Hello! So I had a recent discussion with a few people at school, and now I have to wonder: Did Rizal endorse the "Maria Clara Ideal" and have I been going around the whole of last year interpreting the book wrong?

The discussion was in regards to that ideal yes, though they did say that they believed Clarita to be a badly written character and how Rizal only furthered the patriarchy by giving misogynists ammunition with the "Dapat mga babae maging Maria Clara" thing we've seen some adults saying. Which, I very much agree that it's a harmful rhetoric to tell young girls, however claiming it to be Rizal's fault just seems so odd to me?

I admit that my memory from last year is foggy yes, however I've always read Clarita's story to be a critique on the patriarchy. This is a woman who spends her life being perfect, who is submissive and beautiful and is practically San Diego's ideal angel, but has it ruined anyway because patriarchy has never been about actually wishing women well, it is about controlling them. The one time she stood up for herself, it was too late. So it's always been a cautionary tale against submission to me. So instead of saying that Rizal was at fault for said ideal, I prefer to blame the lack of proper interpretation. (Or maybe I'm the illiterate one, idk I admit I've been going insane over this 😭)

And this is not to say that Rizal was completely disconnected from his time, there are some critiques in his writing about women that I agree with, however blaming him for this just seems so weird??

(Sorry if it's incredibly messy I tend to ramble :'))

Hey !

I am trying to write a book about the history of music (from 1900 to 2026), I am looking for the artists who have most influenced modern Philippines music.

I am specifically looking for artists who have influenced Philippines popular music.

Also, do you think Indonesia has influenced the Philippines musically ? And which countries have had the greatest musical influence? (South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom?)

Thanks !

Hello, I am looking for more films that deal with the Marcos years 1965-1986, specifically focusing on the years leading up to martial law 1966-1971 when the Philippines became involved in the U.S. lead war in Vietnam, the Jebidah massacre, and the Moro conflicts including the Muslim Independence Movement leading to the Moro National Liberation Front formation in 1972.

I would also be very interested in the years 1972 to 1981 when the country was under martial law, as well as the years immediately following which included the 1982 coup attempt, the economic crisis & assassination of Ninoy Aquino, ultimately leading to the People Power Revolution of 1986.

I would really appreciate any recommendations you may have.

I know films may be tough to come by, so if you know of books that cover these subjects honestly and faithfully better than films, I would be interested in that as well.

I hope you'll forgive me if this question is insensitive in any way; I realize this is a sensitive part of history for the Philippines. I'm asking with genuine respect and humility, and I'd really value your input.

Thank you.

Hello! Bit of background information about me - I am Filipino British university student and have recently been re-inspired to learn Tagalog. I am a Native English speaker who can understand about 90% of conversational Tagalog. I can "read" by reading texts in my head, saying it in my parents voice and understanding from there. In terms of speaking I can speak in simple, often grammatically "childish" phrases. Same story for writing. I know the root words but I usually need to be corrected with prefixes and suffixes.

Since I've been back at home over the summer break, I've been reinspired to learn Tagalog properly. Partially out of shame but I know my situation is common with diaspora kids. My parents thought I would just pick it up as a child but didn't properly teach me - hence being semi-lingual. Unfortunately, they thought it would confuse me at school :(

I've hit a point in my life where I am now able to commit hobby time to studying Tagalog. I already listen to OPM for maintaining my comprehension. I would like to start formally learning grammar to help with the speaking. I have facilities to practice with parents (voice call) or friends at university.

I guess my question is - how long would it take for me to start speaking conversationally without sounding like a 5 year old? Glad to hear any input from people who started at a similar baseline etc.

Not religion, but values, attitudes, views of morality, and virtues.

Hey, I'm an Australian woman writing a sort of futuriatic sci-fi book, and have decided I'd like to include a character that I would like to be Filipino. I've met and interacted with a lot of Filipinos over the years, and have learned bits and pieces of social customs and such. But don't realistically know a whole lot about culture, customs and the like. I'd like to learn about naming conventions and Tagalog names as well. Any suggestions for good resources I can use to do some learning?

I do have a few people I'm speaking to in real life, but I know I need a broader understanding than just individual experiences and perceptions because I really wanted to do the portrayal justice. TIA 💜

Hi everyone!

I’m a Filipino parent and developer, and I recently built Diwa, a learning app designed to help young kids learn Filipino.

One of the reasons I started working on it was that I wanted something made specifically for Filipino kids that is colorful, simple, and game-like.

I built this especially for our kids who sometimes struggle even with the basics.

Right now kids can learn things like:

• the Filipino alphabet
• colors and shapes
• animals
• fruits and vegetables
• family members
• body parts
• greetings
• everyday Filipino words

There are audio pronunciations and small activities/games to help kids remember the words.

It’s still pretty new, and I’m actively improving it. I’d especially love feedback from Filipino parents here, including those raising Filipino kids outside the Philippines.

If anyone wants to try Diwa, it’s available on iOS and Android. Happy to share the links in the comments if that’s allowed.

hello! asking lang if may regional salawikain on child rearing/family? for example:

Batangas: Ang batang mahilig sa kape, matugas ang ulo pag laki.

salamat po !

Serious question... I know SOOOOOO many Maes (either as a first name or a middle name), lol. My bff (Mae) and I were trying to think of what the origin might be and we also looked it up, but haven't been able to find much and haven't come up w any good theories... anyone know? Is it some derivative of Spanish, like maybe from the name "Maria"?

