Learning the Basic: Ilocano Words
I am born as a Ilocana. I lived in the Pangasinan and it is one of the beautiful provinces of our country, Philippines. I know that my readers thought that I am pure 'Tagalog', because that is what sometimes the language that I am using here and communicating to my Filipino virtual friends. But no, I also have another dialect and i am just using it here at our house it is the language that we are using to communicate to each other since when I am born and that is our Ilocano dialect.
In our Province, some of other citizens speak two or three dialect(s). Iloco, Pangasinense, and Igorot but I don't know how to speak and understand that two other languages but I know someone who can understand and speak and that is my frenemy @Eunoia.
Anyways, because I don't have some topic for today, I decided to teach you how to speak our Iloco/ilocano dialect but let me just share to you the basic words and their meanings. Are you ready? Let's go!
The first word that I will introduce to you is the
Napintas
The english word of napintas is Beautiful. This is the word that we often use to compliment some beautiful things.
We also have other word that we use to say beautiful in ilocano such as Nag•pintas. So If you will compliment your wife, you should say, "Nagpintas ka" in english, You're beautiful.
Fun fact: I always compliment myself using this word when I was a kid after discovering this word. Everytime that I look in the mirror, I always say, "Apay ngata nga Nagrigat ti maging napintas?" (Why it's so hard to be beautiful?).
Okay, Let me say, "Nagpintas kayo amin." In english, "You are all beautiful."
Nag-Gwapo
If boys compliment girls by saying napintas, This word is what we are using to compliment handsome mens. We always say, Nagwapo or nag-gwapo. Are you familiar with the word gwapo in tagalog? They are just similar and we just add the word Nag. So it is so easy to understand if what is that word even if you are tagalog.
If you like to compliment your husband or boyfriend looking handsome today, you should say, "Nag gwapo ka lakay." (You're handsome husband).
Fun fact: I never compliment the boys in our Family using this word. I don't also compliment my boy classmates. I just use this word to compliment those handsome artists and some handsome strangers HAHA
Nagi-mas /nai-mas
This word is what we are using when we like to compliment the food being delicious. So in english word of this is delicious, yummy or it can be describe similar to that words.
So if you like to compliment something delicious food you should say, "Nagimas atoy nga makan." in english, This food is delicious/yummy.
Wen
This is not the word "When" okay? If you will prounounce it, it should be just We-n not We-y-n. Anyways, the english of this word is YES and for the opposite NO in ilocano is
Ha-an
This is the word that we use when we are not agree to something. So if you are not agree that I am beautiful, you should say, "Haan ka nga napintas" (You're not beautiful). Lol
Na-ga-do
It is so tough to describe this one but well, you csn use this word if you are describing or the total count of somethings. If you will use this you should say, "Nagado ti handa mi." (we have a lot of foods). Why one is the english word of this ilocano word?
A. Have
B. Foods
C. A lot
If your answer is 'a lot' then you are right. It is similar to the words: too much, many, more. Etc.
Bala-sang
This is the word that we use to call a Lady or maiden. Mainwhile, we called the young man as Ba•ro.
For examples:
Ilocano: "Napintas nga balasang ken nagwapo nga baro."
Tagalog: "Maganda na dalaga at gwapo na binata."
English: "Beautiful lady and Handsome young man."
How to speak Numbers names in Ilocano?
Conclusion...
That are just the few and example ilocano words that I can teach you. If you like to know more ilocano words, you can comment below and I will translate it for you.
But you know what? Even if I am a ilokana, I can't even sometimes understand the words that have a deep meanings. So sometimes, I always ask, @Eunoia if what is the meaning of those words. Why i am like this? A short story of mine,
Since when I started to study the people around me: Friends, Teachers, Classmates, and even my Family. They always speak to me and they use Tagalog because I am not born here at our Grandparents house. I mean, I am not always here back then because we are living in our old house. In our house before, my Parents always speak tagalog to me but to my sister they are speaking tagalog because she was born here at our grandparents. Same with to my classmates and teachers, they always use tagalog everytime that they are talking to me even though, I am a pure ilokana.
When I was Senior High School, that is the time that I asked them or they should grant me a favor and that is when they talk to me they should speak Ilocano and not tagalog because to be honest because of it, It is hard for me to understand the other ilocano words even if I am living here for how many years now, there are still some Ilocano words that I don't know. So I always asked them after if what are those words when I don't understand it.
Trivia: The Na•lam•ek or cold weather in english, I just knew about that word last year when my cousin said, "Nag lam-ek ditoy nga pweston." And I was confused what is the nalam-ek word. So I asked him if what is the nalam-ek? And he said the he is complaining to the cold weather of where he was.
So yeah, Eunoia even said that I am Ilokanang Hilaw. HAHAHA sorry about that, I'm still learning the other ilokano words too. HAHA
Thank you for reading!
My Previous articles:
Dear Mom, I will make you Happy
I dated two Guys at the same time?
Tara at magsagot ng mga katanungan
Manganen! Kumakain ako while reading this.. Hehe.. They say I used to be fluent in Ilocano when I was two. My father is an ilocano but I grew up in Mindanao so I got used to speaking bisaya. Now, I can't speak the dialect but can understand my father when he is speaking in ilocano.