Filipino Lesson 4 (Prepositions and Directions)
Duration: 30 mins
This first lesson teaches many important aspect of Filipino like prepositions, vocabulary list about directions and finally common phrases about how to introduce yourself. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Filipino Classes.
Prepositions
Prepositions are used in almost every sentence. They can be a great tool to link words with each other. For example by simply knowing how to use "to", "with", "from", "after" you can expand your conversation scope. In short, a preposition describes a relationship between words in a sentence, for example: I agree with you.
Below is a list of 27 prepositions that you might come across or use very often. The table contains 3 columns (English, Filipino, and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.
Prepositions List in Filipino
| Prepositions | Filipino |
|---|---|
| In front of | sa harap ng |
| Behind | sa likod ng |
| Before | bago |
| After | pagkatapos |
| Inside | sa loob ng |
| With | kasama |
| Without | wala |
| Outside | sa labas ng |
| On top of | sa ibabaw ng |
| Under | sa ilalim ng |
| About (in regards to) | tungkol sa |
| Against | laban sa |
| And | at |
| As (similar to) | bilang |
| Between | sa pagitan ng |
| But | pero |
| For | para sa |
| From | mula sa |
| In | sa |
| Instead of | sa halip ng |
| Near | malapit |
| Of | ng |
| Or | o |
| Since | mula noon |
| So | kaya |
| To | tip; pabuya=formal |
| Until | hanggang |
Now we will try to implement some of the prepositions above into full Filipino sentences. That way you will be able to use the word not only by itself but embedded in a structure.
Filipino Prepositions in a Sentence
| English | Filipino | |
|---|---|---|
| Can I practice Italian with you? | puwede ba akong magsanay/praktis ng Italyano kasama mo? | |
| I speak French but with an accent | may accent ang pagsasalita ko ng Pranses | |
| I was born in Miami | ipinanganak ako sa Miami | |
| I'm from Japan | taga-Japan ako | |
| The letter is inside the book | nasa loob ng libro ang sulat | |
| The pen is under the desk | nasa ilalim ng mesa ang pen | |
| Directions | ||
| Can I help you? | ano ho ang maitutulong ko sa inyo? |
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact me using the Filipino contact form on the header above.
Vocabulary List about Directions
Below is a list of 28 words and sentences related to directions that you might need when lost or asking for help. If you can memorize them by heart, you will be able to travel from point A to point B by following directions.
Giving Directions in Filipino
| Directions | Filipino |
|---|---|
| Can you help me? | matutulungan mo ba ako? |
| Can you show me? | puwede bang ipakita ninyo sa akin? |
| Come with me! | halikayo; sumama kayo sa akin |
| Downtown (city center) | kabayanan; downtown |
| Excuse me! (to ask someone) | ekskyus nga ho; paumanhin nga ho=formal |
| Go straight | dumeretso ka |
| How can I get to the museum? | paano ang pagpunta sa museo? |
| How long does it take to get there? | gaano katagal ang pagpunta doon? |
| I'm lost | nawawala ako |
| I'm not from here | hindi ako taga-rito |
| It's far from here | malayo mula rito |
| It's near here | malapit dito |
| One moment please! | sandali nga lang ho! |
| Turn left | kumaliwa ka |
| Turn right | kumanan ka |
| Far | malayo |
| Here | dito |
| Left | kaliwa |
| Right | kanan |
| Near | malapit sa |
| Straight | diretso |
| There | doon |
| To drive | sa |
| To turn | umikot; bumuwelta |
| To walk | maglakad |
| Traffic light | ilaw; ilaw trapiko=literal |
| Transportation | sasakyan; transportasyon |
Daily Conversation in Filipino
Finally, a couple sentences to help you know how to introduce yourself in Filipino. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Filipino Phrases page. Enjoy!
Common Expressions in Filipino
| English | Filipino |
|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | marunong ka bang mag-Ingles? nakakapagsalita ka ba ng Ingles? |
| Just a little | kaunti lang |
| What's your name? | anong pangalan mo? |
| My name is (John Doe) | (John Doe)ang pangalan ko |
| Mr... / Mrs. ... / Miss... | mister/misis/mis=conversational; ginoo/ginang/binibini=formal |
| Nice to meet you! | Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka=formal |
| You're very kind! | ang bait mo naman=literal meaning, approximation only |
Fun Facts
Language Quote: The language of a society changes slowly but steadily with the result that an educated person will not be able to read or understand words in his language written 500 years ago. Do you feel like you can't talk to your parents? Maybe it's because you belong to the Niger-Congo family. More than 1,400 languages are spoken by different members of this family from Africa..
Congratulations! You finished your 4th lesson in Filipino about prepositions, and directions. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Filipino Lesson 5. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Filipino homepage.