism and learn how to reclaim the proper protocol towards the pursuit of knowledge. We shouldn't be vulnerable to learning...if we have time, study English. Why not study rather than wasting your time playing for almost two hours or in a worse sense, six to eight hours?
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Sirena
Moderator
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Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 01:04 pm |
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I'm usually reluctant to correct people's grammar unless they are saying something particularly 'wrong' or bizarre as I don't wish to offend them. With close friends it's different, but until I can speak perfect Tagalog or Visayan, who am I to critisise others? Especially if they didn't learn much English in school.
One mistake I have often seen in print is the lack of the letter 's' on the end of words - such as "Jackie Store" when it ought to be "Jackie's store", with the 's' denoting that the store belongs to Jackie.
Some English or even expat newspapers & publications display terrible grammar. Can they really not find decent editors in the city, or is it just a lack of care?
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Carabao Kevin
Super Moderator
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Posted: Fri Jan 19th, 2007 05:53 pm |
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This is one that I understand and yet don't understand.  
First, my grammar (as in language not my mother's mother  ) is far from perfect. I try to always use spell-check, but that doesn't help if you spell the wrong verb correctly .
Now I understand that there are differences in USA English, European English and Australian English. I look at Pilipino English as a new breed. Just like their TAGALOG. So many of their words came from SPANISH, they changed the spelling and or the MEANING. Examples:
Siempre, in Spanish means "always" or "for ever".
Siempre in Tagalog is pronounced "SHEimpre" and means "of course"
Using this word in a sentence in both languages will make sense, but can have different meanings.
As in "I LOVE YOU SIEMPRE" and "I LOVE YOU SHE-IMPRE"....2 different meanings.
The Spanish CH has been replaced with the TS in Tagalog. Chismoso in Spanish but Tsismoso in Tagalog.
It seems all "ia" has the funny.... I cant explain it. As in "sia"- SHA. It comes from our words like "differential", but it seems all words in the PHILIPPINES now get the "sha" treatment if there is an "ia" in it.
A week after my wife arrived here she was speaking with her friend in another state. She asked me if we could go visit. I asked where is it?
She said the name of the town is "es-can-ja". I searched that state all over the maps and Internet, I finally spoke to her friend, she assured me "es-can-ja"....So I asked to speak to her husband, he laughed, he explained it is "SCANDIA". His wife had just arrived a few weeks before my wife, the FILIPINOS pronounce it the "way they see it"
I know there are English words that are spelled one way in Europe but a little different in the US. Pronouncing words can be different. Europe may say "MILL-A-TREE". Here in the USA we say "MILITARY"..."MIL-I-TARY"...For us "MILL-A-TREE" is what you do when you cut down a tree and saw it up into boards, you MILL-A-TREE. A lot of the differences when you start looking.
One thing I have a hard time with is Filipinos seem to get the "he" & "she" mixed up a lot. Also the "V" -"B" thing and the "P"- "F" thing. As in "BAMFIRE"...many of us would say VAMPIRE.
As far as the "One mistake I have often seen in print is the lack of the letter 's' on the end of words - such as "Jackie Store" when it ought to be "Jackie's store", with the 's' denoting that the store belongs to Jackie." This could be a very confused mixed up mess from the different languages. In Spanish, they would say "The store of JACKIE" or "LA (el) Tienda de Jackie", or shortened could be when translated into English, "JACKIE STORE" But my guess is, it's just that they do not study English enough, or care enough about it.
I'll sum up these ramblings with, either Filipinos must learn ALL "types" of English or "adopt" their own English...which it seems they have.
I better use spell-check 
-Mabuhay-
-Kevin
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sanjuanboy
Member
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 06:51 pm |
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I'm a Pinoy - born and bred in Manila, just so happens I live in Canada. My English is not perfect, but it's better than most. Here's my observation regarding Filipino English: The English language that Filipinos know usually comes from education and the media. Not all Filipinos speak English at home, but 99.99% of them can understand and converse with English. So it takes some time to really master something that you've learned from school. If you speak English at home all the time then probably you'll master English.
Take it from me, some Americans and Canadians have terrible grammar and spelling skills. And English is their mother tongue! 
