Did you know that only some reptiles and birds don’t parent their offspring? Except for crocodiles, all reptiles (and one family of bird species called megapodes) hatch from eggs and grow up alone, without any family.
The rest of us need family if we are to survive and thrive – humans and animals alike!
At FilipinoPod101, we know how important family is. Therefore, we take care to teach you all the important vocabulary and phrases pertaining to family.
Table of Contents
- Why Is It Important to Know Filipino Vocabulary about Family?
- Learn a New Culture? Learn its Family Vocab first
- How FilipinoPod101 Can Help You Learn Filipino Family Terms
1. Why Is It Important to Know Filipino Vocabulary about Family?
Well, if you’re serious about studying any new language, then learning about the most important social unit in Filipino culture would be a crucial part of your education.
What is family, though? Strictly speaking, it’s a group of people who live together and are supposed to take care of one another. Some of them are genetically linked.
Family isn’t just about who we’re related to by blood, of course. It’s also one of the main influences in shaping every child’s life.
Family is Important for Children’s Healthy Development
Family is the single most important influence in a child’s life. Children depend on parents and family to protect them and provide for their needs from the day they were born.
Primary caregivers, which usually comprise parents and family, form a child’s first relationships. They are a child’s first teachers and are role models that show kids how to act and experience the world around them.
By nurturing and teaching children during their early years, families play an important role in making sure children are ready to learn when they enter school.
Families Can Take All Shapes and Sizes
However, the way families are put together is by no means standard.
Single-parent and same-gender households have become a new norm the past few decades, and there’s no shame in this. When there is love, connection and proper care, a child can thrive anywhere.
Everyone also knows that sometimes friends can become like family and remain with us for life, because it’s all about human connection.
After all, we share many commonalities simply because we’re human, and we are programmed to connect with one another and belong to a group. This is very important for our well-being and survival.
It’s All About Feeling Connected
As John Northman, a psychologist from Buffalo, NY, told WebMD – feeling connected to others contributes to mental as well as physical health.
He pointed out that when people feel connected, they feel better physically, and they’re also less likely to feel depressed.
Or, if they do feel depressed, they’d be in a better position to get out of it when they feel they are connecting with others. This is because they would be psychologically supported too, Northman said.
There has even been some links drawn between addiction and feeling disconnected from others. According to an article in Psychology Today, research indicates that addiction is not solely a substance disorder, but also affected by people feeling insecurely attached to others.
It showed that securely attached individuals tend to feel comfortable in and enjoy life, while insecurely attached people typically struggle to fit in and connect.
2. Learn a New Culture? Learn its Family Vocab first
So, it’s clear that for most of us, family is our entry point into connection and belonging. This is true of every culture, so in every country, family takes prominence.
For this reason, FilipinoPod101 offers culturally-relevant lessons that will equip you well to understand families in Philippines.
Here are some of the most important Filipino vocabulary and quotes about family and parenting!
A) Filipino Family Vocabulary
Let’s start with the basic vocabulary. Without this collection of words, you’ll have a hard time describing any member of your family at all.
| Family Terms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Family pamilya |
Great grandfather lolo sa tuhod |
|
| Mother ina |
Grandmother lola |
|
| Father ama |
Grandfather lolo |
|
| Wife asawang babae |
Grandchild apo |
|
| Husband asawang lalaki |
Granddaughter apo na babae |
|
| Parent magulang |
Grandson apo na lalake |
|
| Child bata |
Aunt tiyahin |
|
| Daughter anak na babae |
Uncle tiyuhin |
|
| Sister kapatid na babae |
Niece pamangking babae |
|
| Brother kapatid na lalaki |
Nephew pamangking lalaki |
|
| Younger sister nakababatang kapatid na babae |
Younger brother nakababatang kapatid na lalaki |
|
| Older brother kuya |
Great grandmother lola sa tuhod |
|
| Cousin pinsan |
Mother-in-law biyenan na babae |
|
| Father-in-law biyenan na lalaki |
Sister-in-law hipag |
|
| Brother-in-law bayaw |
Partner kapartner |
B) Quotes About Family
One of the ways to improve your Filipino language skills is by memorizing quotes from books, or poems.
Either source some from Filipino literature, or make use of ours!
Hindi mo pinipili ang iyong pamilya. Sila ay kaloob sa’yo ng Diyos, gaya ng pagkaloob sa iyo para naman sa kanila.
