Tagalog for Beginners

Synopsis

Tagalog for Beginners is a straightforward and user-friendly guide to the Tagalog language.

It is the book to help you learn Tagalog (Filipino) on your own, quickly and accurately-whether you're traveling to the Philippines for a vacation or a business trip, or you have ties to the sizeable Tagalog-speaking community in the U.S., or you're merely a language lover.

From the fascinating history of Philippines' language to how you speak it, join skilled teacher Barrios on a guided introduction-with a practical focus. After journeying through the carefully-paced explanations, conversations, cultural info, and activities in Tagalog for Beginners, learners will be able to use Tagalog (Filipino) in a wide range of everyday situations. From shopping for food to asking directions, from telling time to expressing how you feel, this book gives you the communication skills you need. The online audio recordings help reinforce pronunciation and improve listening comprehension.

Helpful suggestions guide heritage learners (those of Filipino descent but born outside the Philippines) on how to use the book most effectively for their needs.

Key features include::

• Accompanying online audio recordings.
• Realistic dialogues to bring the language to life.
• Activities and exercises to help you read, write, speak and understand.
• Notes on the Tagalog language and history.
• A specific section guides native (heritage) learners and instructors on how to use the book most effectively for their needs.

Summary

Chapter 1: Basic Expressions

* Introduces essential greetings (e.g., "Kumusta" for "How are you?"), personal pronouns, and basic sentences (e.g., "Ikaw ay mabuti" for "You are well").
* Example: "Magandang umaga po, ginang" (Good morning, ma'am)

Chapter 2: Pronunciation and Alphabet

* Explains the Tagalog alphabet, pronunciation rules, and common diphthongs.
* Example: "Baybayin" (Tagalog): pronounced "bah-ee-bah-yin"

Chapter 3: Verbs

* Introduces the verb conjugation system, including present, past, and future tenses.
* Example: "Kumain" (to eat): "Kinain ko ang bigas" (I ate the rice)

Chapter 4: Nouns and Adjectives

* Teaches the formation of nouns and adjectives, as well as their agreement with corresponding pronouns.
* Example: "Magandang araw" (Good day): "Magandang araw sa iyo" (Good day to you)

Chapter 5: Numbers and Time

* Covers counting in Tagalog up to one million and expressing time.
* Example: "sampung libo" (ten thousand), "Alas otso ng umaga" (8:00 AM)

Chapter 6: Simple Present Tense

* Focuses on using the simple present tense for regular and irregular verbs.
* Example: "Siya ay nag-aaral" (He is studying), "Nakakain na ako" (I have already eaten)

Chapter 7: Simple Past Tense

* Introduces the simple past tense for stating past events and actions.
* Example: "Nagpunta sila sa parke" (They went to the park), "Kumakanta siya" (She was singing)

Chapter 8: Simple Future Tense

* Explains how to form the simple future tense using "mag-" or "ma-" prefixes.
* Example: "Magluluto siya ng adobo" (He will cook adobo), "Makakapunta ka ba bukas?" (Will you be able to go tomorrow?)

Chapter 9: Phrases and Idioms

* Introduces common phrases and idioms used in everyday Tagalog.
* Example: "Bagoong sa almusal" (fermented fish paste for breakfast), "Kayod ng kayod" (work very hard)

Chapter 10: Conversations and Dialogues

* Provides sample conversations and dialogues for practicing the language in various situations.
* Example: "Saan ka pupunta mamaya?" (Where are you going later?)