Times are changing, more and more of the younger generations don’t speak much of the Filipino language nowadays. The Philippines is considered one of the best countries when it comes to speaking English. Admit it or not, we always encounter Filipino grammar mistakes.
What you can read in this article:
- Common Filipino grammar mistakes
Asian foreigners like Koreans tend to visit our country to learn English. Once upon a time, there have been issues to remove Filipino subjects in colleges and universities as well. Although it’s never too late to learn and improve our skills.
Here are some common Filipino words and phrases we incorrectly use.
Making mistakes is part of learning, and even language experts make mistakes in Tagalog from time to time. The good news is that you just need to be familiar with the Filipino grammar mistakes that most people make. This is exactly what we will discuss in this article.
11 common Filipino grammar mistakes
Here are some common Filipino words and phrases we incorrectly use.
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Kumusta, not Kamusta
We often encounter “Kamusta ka na?” when we greet each other through texts and chats. It wasn’t right all this time.
The correct term is “Kumusta” because of the origin of the word “como esta”, which is a spanish term for “how are you”. Filipinos are both using kamusta and kumusta, it doesn’t matter what they may hear, they still get it, because it’s really not a problem.
But when you have to write a formal letter or schoolwork, for formal reasons, you must still use the correct terminology.
One of the best things about learning Filipino is that words are usually pronounced as they are written. However, people still make some common Filipino mistakes in pronunciation.
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‘Sila’ and ‘Sina’
Usually interchangeable, it is helpful to remember that “sila” is a pronoun (translated as “they” or “them”), and “sina” is used to introduce the person’s name.
Examples:
Parating na sila! (They are coming!)
Parating na sina Pedro at Juan. (Pedro and Juan are coming)
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Daw vs Raw
The words daw and raw do not have any direct English translations, but the best match is “it is said” or “they say”.
These words may consist of only three characters, but they are one of the few Filipino words that causes confusion to native speakers. The question is, which version to use and when. The answer lies in the words before them.
If the preceding word ends in katinig (consonant), daw is used.
Example:
Dumaan daw kayo sa bahay kahapon?
On the other hand, if the preceding word ends in patinig (vowel) or malapatinig (vowel that sounds “w” or “y”), use raw.
Example:
Si Mika raw ang nagluto ng hapunan. (They said Mika cooked for dinner)
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Ng versus Nang
Although Filipino is easy to learn, it wouldn’t go without confusion. The use of ng and nang is a vocabulary error that even native speakers confuse from time to time. In the past, there was no strict distinction between these two words, but all of this has changed.
Natives are confused about which word to use in a specific context. This is one of the common Filipino grammar mistakes
For Ng,
The two-letter word ng is an accurate translation of the preposition “of”, which is basically the use of this word.
Example:
Ang may ari ng laptop na ito ay si Jed. (The owner of this laptop is Jed)
For Nang,
If ng is equivalent to the preposition “of”, then nang is equivalent to the conjunction “when”. The correct usage method is as follows:
Example:
Nagluluto ako nang biglang may kumatok sa aming pinto. (I was cooking when someone knocked on our door)
READ MORE:
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10 Tagalog Bedtime Stories na Makukuhanan ng Aral ng mga Bata
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Bukod versus Maliban
Another couple of words that most Filipino students get confused with are bukod and maliban. Bukod means “besides” or “in addition”.
Example:
Bukod sa pagsasayaw, marunong din siya kumanta (Besides dancing, he can also sing)
At the same time, maliban is equivalent to the expression “except”, so it is used when the object of the sentence is an exception to something.
Example:
Lahat ng anak niya ay pintor maliban sa kanyang bunso. (All of his children are painters except for his youngest child)
Image from iStock
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Kung and Kapag
These two words are often used in place of another word, but here is a useful trick to help you distinguish between the two: “Kung” roughly translates to “if”, which is used to modify uncertain situations.
“Kapag” translates to “when” in English, and is used when a situation is certain to happen.
Example:
Matulog ka na kapag tapos na ang iyong gawain. (Go to bed when you’re done with work)
Ano ang gagawin mo kung hindi ka makapasa ng pagsusulit? (What will you do if you don’t pass the test?)
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Use of Ikaw and Ka
Ka and ikaw mean “you”, although you should keep in mind that the former is used more frequently in everyday language. It is a common mistake among Filipinos to exchange these two words.
For example, some students will not say Maganda ka (“You are beautiful “), but will say: Maganda ikaw
Ikaw can also be used in the Filipino translation of “you are beautiful”. However, it should be placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the ‘ay’ connector:
Ikaw ay maganda. (You are beautiful)
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Use of Mo
On the other hand, Mo is equivalent to “your”, but when a verb in a sentence is used as an object-centered verb, mo is used instead of ka, and now it means “you”.
There are just a few mistakes in the use of mo, but since it also means “you”, just like ka and ikaw, it helps to understand when and how to use it in a sentence.
Example:
Nasaan ang kaibigan mo? (Where is your friend?)
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Pinto, not pintuan
If you are referring to a literal door, then it is Pinto.
The root of the word with the suffix “an” (in this case, “pinto”) indicates the space in which the word appears or is placed. For example, “kainan” means a place to eat (kain), “babuyan” means a place to raise pigs (baboy) and “pintuan” means a frame where a door is placed (pinto).
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Sa akin not Sakin
People often use the word “sakin”, but oddly, it is not even a word. Instead, they are two separate words, “sa” and “akin”, which are often mistakenly combined into one. You can choose to spell two different words (“sa`kin”) or use the abbreviation “sa`kin”.
The same is true for other similar “words”, such as “palang”, “parin” and “nalang”.
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Its Filipino, not Tagalog
It is important to remember that Tagalog is the primary language and lingua franca of Manila and surrounding provinces. Just a reminder that Filipino is the national language of the country.
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Practice
Not practicing enough is one of the common mistakes why we tend to forget Filipino words, even the basic ones. Spend enough time every day to practice and improve your speaking and writing skills.
We don’t want to be in a time where only a few Filipinos are left to speak our native language. Language is one of the most important parts of any culture. It is a way for people to communicate with each other, build relationships, and create a sense of community.
Remember that the Filipino language is the spirit of our national identities as citizens of this country.
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