I love learning languages. Retired now but was a Spanish teacher for years. I also am intermediate in French and studied a bit of Mandarin and Indonesian for travel. I live in S F Bay Area amd lots of filipinos here most are assimilated it seems. Its mainly elders who speak it.

I have had a few lessons through Preply. Pronunciation is easy but grammar is difficult. I learned all the comjugations of kainan today ( to eat) and there is a lot to learn . I also learned that mani means peanuts and its a Spanish word.

Im doing this for fun but wondering the best to practice. Maybe go to a filipino restaurant or market? Spanish is so much easier to speak here but maybe I will find a way to meet others who are learning .

Hello, I'm a Tutor and have been tutoring English for the past months. May tutee ako na nag request yung Nanay niya if we could have Filipino grammar.

I don't have a background in Filipino so I wanted to ask if hat book our source I can use as a reference for out topics with my student. Thank you!

Cebuanos have "Wala man nagpalibak." I'm curious if Tagalog-speaking people have a similar expression. Thanks.

ng

"Ng" is used to show the object of a verb, ownership, or quantity.

Examples:

Kumain ako ng mansanas. = I ate an apple.

Kotse ng tatay. = Father's car.

Isang baso ng tubig. = One glass of water.

nang

"Nang" is used to indicate time, manner, or repeated actions.

Examples:

1. When (time)

Nang dumating siya, nagsimula ang klase. = When he arrived, the class began.

1. How an action is done (adverb marker)

Tumakbo siya nang mabilis. = He ran quickly.

Sumagot siya nang magalang. = She answered politely.

1. Repeated or continuous actions

Iyakan nang iyakan ang bata. = The child kept crying.

Kain nang kain sila. = They kept eating.

+ + QUICK TIP + +

Use ng for the object, ownership, or quantity.

Use nang for when, how, or repeated actions.

Examples:

✅ Uminom ako ng kape. = I drank coffee.

✅ Naglakad siya nang mabagal. = He walked slowly.

✅ Nang dumilim, umuwi kami. = When it got dark, we went home.

Think of -ng/-na like "-ly" in English.

• If the word is an adjective, add -ng/-na before the verb:
  • mabilis (fast) → mabilis na tumakbo = "to run quickly"
  • maingat (careful) → maingat na magmaneho = "to drive carefully"

But not all Tagalog adverbs come from adjectives.

Words like lagi (always), palagi (always), parati (always), and kadalasan (usually) already mean "always" or "usually," so they usually don't need -ng/-na.

That's why you can say:

• Umiinom lagi. = "Always drinks."
• Kadalasan pumupunta. = "Usually goes."

Sometimes you'll also hear kadalasang makikita, where -ng simply links kadalasan to the verb. This is common, especially in more formal speech and writing.

The easiest rule to remember is: Use -ng/-na when turning an adjective into a modifier for a verb. If the word is already an adverb (like "always" or "usually"), it usually doesn't need it.

'Kung may tinanim, may aanihin'
Tennis star Eala has made a point of celebrating her Filipino heritage and carrying reminders of home on to some of the sport's biggest stages

So Recently i developed an interest in learning tagalog but i prefer reading books as compared to video lectures. So I searched and found two books and i don't know if they are actually helpful to learn tagalog or not. So i made a post by uploading the link to both books in gdrive so if any native speakers saw many posts so that they can review those books and give their honest opinion. Thanks.

Book 1 :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V_J6BAJ-W9vWwk4dSQVs7c3xx_JFosQT/view?usp=drivesdk

Book 2 :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hEEZhzg6jkvmz3d6rh6OvQaOoweDWnI8/view?usp=drivesdk

Can you native speakers please help that these books are worth the time or not? Thankyou.

I've been in the states for a while now and have only recently started speaking Tagalog again with relatives in the PI. I've been messaging with my cousin who is two years older than me and usually addresses me as "insan" which I know is an informal derivative of pinsan/cousin. Can I use the same term to address him, instead of the my generic use of "bro"?

Hi friends, gusto ko e attract ang nga speak ilonggo na pwede man ka Tagalog so e post ko ni in ilonggo!

Pasiensaha ako hindi nami ang spelling kay ang ilonggo ko mostly lang sa mga conversations in real life. Daw englishera ako haha (tapos pasiensaha ang ilonggo-English ko lol)

Taga iloilo ako sa miagao pero nag move ako sa states sang bata pa ako (~2 years old), so diutay lang nga estorya Tagalog diri na kilala ko. Sa balay, nga hambal man kami sang ilonggo kay ang nanay kag tatay ko gusto nila hindi ko ma lipatan so may ara man ako sang idea of some Tagalog, pero wala sang may nag tudlo sa akon. Pero gusto ko mag tuon kay may FOMO ako lol kay daw tanan na Pinoy kabalo tapos mas universal sya sa tanan na pinoy. May ara kamo sang tips? Hambal sang nanay ko na ma lantaw sang mga teleseries pero hindi ko sure if worth it man gid para sa tuon Tagalog 🥹 gintrayan ko tuon sa Duolingo pero ang na intindihan ko, daw formal sya na speaking, not casual.

Sa next trip ko, gusto ko gid na kabalo ako, nahisa ako sa mga missionary na puti kay sila kabalo tapos ako na pinoy wala 😅

One is "With all due respect"

You know people are going to be full on disrespectful once they intro with that. 😆