ENGLISH 101

Filipinism Part 2

It is a Filipino habit of repeating words to put emphasis or increase superlative intensity of a word like “sobra sobra”, puti-puti, bait-bait, among many others. Hereunder are more examples of Filipinisms that we often hear everywhere.

❌ Come again
✔ Can you please repeat that?
✔ Pardon me?

❌ Next next week
✔ Week after next

❌Cope up
✔Cope with

❌ Napkin
✔ Tissue

❌ Connected with
✔Associated with

❌ Hold your line/for a while
✔ Please hold

❌ Take out/Take home
✔ To go

❌ Aircon
✔ air conditioner or AC

❌ Fall in line
✔ Stand in line
✔ Form a line

❌ CR
✔ Toilet
✔ Rest room
✔ Powder Room

❌ Rubber shoes
✔ Sneakers

❌ Xerox
✔ Photocopy

❌ It's for Free
✔ It's free
✔ Free of charge

❌Where are you studying? 

This question can be answered by simply telling a place where you study – library, bed room, or even coffee shops. But Filipinos use this expression to ask about “the school” where one is enrolled.
✔ Where do you go to school?
✔ Which school do you go to?” 

❌ Ref
✔ Refrigirator
✔ Fridge

❌ Avail
✔ Take advantage of ...

❌ Can I speak with you?
❌ Can I go out?
❌ Can I go to the bathroom?
Yes, you can but you may not.
Can - ability
May - permission
✔ May I speak with you?
✔ May I go out?
✔ May I go to the bathroom?

Because of the  constant usage of Filipinism within conversations, these have started to be acceptable, however, in English proficiency training, this should be greatly avoided. These expressions have to be used in their correct usage to avoid confusion and errors in both speaking and writing English.