LESSON TRANSCRIPT

Absolute Beginner S1 #2
Introducing Yourself in Filipino

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
DIALOGUE
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Vocabulary and Phrases
KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES
GRAMMAR POINT
OUTRO

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INTRODUCTION
Gina: Hello and welcome back to the Absolute Beginner series at FilipinoPod101.com. This is season 1,
lesson 2, Introducing Yourself in Filipino. I’m Gina. Betsey: Kamusta! And I’m Betsey. Gina: For the second
lesson of the series, you’ll learn how to introduce yourself in Filipino. Betsey: Introducing yourself is very
important, since it’s the first thing you do when you meet someone. Gina: That’s right. So now, let’s see
how you can make a good impression when you introduce yourself in Filipino. Betsey: The conversation
takes place at a party, where two people are meeting each other for the first time. Gina: They don’t know
each other yet but they’re hoping to become friends, so they’ll be using formal Filipino, to leave a good
impression. Betsey: Okay, let’s listen to the conversation.

DIALOGUE
Ana: Kamusta. Ako po si Ana. Maya: Kamusta. Ako po si Maya. Ana: Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka. Maya:
Ako rin. Masaya akong makilala ka.

Gina: Let’s hear the conversation one time slowly.

Ana: Kamusta. Ako po si Ana. Maya: Kamusta. Ako po si Maya. Ana: Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka. Maya:
Ako rin. Masaya akong makilala ka.

Gina: Now let’s hear it with the English translation.

Ana: Kamusta. Ako po si Ana. Ana: Hello. My name is Ana. Maya: Kamusta. Ako po si Maya. Maya: Hi! I'm
Maya. Ana: Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka. Ana: It's a pleasure to meet you. Maya: Ako rin. Masaya akong
makilala ka. Maya: I’m happy to meet you too.

POST CONVERSATION BANTER

Gina: It’s now time to learn some interesting points about Filipino culture. So Betsey, what’s it like in the
Philippines when people introduce themselves? Betsey: Well, Filipinos are happy people. Usually when a
person introduces him or herself to other people, they do it with a great big smile. Gina: Are there any
specific gestures needed? Betsey: No, not really. But most people give handshakes or wave their hand,
but it’s not really required. Gina: Hmm. So is there a difference between male and female speakers when
they introduce themselves? Betsey: No. None at all. The Filipino language almost has no restrictions on
the usage of words between genders. Most of the words in Filipino can be used by both male and
female speakers. It’s a very gender-neutral language. Gina: Okay, last one… what if I want to be more
polite and leave a good impression of myself? Betsey: If you want to be more polite, you just have to add
the word “po” after every sentence and you’ll be sure to make a good impression.

Gina: Really? That’s a good tip! Okay, let’s move on to the key vocabulary and phrases for this lesson.

VOCABULARY AND PHRASES

Gina Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. The first word we shall see is: Betsey ako [natural
native speed] Gina I, me Betsey ako [slowly - broken down by syllable] Betsey ako [natural native speed]

Next: Betsey po [natural native speed] Gina a particle used to express politeness Betsey po [slowly -
broken down by syllable] Betsey po [natural native speed]

Next: Betsey si [natural native speed] Gina am, is Betsey si [slowly - broken down by syllable] Betsey si
[natural native speed]

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Next: Betsey ikinagagalak [natural native speed] Gina to be glad Betsey ikinagagalak [slowly - broken
down by syllable] Betsey ikinagagalak [natural native speed]

Next: Betsey makilala [natural native speed] Gina to meet, to know Betsey makilala [slowly - broken down
by syllable] Betsey makilala [natural native speed]

Next: Betsey rin (din) [natural native speed] Gina too, also Betsey rin (din) [slowly - broken down by
syllable] Betsey rin (din) [natural native speed]

Next: Betsey ko [natural native speed] Gina I, me, my, mine Betsey ko [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Betsey ko [natural native speed]

And last: Betsey masaya [natural native speed] Gina happy Betsey masaya [slowly - broken down by
syllable] Betsey masaya [natural native speed]

KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES

Gina: Let's have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. What’s
the first word? Betsey: “po” Gina: Now this word is unique to the Filipino language. Betsey: Yes. “po” has
no meaning by itself. However, it can be interpreted as addressing the person you are talking to as “sir”
or “madam”, to emphasize their authority over you. Gina: So can we consider it as a politeness indicator?
Betsey: Absolutely. If you want to be polite when speaking, you can use “po” in every statement. Gina:
Really? In every statement? Where does it go? In the middle, front or end? Betsey: “po” can be used in the
middle or at the end of your sentence. Gina: Hmm, let’s try giving some examples. First, let’s use “po” in
the middle of the sentence. Betsey: Sure. “Kumain na po ba kayo” Gina: This is “Have you eaten?” Now,
let’s use it at the end of the sentence. Betsey: Okay. “Salamat po.” Gina: And that means “Thank you”.
Betsey: Yes, that’s right. Gina: But Betsey, I’m a bit confused. It’s easy to put ‘po’ at the end of the
sentence, but if I put it in the middle, where exactly should I put it? Betsey: That’s a good question. Most
of the time, you use “po” in between the verb and the subject, or the subject and the predicate. Gina: I
see. Can you give some examples? Betsey: Sure. Having it in between the verb or adjective and subject,
you can use “po” like this - “Natutulog po sila” Gina: Which means “They are sleeping”. Can you give
another one? Betsey: In between the subject and the predicate we can use “po”, like this - “Si Ana po ang
pinsan ko” Gina: This translates to “Ana is my cousin”. Ok, so what’s our next word, Betsey? Betsey: Our
next word is “ako”. Gina: This is the pronoun “I”. It’s widely used in Filipino. Betsey: It is. Though in some
cases, it can also mean “me”. Gina: Aside from that, it can be used by both males and females, and also in
formal and informal settings. Betsey: In formal Filipino, “ako” is normally used at the beginning of the
sentence, followed by the predicate. So the pattern will be “Ako” (subject) + predicate. For example, “Ako
ay matutulog na.” Gina: Which means “I will sleep now”. Betsey: However, in informal Filipino, “Ako” is
used after the verb or adjective that describes the subject, then followed by the object . Gina: So for the
informal setting, we will use the following pattern - Verb or adjective FIRST. Subject SECOND. Then
Object or predicate LAST. Betsey: That’s right. Listeners, remember that we use “ako” as the subject of
the sentence. For example - “Matutulog ako sa kama.” Gina: “I will sleep on the bed.” And now let’s go to
our last word. What is it? Betsey: It’s “rin”, which means “too” or “also”. “Rin” usually follows the subject of
the sentence. It is commonly found at the end of the sentence. Gina: So, we can say that the use and
position of “rin” is similar to how “too” is used in the English language? Betsey: Definitely. For example -
“Ako rin.” Gina: “Me too”. Betsey: This follows the pattern ‘subject + “rin”.’ Another example is “Si Ana ay
maganda rin.” Gina: “Ana is beautiful too”. Now, this one follows the pattern Subject + predicate + “rin”
Gina: Ok, now let’s move onto the grammar.

GRAMMAR POINT

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Gina: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to introduce yourself in Filipino. Betsey: Or, more simply, how to say
your name. Gina: So, the magic phrase is… Betsey: You can say “Kamusta” which is a greeting in Filipino ,
then put “Ako si”, before saying your name. For example “Kamusta, Ako si Betsey.” If you want to be
more polite, just add “po” to “Ako si” so it becomes “Ako po si”. Gina: What if I want to make it short?
Betsey: In that case, you can use the shorter version which omits “Ako” and just say “your name” + “po”.
Actually, this one is used more often in daily conversation. Gina: Okay, so which phrase should we use in
formal situations Betsey? Betsey: We can use both “Ako po si + your name” and “Your name + po” in
formal situations. Gina: Oh, that’s great. So, how about in informal situations? Betsey: You can still use
both, since “po” is used in Filipino no matter what the formality of the situation, as a part of Filipino
culture. But if you don’t want to be too polite, or if you’re talking to someone who isn’t of greater
authority, just remove “po” from the two phrases. Gina: Oh, so the first pattern becomes “Ako si + your
name” and the second pattern which was “Your Name + po” becomes “Your name”? Betsey: Yes, but it is
more common to use the “ako si + your name” pattern in informal situations than just saying your name.
Gina: Okay. Let’s give some examples. Betsey: Alright. “Ako po si Julie” Gina: “I’m Julie” or “My name is
Julie” Betsey: Now let’s try another one. Can you guess what this is - “Paolo po”. Gina: That’s easy! “I’m
Paolo” or “My name is Paolo”. Betsey: Great Job! Gina: Thanks! So after people have introduced
themselves, how do I address them? Betsey: Filipinos address each other by their first names. Gina:
What if it’s my boss or a superior? Betsey: Just add sir or ma’am before their first name. Gina: Piece of
cake!

OUTRO
Gina: Okay, that’s it for this lesson. Betsey: Thank you for listening, everyone. Gina: Make sure you check
the lesson notes, and we’ll see you next time! Betsey: Paalam.

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