Talking About Yourself
Welcome to your fifth Tagalog lesson! In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about yourself, describe your family, and express your preferences in Tagalog. These skills are essential for building deeper connections and having meaningful conversations.
Personal Information
Being able to share basic information about yourself is one of the first steps in getting to know someone.
Age
- Ilang taon ka na? - How old are you? (informal)
- Ilang taon na po kayo? - How old are you? (formal)
- ____ taon na ako - I am ____ years old
Examples:
- Dalawampu't limang taon na ako - I am 25 years old
- Tatlumpung taon na ako - I am 30 years old
Nationality
- Taga-saan ka? - Where are you from? (informal)
- Taga-saan po kayo? - Where are you from? (formal)
- Ano ang nasyonalidad mo? - What is your nationality?
Responses:
- Taga-[country] ako - I am from [country]
- [Nationality] ako - I am [nationality]
Examples:
- Taga-Japan ako - I am from Japan
- Koreano ako - I am Korean
- Pilipino ako - I am Filipino
Occupation
- Ano ang trabaho mo? - What is your job? (informal)
- Ano po ang trabaho ninyo? - What is your job? (formal)
Responses:
- Ako ay [occupation] - I am a [occupation]
- [Occupation] ako - I am a [occupation]
Common occupations:
- Guro - Teacher
- Doktor - Doctor
- Inhinyero - Engineer
- Mag-aaral - Student
- Negosyante - Businessman/Businesswoman
- Programer - Programmer
Family Members & Relationships
Family is a central aspect of Filipino culture. Here's how to talk about your family members:
Immediate Family
- Tatay/Ama - Father
- Nanay/Ina - Mother
- Kapatid na lalaki - Brother
- Kapatid na babae - Sister
- Kuya - Older brother
- Ate - Older sister
- Bunso - Youngest sibling
- Asawa - Spouse (husband/wife)
- Anak - Child (son/daughter)
Extended Family
- Lolo - Grandfather
- Lola - Grandmother
- Tito/Tiyo - Uncle
- Tita/Tiya - Aunt
- Pinsan - Cousin
Talking About Your Family
- May asawa ka na ba? - Are you married?
- May anak ka ba? - Do you have children?
- Ilan ang kapatid mo? - How many siblings do you have?
Responses:
- May asawa na ako - I am married
- Wala pa akong asawa - I am not married yet
- May ___ anak ako - I have ___ children
- May ___ kapatid ako - I have ___ siblings
Describing Your Family
- Ang tatay ko ay ___ - My father is ___
- Ang nanay ko ay ___ - My mother is ___
- Ang kuya ko ay ___ - My older brother is ___
Expressing Likes & Dislikes
Sharing your preferences is an important part of getting to know someone.
Likes
- Gusto ko ng ___ - I like ___
- Gusto kong ___ - I like to ___
- Mahilig ako sa ___ - I am fond of ___ (Another way to say like)
Examples:
- Gusto ko ng pagkain na Pilipino - I like Filipino food
- Gusto kong maglakbay - I like to travel
- Mahilig ako sa pelikula - I am fond of movies
Dislikes
- Hindi ko gusto ang ___ - I don't like ___
- Ayaw ko ng ___ - I don't like / I don't want ___
- Hindi ako mahilig sa ___ - I am not fond of ___
Examples:
- Hindi ko gusto ang maanghang na pagkain - I don't like spicy food
- Ayaw ko ng paglalakbay nang matagal - I don't like traveling for long periods
- Hindi ako mahilig sa matematika - I am not fond of mathematics
Asking About Preferences
- Ano ang gusto mong ___? - What ___ do you like?
- Gusto mo ba ng ___? - Do you like ___?
- Mahilig ka ba sa ___? - Are you fond of ___?
Conversation Practice
Let's practice with a comprehensive conversation:
Getting to Know Each Other:
Cultural Insights
- Family hierarchies are important in Filipino culture; older siblings (kuya/ate) are respected by younger ones
- Extended families often live together or very close to each other
- Age is respected; older people are shown deference with terms like "po" and "opo"
- Social conversations often include questions about family, which shows genuine interest rather than being seen as intrusive
Wrap-Up
Excellent job! You can now talk about yourself, your family, and your preferences in Tagalog. These skills will allow you to engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations and help you build stronger connections with Filipino speakers.
In our next lesson, we'll learn about basic sentence structure in Tagalog, which will help you form your own sentences with greater confidence.
Talking About Yourself Quiz
Test your knowledge of expressing personal information, family relationships, and preferences in Tagalog
Next up: Learn about basic sentence structure in Tagalog!