Day 32 of 135

Day 32: The Kartilya and the Supplier

In the kitchen of their small bottled-sauce business in Marikina, Kristel (A) shows her partner Dianne (B) a big supplier's price for chili, while Dianne's uncle Val (C), a philosophy teacher, listens in.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense.
  3. Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native Tagalog. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.

Dialogue

Audio for this lesson is coming soon. For now, read the dialogue and its translation.

Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day

  1. A

    Dianne, tingnan mo 'tong alok sa Balintawak: two-sixty lang ang kilo ng labuyo, kay Mang Ambo, three-fifty.

    Dianne, look at this offer from Balintawak: just two-sixty a kilo for labuyo. Mang Ambo charges three-fifty.

  2. B

    Pero nangako tayo kay Mang Ambo noong nagkape tayo sa Tanay.

    But we made Mang Ambo a promise over coffee in Tanay.

  3. A

    Nangako tayo sa kape, hindi sa kontrata. Walang pirma, walang notaryo.

    We promised over coffee, not in a contract. No signature, no notary.

  4. C

    "Sa taong may hiya, salita'y panunumpa," sabi ng Kartilya ng Katipunan, notaryo man o wala.

    "To one who has honor, his word is an oath," says the Kartilya of the Katipunan, notary or no notary.

  5. A

    Tito Val, mahigit sandaang taon na po iyan. Ngayon po, ang nakakahiya ay ang hindi makabayad ng renta.

    Tito Val, that's over a hundred years old. These days, what's shameful is not being able to pay the rent.

  6. C

    Kaya nga panunumpa, hindi kontrata, hija. Ang kontrata, nalulusutan sa korte; ang salita, hindi.

    That's exactly why it's an oath and not a contract, hija. You can wriggle out of a contract in court; out of your word, you can't.

  7. B

    Pero, Tito, kapag nalugi po kami, hindi po Kartilya ang magpapasuweldo sa mga tauhan namin.

    But, Tito, if we go under, the Kartilya isn't going to pay our staff.

  8. C

    Sabi rin ng Kartilya, "ang yamang nawala'y magyayaring magbalik." Ang tiwalang nawala, ewan ko lang.

    The Kartilya also says, "Wealth that is lost may yet return." Trust that is lost, I'm not so sure.

  9. A

    Sige na nga, tatawagan natin si Mang Ambo, baka kaya niyang tapatan ang alok.

    Oh, fine, we'll call Mang Ambo. Maybe he can match the offer.

  10. B

    At kung hindi niya kaya, tayo ang hihingi ng tawad, pero hindi 'yung klase ng tawad na gusto mo.

    And if he can't, we'll be the ones asking him for tawad, the forgiving kind, not the discount kind you want.

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