Communication goes far beyond simply uttering words—it involves understanding the cultural nuances and non-verbal cues that go hand in hand with spoken language. When learning Tagalog, you also need to familiarize yourself with the different Filipino expressions and gestures.
Gestures such as smiling, shrugging, or shaking your head are universally understood. However, some gestures and expressions are either unique to a culture or have different meanings across cultures.
These non-verbal cues and culturally specific expressions are often neglected by language learners despite their significance in cross-cultural communication. This can lead to instances where people make faux pas that earn laughs at best and cause offense at worst.
Filipinos are generally understanding, but making an effort to familiarize yourself with their expressions and gestures, not just learning the language, goes a long way. It’s a show of respect and appreciation for the local culture.
To help you with that, here are some of the most common Filipino expressions and gestures to look out for.
Top 8 Different Filipino Expressions and Gestures
1. Lip Pointing
- Pointing with your index finger is seen as rude in the Philippines. So, using your lips is a more subtle way to do it.
- It’s also practical when both hands are occupied and you want to point at something or someone.
- This is done by making an exaggerated pout and swinging your chin toward the direction you want them to see. The more exaggerated the pout, the farther the subject is.
- Sometimes there is also a forced “Mm!” sound to emphasize the direction of the subject, especially if the other person can’t find where the subject is.
2. Mano
- Respecting the elderly has been a big thing in the Philippines for several generations. This practice is known as “pagmamano”.
- This is done by gently clasping the elder’s hand and touching it to your forehead while bowing.
- The practice differs in some places. Some do it only to their grandparents, some include their elder relatives or godparents, and some even do it when meeting elderly non-relatives.
- Children sometimes mano their playmates, teenagers, or young adults to tease them about their age.
3. Beso-Beso
- This common gesture likely originated from European colonizers and was adopted by the Filipino high society, especially during colonial times.
- This is done by lightly touching the right cheek to the other person’s right cheek, and then doing the same with the left.
- This also differs in some places. Some place a light kiss on the cheek, and others kiss the air. Some beso on one cheek while others beso on both. You can also do it without making skin contact.
- Movies and teleseryes sometimes use beso-beso for character building. For example, an exaggerated “mwah” sound is often used in comedy to indicate familiarity and friendship. Meanwhile, a stiff beso-beso in which the cheeks barely touch is used to indicate tension between characters.
4. Lowering The Head With Hands Extended Toward The Ground
- When passing between two or a group of people talking, a Filipino usually just lowers their head while walking, their hands in a praying gesture pointed towards the ground. This gesture may or may not be accompanied by a soft and polite “Excuse me po” or “Makikiraan po” (“Let me pass through, please”).
- This is usually done so as to not interrupt the conversation.
- Another variation of this gesture often done by females is putting a hand on their chest area instead of extending their hands toward the ground.
5. “Naku!”
- This is a versatile expression that can be used when exasperated, annoyed, shocked, and disappointed. The way you say it helps vary the use of the expression.
- “Hay” (pronounced like “high”) can be added before it in some cases.
- For example:
| Tone | Tagalog | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
Exasperated | Hay naku, bakit nangyari ulit ito? | OMG, why is this happening again? |
Annoyed | Hay naku…sinong nagsabing pwede mong galawin ang gamit ko? | OMG…who said you can touch my things? |
Shocked | Naku! Anong nangyari? | Oh no! What happened? |
Disappointed | Naku naman oh, di ako nakapasa. | Ugh, I didn’t pass. |
- Think of this expression as a verbalized sigh.
- “Naku” can also be used when chastising someone.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Naku, naku, naku! Isusumbong kita sa nanay mo. | Tsk, tsk, tsk! I’ll tell your mother what you did. |
6. “Di ba?”
- This is an expression usually used at the beginning or end of a sentence to gain the other party’s agreement or for clarification.
- “Di ba?” is a shortened version of “Hindi ba?” and literally means “Isn’t it?” or “Am I right?”
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Ang ganda, di ba? | It’s beautiful, isn’t it? |
Dito raw yung handaan di ba? | This is where the party is, am I right? |
Di ba ang sarap nung bilo-bilo? | Isn’t the bilo-bilo delicious? |
Di ba doon daw pupunta si Ella? | Isn’t that where Ella is going? |
- This expression can be both rhetorical or not.
7. “Ah basta!”
- When you are not in the mood to explain or you don’t know how to explain, a Filipino would usually gesture wildly with their hands and say “Ah, basta!”
- It can roughly mean several things depending on the context; usually, it’s “Just because!” “Augh!” “I don’t want to explain!”
- For example:
| Tagalog | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
Question | Ano ba ang ginawa mo? | What did you do? |
Answer | Ah basta! Huwag mo akong kulitin. | I don’t want to explain! Don’t pester me. |
8. “Anak ng - !”
- While Tagalog contains itsfair share of swears, Filipinos don’t often use them in public as it can be perceived as uncouth. Instead, they use this funny expression, filling in the blank with a variety of things or animals.
- These are some of the popular variations:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
“Anak ng tipaklong!” | “Son of a grasshopper!” |
“Anak ng palaka!” | “Son of a frog!” |
“Anak ng tinapa!” | “Son of a smoked fish!” |
“Anak ng kamote!” | “Son of a sweet potato!” |
- It’s often used when someone is surprised, frustrated, or exasperated.
- Sometimes the “Anak ng” part is substituted by just “Ay!” followed by a variety of subjects, such as:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
“Ay kabayo!” | “Ah, horses!” |
“Ay putik!” | “Ah, mud!” |
Finding Horses And Grasshoppers
Body language and facial expressions often carry just as much meaning as the words being spoken. This is why learning these subtle gestures and knowing when to use them is crucial to becoming a fluent and culturally aware communicator.
By understanding the nuances of both verbal and non-verbal communication, you’ll find it easier to build relationships, navigate social situations, and gain deeper insight into Filipino culture. This combination of language learning and cultural awareness will not only help you in conversations but will also allow you to immerse yourself more fully in the Filipino way of life.
If you’re looking for a way to combine both verbal and non-verbal aspects of learning Tagalog, why not try Turong Wika?
Turong Wika is a language-learning app that focuses on conversational Tagalog and helps you pick up culturally relevant expressions and vocabulary. With Turong Wika, you’ll not only learn the words but also the context in which they are used, allowing for a more immersive and natural way of communicating.
By understanding the nuances of both verbal and non-verbal communication, and with the help of Turong Wika, you’ll find it easier to build relationships, navigate social situations, and gain deeper insight into Filipino culture.
Immerse yourself in the culture. Scan the code below to download the app now!
Immerse yourself in the culture. Click on the button below to download the app now!