And I think that English per se is not the problem among Filipinos. I think the Accent is. If you have an "american" accent then you're deemed "sosy/sosyal" - which I really hate like pulling teeth, by the way. A lot of pinoys try really hard to speak with an american accent, I don't know why, probably because of Hollywood. If you ask me, as long as your English is understandable, and your grammar is acceptable (with that I mean, the grammar has to make some kind of sense and pleasing to the ears) then your English is good.
But yes, the sad part about all of this is when Filipinos start criticizing other Filipinos on their English skills, this should stop. It's embarrasing really.
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Carabao Kevin
Super Moderator
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Posted: Mon Jan 22nd, 2007 07:17 pm |
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sanjuanboy wrote: I'm a Pinoy - born and bred in Manila, just so happens I live in Canada. My English is not perfect, but it's better than most. Here's my observation regarding Filipino English: The English language that Filipinos know usually comes from education and the media. Not all Filipinos speak English at home, but 99.99% of them can understand and converse with English. So it takes some time to really master something that you've learned from school. If you speak English at home all the time then probably you'll master English.
Take it from me, some Americans and Canadians have terrible grammar and spelling skills. And English is their mother tongue!
And I think that English per se is not the problem among Filipinos. I think the Accent is. If you have an "american" accent then you're deemed "sosy/sosyal" - which I really hate like pulling teeth, by the way. A lot of pinoys try really hard to speak with an american accent, I don't know why, probably because of Hollywood. If you ask me, as long as your English is understandable, and your grammar is acceptable (with that I mean, the grammar has to make some kind of sense and pleasing to the ears) then your English is good.
But yes, the sad part about all of this is when Filipinos start criticizing other Filipinos on their English skills, this should stop. It's embarrasing really.
sanjuanboy,
Very good points.
I remember when I first studied Spanish in school , the things they taught me may have been very proper, but 99% of the Spanish speaking world does NOT speak textbook Spanish , as I am sure is the same with English. I have NEVER had a problem with a conversation when speaking with a FILIPINO, but there are a few Americans I could hardly make out what they were saying, partly because of their accent. A New Jersey accent and an Arkansas "hill" accent are like speaking 2 different languages, it's not only the accent , sentence structure and words.
-Mabuhay-
-Kevin
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Paul
Moderator
| Joined: | Sun Nov 26th, 2006 |
| Location: | Cebu, Philippines |
| Posts: | 90 |
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Posted: Tue Jan 23rd, 2007 12:33 am |
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sanjuanboy wrote:
Take it from me, some Americans and Canadians have terrible grammar and spelling skills. And English is their mother tongue!
Agreed!
Thanks for your post.
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chinitadacat
Member
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Posted: Wed Jan 24th, 2007 08:52 am |
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HATE LETTER
The following is a letter found at a certain bar in Manila and has been preserved in its original, unedited form. Enjoy reading and you may try direct translation in Tagalog. Pls read with feelings...
To Marjie,
I am not surprise or wander why Dennis leave you.
Why?
What reason you can think about but you're very fat body. I thought before that Dennis only use me to his toy but sooner and later I'm realize that he really can't not beared or stomached to be with you anymore because at first,Dennis say he could not stand you're habit of making pakialam all his walks [lakad] and always calling to their house what he go home or this or that and then he say he get ashame to met iether in school or in his family and then asking you to exercise you're very very ,very fat body but you hate it thoughth your the most preetiest girls he knows about what do you think you are "Beautiful Girl " of Jose Marie Chan even you are beautiful face to your think) you do not have the right to called me whatsoever or else different name one time or the other for the real purposed to insults my personality because I'm never call you names iether in the front of Dennis or in the backs of Dennis, but if you start already to calling me different name, I don't have any other choice but to call you other different name to like you are a P~G, FAT, OBESSED, OVERWIGHT, AND UGLY SHAPE girl.
Shame to you're body that is to a BUDING. You can't not blame Dennis for exchanging you to me because I am the more sexier than you when you look to us in the mirror. I'm repeat again that you are like Ike Lozada when she is a girl.
FROM: THE SEXIEST GIRL OF D.M.
P.S. You say that I'm the bad breathe but who is
Dennis want to kissed. Me or you? You or me? And the final is me.
