Day 97: Telling Lolo About the Seminary
On the porch of the family house in Majayjay, Laguna, Marvin (A), in his fourth year at the seminary, has come home to tell his grandfather, Lolo Teban (B), who has told the whole town about his future priest, that he is leaving.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense.
- 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
-
A
Lolo, may sasabihin po ako, at sana po'y pakinggan ninyo muna hanggang dulo.
Lolo, there's something I need to tell you, and I hope you'll hear me out to the end.
-
B
Umupo ka. ...Mahaba ang hapon, iho, at wala akong lakad.
Sit down. ...The afternoon is long, iho, and I've got nowhere to be.
-
A
Ang seminaryo po... Apat na taon na po ako roon. Mahal ko po ang mga pari, pero...
The seminary... I've been there four years now. I love the priests, but...
-
B
Kailan ka huling nakatulog nang buong gabi?
When did you last sleep through the night?
-
A
...Noong isang taon pa po. Gabi-gabi ko pong tinatanong sa sarili kung tinawag ba talaga ako, o kayo lang po ang nakarinig.
...Not since last year. Every night I ask myself whether I was really called, or whether you were the only one who heard it.
-
B
Iho, tumatakas ka ba sa isang bagay, o may pinupuntahan ka?
Iho, are you running away from something, or toward something?
-
A
May pinupuntahan po. Gusto ko pong magturo sa public school dito sa Majayjay... pero alam ko pong ipinagmalaki ninyo ako sa buong bayan.
Toward something. I want to teach at the public school here in Majayjay... but I know you've bragged about me to the whole town.
-
B
...Alam mo bang dalawang taon din ako sa seminaryo noong binata ako? Walang nakakaalam sa bayan, kahit ang lola mo noong una.
...Did you know I spent two years in the seminary myself as a young man? Nobody in town knows, and at first not even your grandmother did.
-
A
Kayo po? E bakit po hindi ninyo ikinuwento kahit kailan?
You? Then why did you never tell anyone?
-
B
May mga lakad na para lang sa naglalakad, iho. At kung naging pari ako, wala sanang apong magtuturo sa Majayjay.
Some roads are only for the one walking them, iho. And if I had become a priest, there would be no grandson to teach in Majayjay.
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 98: A Poem From 1983 Goes Viral
If this free course has helped you in your Tagalog journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.