Q&A for How to Greet People from the Philippines

There is no direct translation to Filipino, so people in the Philippines say "hi" or "hello" in English. You can ask "kumusta?" instead which means "how are you?"

The formal way to say "how are you" is: "Kumusta po kayo?" The informal way to say it is: "Kumusta ka?"

There is no direct translation. Filipinos simply say "Welcome" or "Tuloy kayo" -- which means "Please come in."

If you want to be polite, say 'Saan po ang,' and then the name of the place.

You should say; 'Mahal kita at di iyon magbabago kahit magbago ang panahon, mahal mo rin ba ako? Seryosong seryoso ako sa iyo.'

"Mabuti" means good. If someone asks how are you ("Kamusta?") - you can respond "mabuti" - which means "good."

'Hindi po ito ang aking numero.'

"Maligayang pagdating". Its literal meaning is "Happy arrival". So, it is not only acknowledging someone got home, but also indicating we are happy you arrived.

The direct translation of goodbye is "paalam". If you wanted to use the expression "Until next time," it would be "Hanggang sa muli."

You should say, "Mahal kita", which means "I love you". You could also say "Mahal kita po" to be more formal, because "po" is more preferable when you want to address someone in a formal way.

"Matulog kang mabuti" (informal) or "Matulog ka pong mabuti" (formal).

Bring them gifts, especially foods, to show thoughtfulness. It binds you and her family with conversation over meals and celebrations. This will serve as a way for them to know you more. You can also put up a liquor party so you can mingle with the other relatives, like cousins and siblings, so you can impress them and win their hearts. They will give you a thumbs-up to your Filipina girlfriend.

There is no direct translation of this. You use "Mahal na mahal kita" instead. This is the equivalent of "I love you so much."

The way to say goodnight in Tagalog is "magadang gabi," which also means good afternoon.

Tagalog is "gusto mo ba maglaro kasama ako" (do you want to play with me) or "tara mag saya tayo" (come on, lets have fun together).

Say "Salamat" (informal) or "Salamat po" (formal) if you're just talking to a single person. If you're talking to a lot of people, say "Salamat sa inyo" (informal) or "Salamat po sa inyo" (formal).

You would say, "Anong klase ng mga kanta ang gusto mo?"

That would be something like: Magandang gabi mahal ko / aking sinta / sinta ko.

You could say: "Masaya akong makilala ka" or "Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka". The second suggestion is a formal way.

Say: "Nasaan ka aking kaibigan?" or "Saan ka po sa Pilipinas, aking kaibigan?".

"Maligayong Pasok at Manigong Bagong Taon," which translates to "Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year."

There is no translation of "hello" in the Filipino language, instead we greet maganda umaga (good morning) magandang hapon (good afternoon) and magandang gabi (good evening), before we start up our talks. Then the rest in Filipino translates into "isa po itong karangalan at pribilehiyo na itanghal sa inyo ang maganda at kakaibang kultura na ito". That's the polite way.

"Tangina mo!" is a widely used greeting among couples. It loosely translates to "I love you."

It's okay to tell them you will bring them balut, but it is better if you give it in the nighttime because it is more likely eaten nighttime, and if you feel insecure about your balut, tell your kasintahan (girlfriend) that "hindi ko alam kung ano ang ipapasalubomg (I don't know what to give them). Also, try doing harana (serenade) to her while watching her parents.

You may respond with either "mabuti naman po" or "ayos namanpo ako," expressing that you are well or fine in Filipino to the person you are speaking to.