HI well this letter made me laugh so much, i wondered what ever happen to dennis and this other girl.:-)Last edited on Wed Jan 24th, 2007 08:58 am by chinitadacat
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Sirena
Moderator
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Posted: Mon Feb 5th, 2007 11:03 am |
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I often hear people here say that someone has "high blood". I presume by that they mean high blood pressure?
And onother one I recently came across in a forum was a Filipina asking if she could wear "a short" on the beach instead of a bikini. I had to think for a sec till I realised she was referring to what we would call shorts.
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Paul
Moderator
| Joined: | Sun Nov 26th, 2006 |
| Location: | Cebu, Philippines |
| Posts: | 90 |
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Posted: Mon Feb 5th, 2007 10:44 pm |
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Sirena wrote: I often hear people here say that someone has "high blood". I presume by that they mean high blood pressure?
And onother one I recently came across in a forum was a Filipina asking if she could wear "a short" on the beach instead of a bikini. I had to think for a sec till I realised she was referring to what we would call shorts.
Sirena, they are saying someone is mad if they have "high blood". Concerning wearing shorts, you are correct.
Something I would like to add to this topic:
In defence of Filipinos, there are times where words do not translate directly into English, certainly in Cebuano / Bisaya. For example, there is no word in Cebuano / Bisaya which differentiates between masculine and feminine, he and she. One word covers both, "siya", plural would be "sila". Both "siya" "and" sila can also cover inanimate objects as well.
You may be talking with a Filipino regarding a third person (male or female). During this conversation, the Filipino may identify that third person by the wrong sex. They may say something like, "Jim will be arriving from Manila this morning. She left on the 6am flight." While the the westerner will be confused, the Filipino, thinking in Cebuano but speaking in English, will not notice what they have done, quite often. The translation is as close as it can be, for them.
I hope this helps clear up a bit about the differences in the languages.
Paul
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Carabao Kevin
Super Moderator
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Posted: Tue Feb 6th, 2007 05:10 am |
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Thats good Paul, I didn't realize that, my wife didn't explain it to me in that way. Truthfully, I probaly didn't listen well enough. That explains the he-she problem. The crazy thing is, it does NOT even bother me anymore, heck I probably do it myself now and don't even realize it
Thanks...
-Mabuhay-
-Kevin
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Sirena
Moderator
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Posted: Tue Feb 6th, 2007 11:45 am |
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| Yes I've noticed that point regarding the mistakes made when referring to gender. But with the 'high blood' thing, I have heard it used to describe a variety of different conditions (including medical ones) not only anger. It's confusing! Last edited on Tue Feb 6th, 2007 11:45 am by Sirena
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lumbia
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Posted: Tue Feb 6th, 2007 11:16 pm |
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Sirena wrote: Yes I've noticed that point regarding the mistakes made when referring to gender. But with the 'high blood' thing, I have heard it used to describe a variety of different conditions (including medical ones) not only anger. It's confusing!
You're right, Sirena, when someone mentions "high blood", it's either a short-cut of the phrase high blood pressure or it may also mean his/her blood boils, perhaps due to anger or frustration. This is the result of mixing english and tagalog (taglish)or bisayan (bisaglish) words to form a sentence. To communications art teachers, this is a huge blunder to both english and Filipino languages. But who cares ? As long as the speaker is understood, that's OK. To the listener, contextualization is the key.
Here's an exmple of a funny sentence in mix Bisaya & English from my nieces and nephews: Wala gyud ko ka get sa imong gi-tell. (I didn't really get what you said.)
lumbia
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Sirena
Moderator
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Posted: Tue Jul 31st, 2007 08:32 am |
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| I notice, even in the local press, that a common mistake is to use "it" instead of "them" - or the opposite way around. As in the sentence "If you buy some fruit, put them in the refrigerator". Some confusion often occurs between singular and plural.
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Carabao Kevin
Super Moderator
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Posted: Sat Aug 18th, 2007 01:22 pm |
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lumbia wrote:
You're right, Sirena, when someone mentions "high blood", it's either a short-cut of the phrase high blood pressure or ..........
That's another funny thing, so many times the Filipinos use acronyms, or shorten a word....... yet, when it is a perfect time to shorten a word they don't, and then there are many times they will "lengthen" a word or "double speak" it.
