Tagalog 101: Travelling , Transportation, basic questions, expected answers
The following are useful and brief but very useful Tagalog phrases that will help expats and travelers in Manila.
Other Tagalog - native speakers may have their own ways to say these things.
In case you are lost.. what will you ask? how will you ask?
You are in a cab [ we call it taxi].. what should you say to the driver?
LOST IN THE MODERN JUNGLE
Approach and Ask a police officer :
Magandang araw po sir! / Good day sir/ mam!
Nasaan po ako?/ Where am I?
or Anong lugar po ito? / What is this place?
expected answer from a local:
"Sir/mam, nasa Manila/Makati/ Pasig po kayo." /
"Sir/ mam, you are in Manila/ Makati/ [ city name] .
We use the question " Nasaan" when we ask for locations
"saan" which is also the word for "where" but usually with verbs.
Useful questions:
"Nasaan ang train station?"/ where is the train station?
"Nasaan ang taxi station/ cab/ loading area?"/ "where is the taxi station/ stand/ loading area?
expected answers: [ better have a map here]
"Nasa [ name of the place] po ang train station./ Nasa Ayala, Makati po." / "The train station is in Ayala, Makati."
" Doon po ang loading area." / " The loading area is over there [ maybe on the other side of the road] ". or " Dito po ang loading area". / " The loading area is here".]
Inside a cab: either the driver will ask you first or you need to tell him where you will go.
taxi driver: " Saan po tayo sir/ mam?" / where are we going mam / sir."
your answer: "Sa airport po." / " At the airport" or you can say
" Pupunta po ako sa airport / EDSA Ortigas. which means
" I will go to the airport / EDSA Ortigas ".
INSIDE THE JEEPNEY/ Public Utility Vehicle
[ if you are sure the jeep you will ride]
" Kuya, sa Greenbelt po ako." / "Sir, I will drop off at Greenbelt"
" Bayad ko po. " / " My payment." [ if you are paying the exact fare]
If you are paying a paper bill . you should say...
" Isa lang po sa twenty pesos. .. [ fifty pesos] "/ it means you are paying for one person even if your money is P20.000 or P 50.00.
Literal translation :" Only one for the P 20.00"
READY TO DROP OFF:
Just say " Sa tabi lang po. Para."/ it signals the driver to stop the jeep. " Para" is like the word " stop"
"Sa tabi lang po " / On the side [ of the road] only [ literal translation ] which means you will drop off on the side of the road.
You can also say this words when riding a cab.