Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Notes

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to Filipino Survival Phrases brought to you by FilipinoPod101.com. This course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to the Philippines. You will be surprised at how far a little Filipino will go.
Now, before we jump in, remember to stop by FilipinoPod101.com, and there, you will find the accompanying PDF and additional info in the post. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment.
GRAMMAR POINT
Filipino Survival Phrases Lesson 7 - Letting them know you don’t understand their Filipino.
"I don't understand" is going to be a very useful Survival Phrase because most of the time, maybe even almost 100% of the time, you won't understand. While there are similarities between English and Filipino, in the beginning, there will likely be an adjustment period during which your ears get used to Filipino.
In Filipino, "I don't understand" is Hindi ko maintindihan.
Hindi ko maintindihan.
Let's break it down by syllable: Hindi ko maintindihan.
Now, let's hear it once again: Hindi ko maintindihan.
The first word Hindi means "no" or "not."
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: Hindi.
And Hindi.
This is followed by Ko, which in English is "my."
Ko.
Ko.
It is followed by Maintindihan, which means "understand."
Again, Maintindihan.
Maintindihan.
So, to recap here, we have Hindi ko maintindihan.
The first word is Hindi, literally means "no" or "not."
Hindi.
Hindi.
Let's take a look at the next, Ko, which means "my."
Ko.
And Ko.
And the last word in Maintindihan, which means "understand."
Maintindihan.
Maintindihan.
So, all together, we have Hindi ko maintindihan. Literally, this means "I don’t understand."
It is difficult if we try to understand each word on its literal meaning. But if these words are combined, the meaning is changed.
Another way to express "I don't understand" is Hindi ko po maintindihan. This is the formal version of the earlier Survival Phrase. Here it is again, Hindi ko po maintindihan.
Let's break it down by syllable: Hindi ko po maintindihan.
Now, let's hear it once again: Hindi ko po maintindihan.
The first word Hindi means "no" or "not."
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: Hindi.
And Hindi.
It is followed by Ko, which in English is "my."
Ko.
Ko.
Next, comes the polite word Po. The polite Filipino word with no English equivalent.
It is followed by Maintindihan, which means "understand."
Again, Maintindihan.
Maintindihan.
So, to recap here, we have Hindi ko po maintindihan. Literally, this means "I don't understand."
There are two ways in using this phrase: the formal way which is Hindi ko po maintindihan, and the informal way which is Hindi ko maintindihan. You would want to use the formal way or the polite way most often, if not, all the time. Because the polite word Po plays a great role in the Filipino culture. Children and the young are well-trained to use this word this polite word all the time. So, if you have a hard time conversing and comprehending, just use the formal way of saying that you don’t understand.

Outro

Okay, to close out this lesson, we'd like for you to practice what you've just learned. I'll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you're responsible for saying it aloud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answer, so good luck, that also means “good luck” in Filipino. Here we go!
"I don't understand." (informal) - Hindi ko maintindihan.
Hindi ko maintindihan.
Hindi ko maintindihan.
"I don't understand." (formal) - Hindi ko po maintindihan.
Hindi ko po maintindihan.
Hindi ko po maintindihan.
Alright, that's going to do it for today. Remember to stop by FilipinoPod101.com and pick up the accompanying PDF. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment.

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