Examples:
Boracay - "bora", I first thought they were talking about Bora Bora, Tahiti....
Lapu Lapu - I have never heard or read just plain "Lapu", no one shortens it.
Iloilo - same thing, it never gets shortened to just Ilo.
Photo - I hear many Filipinos say "picture picture" as if it is all 1 word.
Beso (kiss) - That's another one I hear "Beso Beso"
Cute - "Cute Cute"
They understand "CR", but most of us Americans have to have that one explained to us. But I have had to explain "AC" to many Filipinos, they usually use the word "Aircon" instead.
Here is one the really had me confused "GMA". "Did you watch GMA lastnight?" I have to ask, "Are you talking about the President or the TV Channel?" But Filipinos tend to already know where the conversation is going. I guess for me, it will be easier when they get a new president. LOL.
They also seem to leave out "is a" in a question when they don't understand what something is.
question "Honey, can you hand to me the crescent wrench?"... answer "What Crescent wrench?"..... my reply "The only crescent wrench in the box." This happens a lot. Instead of saying "WHAT IS A...." Some just say "WHAT...." That sure does change the conversation.
Well, I find it frustrating & entertaining at times, but usually not at the same time.
 
-Mabuhay-
-Kevin
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lumbia
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Posted: Sat Aug 18th, 2007 07:52 pm |
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Hi Kevin:
You have a good observation of Pinoy's way of saying words. I'm not a linguist but let me try this.
Doubling the nouns or verbs (Cebuano):
dula (to play) vs. dula-dula (still to play but there is the fun part of it as opposed to dula which is more intense as in sports.
balay (house) vs. balay-balay (playhouse)
sakay (ride or to ride) vs. sakay-sakay (to ride with fun, or joy-riding)
gabi ( root crop like a taro ?) vs. gabi-gabi (ornamental plant but may have same species of gabi because their leaves have same form, only the gabi-gabi is more colorful. Attention botanists, help me here!) Pronunciation of gabi (slower) differs from gabi-gabi (faster)
buang (crazy, mentally deranged, an illness ) vs. buang-buang (silly, not illness)
adlaw (sun) vs. adlaw-adlaw (everyday) or best: kada-adlaw
gabii (night) vs. gabii-gabii (every night) or best: kada-gabii
In my analysis, when Pinoy double the words, there's the lack of intense or seriousness in it. Doubling the word has the fun element in it or could also mean the frequency of occurence.
Now, for
ilo (to wipe your bottom after making puhpuh vs. Iloilo (place) you will be out of context here. Hahaha
Thanks for this post. You keep this website alive! I still check this site regularly though
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Carabao Kevin
Super Moderator
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Posted: Sun Aug 19th, 2007 01:36 am |
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lumbia wrote: Hi Kevin:
You have a good observation of Pinoy's way of saying words. I'm not a linguist but let me try this.
Doubling the nouns or verbs (Cebuano):
buang (crazy, mentally deranged, an illness ) vs. buang-buang (silly, not illness)
In my analysis, when Pinoy double the words, there's the lack of intense or seriousness in it. Doubling the word has the fun element in it or could also mean the frequency of occurence.
Now, for
ilo (to wipe your bottom after making puhpuh vs. Iloilo (place) you will be out of context here. Hahaha
Thanks for this post. You keep this website alive! I still check this site regularly though
Hi lumbia,
Thanks for the reply....
I guess that's why at home my wife calls me buang. But when her friends are around us she calls me buang-buang. LOL
Ilo, now that changes the conversation.
I remember a misuse-pronounced word I said one time.....NOW that changed things, I won't say what I said, but I accidentally referred to a woman's body part....YIKES....laughter erupted. I think my wife used only 1 BUANG to describe me that time. LOL.
I love learning new languages.
Hope all is well!
I haven't been as active lately, many projects going on in my life right now. And also,I don't want to "hog" the space from all of you other board members.
-Mabuhay-
-Kevin
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Sirena
Moderator
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Posted: Sun Aug 19th, 2007 02:59 pm |
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My partner has a habit of saying "Where's my..."ano" and then wondering why I don't know the whereabouts of the object he is searching for!
I've also noticed, particularly with Tagalog speakers, a cute little lisp when pronouncing words beginning with "t". Almost a "th" sound is used instead.
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