THE CONCEPT OF TIME
Student Translation
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As in most Southeast Asian cultures,
Filipinos tell time based on the sun's position in the sky. The word_________.
refers to the sun, and _________. refers to night time.
_________. literally means "the sun hurrying to show up (in the sky)".
Hence, the time between 1:00 and 5:00 o' clock in the morning is
_________.or dawn.
_________. is the period between 6:00 in the morning and just before 12:00 noon
when the sun is already up in the sky.
_________.is 12:00 noon or midday. _________. is from 1:00 to 5:00 o'
clock in the afternoon, and past 6:00 o' clock is _________.or evening.
It used to be that Filipinos observe the orasyon
when church bells ring at exactly 6:00 in the evening to mark the end of the daytime with
prayers and meditation. In the rural areas, farmers end their day's work in the field as
soon as the sun sets, and they return home for dinner.
| Clock Time |
Tagalog (Spanish root) |
English |
| 1:00-5:00 AM |
ala 1:00-5:00 ng madaling araw |
1:00-5:00 early morning |
| 6:00-11:00 AM |
ala 6:00-11:00 ng umaga |
6:00-11:00 morning |
| 12:00 Noon |
alas 12:00 ng tanghali |
12:00 noon |
| 1:00-5:00 PM |
ala 1:00-5:00 ng hapon |
1:00-5:00 afternoon |
| 6:00-11:00 PM |
ala 6:00-11:00 gabi |
6:00-11:00 evening |
| 12:00 Midnight |
alas 12:00 hating gabi |
12:00 midnight |
It is interesting to note that
Tagalog-speaking Filipinos are fond of using vague words and phrases with reference to
time. For example, mamaya na means
"later" and bukas na means "
tomorrow" (both of which connote procrastination). It is quite common to hear
responses from Tagalog-speakers
in the Philippines such as mamayang hapon, mamayang gabi, bukas ng
umaga, bukas ng hapon, bukas ng gabi, or simply mamaya
to time questions without really knowing the exact time.
Filipinos in the Philippines are generally laid-back when it comes to keeping time. Expect Filipinos to be late by at least an hour when it comes to appointments, parties, and even weddings. The usual excuse are: "na-traffic ako eh", "na-late ako magising", "hindi umandar ang alarm clock ko eh", and similar alibis. Even the Philippine flag carrier's acronym PAL (for Philippine airlines) has become a butt of jokes to mean Palaging Late!
Some Tagalog words and expressions that relate to time: