I was reviewing for college entrance exams today when my teacher shared some of the most common filipinisms. Filipinisms, as defined in the net, are words or phrases that are ususally grammatically incorrect or are almost always results of transliteration. I wanted to share some of these to you because I thought they were quite funny and silly. Who knows? You might learn a thing or two from the examples stated. Well, I know I did. :)

The explanation or some added info are from my teacher. They may be the exact words, or they may be paraphrased. They may also be my own explanations.

1) Open the light/TV/computer.

This transliteration comes from the Filipino sentence 'Buksan mo yung ilaw/TV/kompyuter.' which when translated to English is the said filipinism. Buksan means open; thus, the translation 'open'. You can't really open the light, TV or the computer, so the correct English phrase for this would be:

Turn on/switch on the light/TV/computer.

2) Close the light/TV/computer.

The explanation for this is almost the same for the first one. Since buksan is open, naturally, the opposite is close. The correct form is:

Turn off/switch off the light/TV/computer.

3) Fill up the form.

The correct form would be:

Fill out the form.

4) No parking on both sides.

In reality, you can't really expect one car to be able to park on two sides, so the correct form is:

No parking on either side.

5) I slept late.

This transliteration came from 'Late ako natulog.' wherein ako is I, and natulog is sleep. When translated to English, it's 'I slept late', but 'I slept late' actually means 'I slept until late' or 'I woke up late'. What 'Late ako natulog' actually means is the person went to sleep late, so the correct form would be:

I fell asleep late, or I went to bed late.

6) I'm not coming to the party.

Coming is used when someone from afar is coming to where you are, while going is used when you are going to a far place. Since in this case, you're invited to a party, you're going to the party, so the correct form is:

I'm not going to the party.

7) Hey! Time first, I need to drink.

This is usually used when playing games, especially those involving running. 'Time' here is supposed to be 'time out', so the correct form is:

Hey! Time out first, I need to drink. (Or maybe you can omit 'first', but I'm not so sure.)

8) It will be traffic.

Traffic is a noun, so you can't use it as an adjective. It's like saying 'It will be beauty.' or 'It will be easiness.'. It's supposed to be:

Traffic is bad.

9) This is the long cut, not the shortcut.

Since it's already long, you can't put 'cut' after it. That would be...weird. It's like it's long, then you cut it or something, so it's supposed to be:

This is the long way, not the shortcut.

10) He salvaged the man.

In some tabloids, 'salvaged' is misused in a way that it's used to say 'killed'.

Ex.: Sinalvage yung tao. (Sinalvage - Salvaged; yung - the; tao - person)

What they mean: The person was killed.

What it really means: The person was saved.

I have no idea how this came to be, but yeah... It's wrong.

There is no correct form as this is just a misuse of the word.

11) It's taken cared of.

It's taken care of.

12) I'll repeat again.

Repeat is already the act of doing something again, so saying 'I'll repeat again' is redundant. It's supposed to be:

I'll repeat.

13) Brown out

Brown out is used to pertain to loss of electricity. I don't know why it's termed 'brown out' here, but I grew up using 'brown out' as well. Anyway, it's supposed to be:

Blackout

14) Malling

Malling... I don't know. Since it contained the word mall, I assumed that it meant they went to the mall. I guess it's become a Filipino jargon, but the correct form is still:

Window shopping

15) Carnapper

The term 'carnapper' most probably came from the word kidnapper. Since in this case, a car was stolen... Ta-da! Carnapper. Anyway, the correct term is:

Car thief

16) Ocular inspection

Ocular and inspection are actually synonyms, so the term 'ocular inspection' is redundant.

In this case, since they are synonyms, just use one of the words.

17) Get a free gift!

This statement can usually be seen in malls wherein when you buy something, you can get a 'free gift'. Now, what's wrong with this statement? Gifts are free, so you can't tell the people to get a free gift when gifts are already free.

There is no correct way of saying this...I think.

18) Guess what?

'Guess what' is actually an imperative sentence where you command someone to guess something, so it's supposed to be:

Guess what.

19) It is the most unique painting I've seen.

The painting, being unique, will be the only one out there, meaning there's not going to be a more unique painting than that.

Simply using 'unique' will do.

20) She xeroxed the book.

Xerox, being a famous brand of a photocopy machine, is mistakenly used as the term for photocopying. Another similar case is for Colgate, a famous brand of toothpaste. You would sometimes hear people say, "Can you please buy me Colgate that's Close-up?". Anyway, the correct one would be:

She photocopied the book.

21) Cope up

Cope with

22) Next next week

The phrase 'next next week' pertains to the week after the next. It makes sense for me, I mean I use it too, but it's wrong. The correct way of saying it is:

The week after the next

23) Last September 8, 2005

'Last' is used to pertain to the nearest day (or month or year or others). For example, last September would pertain to last year's September. Since there are many Septembers, you should use last to clarify which September you're pertaining to. But since there is only one September 8, 2005, you shouldn't use last anymore.

Last September or simply September 8, 2005

24) Fats, homeworks, stuffs, foods

These words do not have plural forms (except for fats); it's only fat, homework, stuff and food. In the case of fats, it can be used to replace the word 'oils' in ingredients, but if you're pertaining to having so much fat in your body, it's only 'fat'.

I have so much (fat/homework/stuff/food).

25) With regards to

With regards or With regard to

26) I'm currently in the States now.

Currently and now are synonyms, so just use one.

I'm in the States now, or I'm currently in the States.

27) I'll go ahead.

'I'll go ahead' is used to say 'I'll leave first.', but it actually means 'to proceed'. For example, I'll go ahead and make dinner. So it's supposed to be:

I'll go ahead and leave.

28) Tell me the real truth.

Okay, the truth is always real. There is no 'real truth'.

Tell me the truth.

29) Due to the fact that/inspite of the fact that/despite the fact that

Sometimes, we think that the longer our sentences are, we are/we sound smarter, but the truth is saying the phrases mentioned actually make us sound weird. Good writing and speaking should be short and simple.

Due to/inspite of the/despite

30) I can't help but fall in love with you.

I can't help falling in love with you.

 

Well, there you go! I hope you enjoyed this post, and may we learn from our mistakes~ :)

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to mock anyone. I believe that it is through mistakes that we learn and improve, so I hope you did like I did.