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” – Desmond Tutu
Ang pamilya ay hindi isang mahalagang bagay lamang. Ito ay ang lahat.
“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox
Ang ibig sabihin ng pamilya ay walang naiiwan o nalilimutan.
“Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” – David Ogden Stiers
Ang aking pamilya ang aking lakas at kahinaan.
“My family is my strength and my weakness.” – Aishwarya Rai
Ang pamilya ay isa sa mga pinakamagandang likha ng kalikasan.
“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” – George Santayana
Sa panahon ng kagipitan, ang iyong pamilya ang susuporta sa iyo.
“When trouble comes, it’s your family that supports you.” – Guy Lafleur
Ang pamilya ang pinakamahalagang selula ng lipunan.
“The family is the first essential cell of human society.” – Pope John XXIII
Walang isang bagay na kasiya-siya para sa buong pamilya.
“There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.” – Jerry Seinfeld
Kailangan mong ipagtanggol ang iyong dangal. At ang iyong pamilya.
“You have to defend your honor. And your family.” – Suzanne Vega
Lahat ng maligayang pamilya ay pare-pareho; bawat pamilyang malungkot ay malungkot sa sarili nitong paraan.
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy
C) Test Your Knowledge!
Do you feel you have learned a lot in this blog? Let’s quickly test that!
In the table below, match the Filipino vocabulary on the left with the definition of the relative in the right column.
| MY RELATIVES | |
|---|---|
| Relative Name | Definition |
| 1. pamilya | a. My male child |
| 2. ina | b. My older male sibling |
| 3. ama | c. My female sibling |
| 4. asawang babae | d. My child’s child |
| 5. asawang lalaki | e. My child’s female child |
| 6. magulang | f. My female parent |
| 7. bata | g. My grandparent’s mother |
| 8. anak na babae | h. Mother to one of my parents |
| 9. anak na lalaki | i. Relatives |
| 10. kapatid na babae | j. My female child |
| 11. kapatid na lalaki | k. My younger male sibling |
| 12. nakababatang kapatid na babae | l. Male spouse |
| 13. nakababatang kapatid na lalaki | m. The father of one of my parents |
| 14. kuya | n. My child’s male child |
| 15. lola sa tuhod | o. My children’s father or mother |
| 16. lolo sa tuhod | p. The sister of one of my parents |
| 17. lola | q. The brother of one of my parents |
| 18. lolo | r. My male parent |
| 19. apo | s. My sibling’s female child |
| 20. apo na babae | t. My sibling’s male child |
| 21. apo na lalake | u. My male sibling |
| 22. tiyahin | v. My parents’ sibling’s child |
| 23. tiyuhin | w. Female spouse |
| 24. pamangking babae | x. The grandfather of one of my parents |
| 25. pamangking lalaki | y. The person I am a parent to |
| 26. pinsan | z. My younger female sibling |
How did it go? Don’t worry if you had trouble with it – you’ll get there! With a bit of practice, and our help at FilipinoPod101, you’ll soon have these family terms under the belt.
3. How FilipinoPod101 Can Help You Learn Filipino Family Terms
We hope that we helped you expand your family in Filipino vocabulary!
FilipinoPod101, with its innovative online learning system, stands out among online learning platforms to help you master Filipino easily.
Our lessons are tailored not only to increase your language skills, but to also inform you of Filipino culture, including the Filipino family structure.
When you sign up, you will get instant access to tools like:
1 – An extensive vocabulary list, regularly updated
2 – A new Filipino word to learn every day
3 – Quick access to the Filipino Key Phrase List
4 – A free Filipino online dictionary
5 – The excellent 100 Core Filipino Word List
6 – An almost limitless Lesson Library for learners of all levels
Further speed up your learning with the help of a personal tutor, who will first assess your current Filipino language abilities to personalize your training and tailor it to your needs.
Hard work always pays off, and to help you in this, FilipinoPod101 will be there every step of the way toward your Filipino mastery!
Answers: 1.i. 2.f. 3.r. 4.w. 5.l. 6.o. 7.y. 8.j. 9.a. 10.c. 11.u. 12.z. 13.k. 14.b. 15.g 16.x. 17.h. 18.m. 19.d. 20.e. 21.n. 22.p. 23.q. 24.s. 25.t. 26.v.
