r/Filipino

Hi everyone,

I’m French, married to a Filipina, and I’ve visited the Philippines a few times. But we don’t live there yet, so I know my perspective and experience are still limited.

I’d genuinely like to understand Filipino culture better — not only through my wife’s perspective, but also through the experiences of other Filipinos.

It could be a stereotype, a habit, a value, or something people often interpret incorrectly. I would like to avoid being unintentionally rude or making cultural mistakes when meeting Filipinos for the first time.

For example, the first time I met my mother-in-law, I didn’t do the '' mano po '' and only learned about it afterward ...

It made me realise there may be other things I could miss without meaning to.

Please feel free to be honest and specific. I’m genuinely here to learn.

Salamat po!

A lot of people here have mentioned wanting to learn Tagalog but not having enough time to study consistently.

Hypothetically, if there were a way to gradually learn while doing things you're already doing online, would that actually interest you?

Or do you think learning a language still requires dedicated study?

I'm curious what people think.

Hi again everyone,

My last post got a lot more responses than I expected, and one theme kept coming up: many Filipino-Americans were never taught Tagalog by their parents growing up.

That got me wondering about something else.

Did not speaking Tagalog ever lead to awkward, frustrating, or even painful experiences for you?

Maybe not being able to understand relatives.

Not being able to join family conversations.

Being called a "fake Filipino."

Feeling disconnected from Filipino culture.

Or maybe it never affected you at all.

Looking back, how has not speaking Tagalog impacted your life, if at all?

Hey everyone, a few clients of mine from the Philippines are coming to Kuwait, I’ll be picking them up and going for a factory visit and hence I need conversation starters and phrases to use in Tagalog, or references I should know. Anything that gets the conversation going and makes them feel warm and welcomed. Id love to know all about food, culture, language, anything that everyone in the country knows of. Please help me out🙏

Hi again,

Thank you to everyone who participated in my last post. I've got another question for you all.

Do you feel like not speaking Tagalog has affected your connection to Filipino culture?

If so, have you ever considered learning Tagalog as an adult?

If yes, what stopped you from doing it?

Time?
Motivation?
Not knowing where to start?
Something else?

Or do you feel connected to Filipino culture regardless of the language?

I'm interested in hearing different perspectives.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

I've met quite a few Filipino-Americans who grew up hearing Tagalog at home but never really learned how to speak it.

Some seem completely fine with it, while others wish they had learned when they were younger.

For those who weren't taught Tagalog growing up:

Do you wish your parents had taught you?

And if so, what's stopping you from learning now?

Kumusta po — Ako po si David Oro (u/studiosarisari), a Filipino-Canadian Artist, UI/UX and Type designer, Manila-born and now based in Winnipeg. For about ten years I’ve practiced Baybayin every day, and I finally turned that practice into something I can share: Baybayin Nating Lahat — a free, browser-based space for writing and learning the script.

It’s built around one idea older than any of us: kung ano ang bigkas, siyang baybay — you spell it the way you say it. You type a word, watch it become Baybayin, and then trace or write it yourself with a brush that responds to pressure. No download, no account, no ads. I made it as cultural transmission, not a product.

It’s a living work in progress, and I’d genuinely value this community’s eyes and feedback on it — corrections, questions, what feels right and what doesn’t. There’s a small subreddit at r/BaybayinNatingLahat where I post a daily word to practice.

Try it here: baybayin.sarisariworld.com

Salamat for reading.

Isang maliit na ambag para sa kultura,
sa ISIP, sa SALITA, at sa SULAT.

Hi everyone! I'm a Brazilian woman with 21 years. I’m currently trying to learn Tagalog and I’d really love to make some Filipino friends who could help me practice. I’m a beginner, so I make a lot of mistakes, but I’m motivated to learn and improve little by little. In exchange, I’d be happy to help with English or just be a friendly chat buddy! If anyone is open to chatting, correcting me, or just talking casually in Tagalog + English, I’d really appreciate it