Language/Tagalog/Vocabulary/Telling-Time
Telling time can be one of the most useful things to know when traveling to a foreign country. In this lesson, you will learn how to tell time in Tagalog. It's an essential skill that will help you navigate through the country on your own. You'll learn to tell time in Tagalog, including hours, minutes, and AM/PM. Knowing how to tell time is important not just for travel, but also for work, appointments, and everyday life.
Basic Time Terminology
Let's start by looking at the basic time terminology:
- oras - hour
- minuto - minute
- pang-umaga - A.M. (morning)
- pang-hapon - P.M. (afternoon)
- ng tanghali - noon
- ng hating-gabi - midnight
We will use this terminology as we continue with the lesson.
Telling the Hour
Telling the hour in Tagalog is straightforward. You just need to say the hour, followed by the word "oras."
For example:
- 1:00 - ala-una ng hapon (one o'clock in the afternoon)
- 2:00 - alas-dalawa ng hapon (two o'clock in the afternoon)
- 3:00 - alas-tres ng hapon (three o'clock in the afternoon)
Take note that when telling the hour, we use pang-umaga (A.M.) from midnight up to noontime, and pang-hapon (P.M.) from 12:01 p.m. up to midnight.
For example:
- 6:00 a.m. - alas- sais ng umaga
- 6:00 p.m. - alas- sais ng gabi
Telling the Minutes
To tell the minutes in Tagalog, we use the word "minuto." Here are some examples:
- 2:15 - alas-dalawa at labinlimang minuto ng hapon (two fifteen in the afternoon)
- 3:30 - alas-tres at tatlumpu ng hapon (three thirty in the afternoon)
- 4:45 - mag-aalas-kuwarto ng hapon na may apatnapu't limang minuto (quarter to five in the afternoon)
When telling the minutes, always used the word "minuto" followed by the number of minutes. The minutes always come right after the hour.
Common Phrases Related to Telling Time
Here are some common Tagalog phrases related to telling time:
- Anong oras na? - What time is it?
- Ilan ang oras? - How many hours?
- Ilan ang minuto? - How many minutes?
- Pagpasok ko ng opisina ay ala-sais. - I arrive at the office at six o'clock.
- Kanina pa akong naghihintay. - I have been waiting for a long time.
Exercise
Let's do a quick exercise to help you practice telling time in Tagalog. Try to translate the following times into Tagalog:
- 9:00 A.M.
- 10:30 P.M.
- 12:45 P.M.
Now that you have completed this exercise, let's go over the answers.
- 9:00 A.M. - Alas-nuebe ng umaga
- 10:30 P.M. - Alas-diyes at kalahati ng gabi
- 12:45 P.M. - Mag-aalas-una ng hapon na may apatnapu't limang minuto
Congratulations! You now know how to tell time in Tagalog. It's an essential skill that will help you navigate through the country on your own. Try practicing telling time with a Tagalog-speaking friend or by setting your phone to Tagalog language settings.