Learn what languages are close to Filipino
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Intro |
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| Alisha: What languages are similar to Filipino? |
| Danilo: And are they mutually intelligible? |
| Alisha: At FilipinoPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Karen Lee and Fely Flores are neighbors and good friends. They are sitting together in a cozy cafe, drinking coffee, when Karen overhears some women at the next table. They are speaking in a language that sounds a bit similar, yet different, to Filipino. Karen looks to Fely and asks, |
| "Is that Filipino?" |
| Karen Lee: Pilipino ba 'yon? |
| Dialogue |
| Karen Lee: Pilipino ba 'yon? |
| Fely Flores: Hindi, 'yon ay Malay. |
| Alisha: Once more with the English translation. |
| Karen Lee: Pilipino ba 'yon? |
| Alisha: "Is that Filipino?" |
| Fely Flores: Hindi, 'yon ay Malay. |
| Alisha: "No, it's Malay." |
Lesson focus |
| Alisha: In the conversation, Karen asks, "Is that Filipino?" |
| Danilo: Pilipino ba 'yon? |
| Alisha: to which Fely responds, "No, it's Malay." |
| Danilo: Hindi, 'yon ay Malay. |
| Alisha: Some languages, especially those that also belong to the Austronesian language family, might get mistaken for |
| Danilo: Pilipino. |
| Alisha: However, the two languages are quite distinct. In fact, the language family includes more than 1,000 language varieties spread far and wide across countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan. For this reason, it's a good idea to learn which languages are most similar or most different from Filipino early on in your studies. |
| Alisha: You've already learned about the language features shared between Filipino and Tagalog. The same similarities can be found with the other languages spoken in the Philippines, including |
| Danilo: Bikol, Ilocano, Visayan, Kapampangan, and Pangasinense. |
| Alisha: The Filipino language has, over time, also been heavily influenced by outside groups, particularly during long periods of colonization. As a result, learners will notice many English and Spanish "loanwords," or borrowed words, that have integrated into the primary language over time. |
| Alisha: For example, when counting in Filipino, a speaker can use two different sets of cardinal numbers. The first set derives from Tagalog: |
| Danilo: sero, isá, dalawá, tatló, apat, limá, anim, pitó, waló, siyám, and sampû. |
| Alisha: And the second set derives from Spanish: |
| Danilo: sero, uno, dos, tres, kuwatro, singko, sais, siyete, otso, nuwebe, and diyés. |
| Alisha: We can also look at similarities that Filipino shares with the other Austronesian languages as a whole, or at least those of Philippine origin. Languages spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, and even Madagascar share similarities when it comes to lexicon, syntax, and morphology. |
| Alisha: As we heard in the dialogue, Malay shares some similarities to Filipino, despite primarily being spoken in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Although the languages may not be mutually intelligible, knowing a bit about languages belonging to the same language family will become helpful as you progress in your language studies. |
| Practice Section |
| Alisha: Let's review the sample conversation: Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud, and then listen carefully as Danilo models the correct answer. Repeat after him, with the focus on your pronunciation. Are you ready? |
| How do you say, "Is that Filipino?" |
| Danilo: Pilipino ba 'yon? |
| Alisha: Did you get it right? Listen again and repeat. Remember to focus on your pronunciation. |
| Danilo: Pilipino ba 'yon? |
| Danilo: Pilipino ba 'yon? |
| Alisha: Let's move on to the second sentence. How do you say, "No, it's Malay." |
| Danilo: Hindi, 'yon ay Malay. |
| Alisha: Did you get it right this time? Listen again and repeat. |
| Danilo: Hindi, 'yon ay Malay. |
| Danilo: Hindi, 'yon ay Malay. |
| Cultural Insight/Expansion |
| Alisha: Excluding the other languages of the Philippines, Spanish is the closest language to Filipino when it comes to sentence structure, counting, and even telling time. |
| Danilo: Even some greetings are based on Spanish, like "Kumusta?" from the Spanish "¿Cómo está?" |
| Alisha: This is the result of over 300 years of Spanish rule in the Philippine archipelago. |
Outro |
| Alisha: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Danilo: Paalam. |
| Alisha: See you soon! |
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