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Filipinisms Sat Jun 23, 2012 5:42 am
Calpol
English has been taught and spoken in the Philippines for decades now yet some of us speak it the Filipino way. This is just proof that English, though being spoken by many nations, may come in different varieties. We, as Filipinos, tend to think in our first language, in structure and context, resulting in a kind of English sometimes unintelligible to the native speaker.
A good example of Filipino English is the use of Filipinisms. These are expressions used and acceptable in the Philippines but may be taken in a different context by native English speakers. Shades of our thread Konotasyon-Denotasyon too
1. “I’ll go ahead”
Correct Usage: You can use it for as long as there’s something you intend to do after saying it, like: “I’ll go ahead and attend the meeting.”, but using it alone to mean that you’re going is incorrect. Say, “I’ve got to go.” or “I’m leaving.”
2. “For a while”
Correct Usage: "My sister and I haven’t seen each other for a while." For a while means a long time. Just imagine how a person being put on hold would feel if you told him this. Say, “Please hold”. Customer service-wise, it would be better if you can specify the time-frame like: “Please hold for a few seconds.” or just say: “Just a moment please.”
3. “It’s so traffic!”
Correct Usage: Traffic in the Filipino context means that roads are packed or vehicles are moving slowly. Traffic in its true sense only refers to the flow of vehicles. It can be light, moderate or heavy. Say, “Traffic is bad.” or “Traffic is terrible.”
4. “commute”
Correct Usage: The typical Filipino’s understanding of “commute” is to take public transportation. It actually means to travel back and forth regularly. Given that, bringing a car to work still makes one a commuter. So if you intend to say that you take the public transportation, just be specific and say something like: “I take a cab/bus going to work.”
5. “not unless”
Correct Usage: A lot of Filipinos commit the mistake of using this phrase. If we take a closer look, it’s actually redundant ("not" and the prefix "un-"). It is also considered a double negative, which is a big no-no in English grammar. Just say: unless – no need to add not.
6. “Let me check on that one okay?”
Correct Usage: Some of us are so fond of adding the word “one”. “Let me help you out on this one.” For us, one means “ito”. Just say: “Let me check on that okay?” or “Let me help you out on this.” – no need to add one.
7. “I have colds”
Correct Usage: The right way of saying this is: “I have a cold.”
8. “Did you eat already?”
Correct Usage: It’s a common practice among Filipinos to use “already” as a transliteration for the Filipino word "na". In English, this is not necessary unless you are saying something with exasperation, for example, "Quit already!". If this is not the case, then just do away with "already", e.g. "Did you eat?" or place it before the verb it's supposed to modify, e.g. "Have you already eaten?"
9. “next next week” or “last last week”
Correct Usage: Say, “two weeks from now” or “week after next” ; “two weeks ago” or “week before last”
10. “The reason why...is because...”
Correct Usage: Using "reason" and "why" at the same time is redundant since these words imply each other. Furthermore, by using "reason" as your subject, your listener will already have an idea that you are about to rationalize. Therefore, there is no need to say "...is because...".You can just say: "The reason is that..." or "It is because...".
11. “fall in line”
Correct Usage: Even though we often heard this expression from our teachers especially during our elementary and high school days, it is incorrect. However, there is such an expression as "fall in" that means to form a line in military lingo. Fall in line may have been a result of combining the phrases "fall in" and "line up". The possible correct alternatives are: “Line up.”, “Form a line.”, or “Stand in line.” Fall in may still be used but it's not really used in regular conversations.
(With appreciation from sirvictorius' blog)
A good example of Filipino English is the use of Filipinisms. These are expressions used and acceptable in the Philippines but may be taken in a different context by native English speakers. Shades of our thread Konotasyon-Denotasyon too
1. “I’ll go ahead”
Correct Usage: You can use it for as long as there’s something you intend to do after saying it, like: “I’ll go ahead and attend the meeting.”, but using it alone to mean that you’re going is incorrect. Say, “I’ve got to go.” or “I’m leaving.”
2. “For a while”
Correct Usage: "My sister and I haven’t seen each other for a while." For a while means a long time. Just imagine how a person being put on hold would feel if you told him this. Say, “Please hold”. Customer service-wise, it would be better if you can specify the time-frame like: “Please hold for a few seconds.” or just say: “Just a moment please.”
3. “It’s so traffic!”
Correct Usage: Traffic in the Filipino context means that roads are packed or vehicles are moving slowly. Traffic in its true sense only refers to the flow of vehicles. It can be light, moderate or heavy. Say, “Traffic is bad.” or “Traffic is terrible.”
4. “commute”
Correct Usage: The typical Filipino’s understanding of “commute” is to take public transportation. It actually means to travel back and forth regularly. Given that, bringing a car to work still makes one a commuter. So if you intend to say that you take the public transportation, just be specific and say something like: “I take a cab/bus going to work.”
5. “not unless”
Correct Usage: A lot of Filipinos commit the mistake of using this phrase. If we take a closer look, it’s actually redundant ("not" and the prefix "un-"). It is also considered a double negative, which is a big no-no in English grammar. Just say: unless – no need to add not.
6. “Let me check on that one okay?”
Correct Usage: Some of us are so fond of adding the word “one”. “Let me help you out on this one.” For us, one means “ito”. Just say: “Let me check on that okay?” or “Let me help you out on this.” – no need to add one.
7. “I have colds”
Correct Usage: The right way of saying this is: “I have a cold.”
8. “Did you eat already?”
Correct Usage: It’s a common practice among Filipinos to use “already” as a transliteration for the Filipino word "na". In English, this is not necessary unless you are saying something with exasperation, for example, "Quit already!". If this is not the case, then just do away with "already", e.g. "Did you eat?" or place it before the verb it's supposed to modify, e.g. "Have you already eaten?"
9. “next next week” or “last last week”
Correct Usage: Say, “two weeks from now” or “week after next” ; “two weeks ago” or “week before last”
10. “The reason why...is because...”
Correct Usage: Using "reason" and "why" at the same time is redundant since these words imply each other. Furthermore, by using "reason" as your subject, your listener will already have an idea that you are about to rationalize. Therefore, there is no need to say "...is because...".You can just say: "The reason is that..." or "It is because...".
11. “fall in line”
Correct Usage: Even though we often heard this expression from our teachers especially during our elementary and high school days, it is incorrect. However, there is such an expression as "fall in" that means to form a line in military lingo. Fall in line may have been a result of combining the phrases "fall in" and "line up". The possible correct alternatives are: “Line up.”, “Form a line.”, or “Stand in line.” Fall in may still be used but it's not really used in regular conversations.
(With appreciation from sirvictorius' blog)
