English - Filipino translation

English to Filipino: decide whether the listener belongs to “we”

We needs an inclusive or exclusive interpretation

English we does not say whether the listener is included. Filipino distinguishes tayo, which includes the addressee, from kami, which excludes them. Before translating a travel plan or a team instruction, identify the intended group. A wrong pronoun can accidentally invite someone along or exclude them from a shared task.

“We are leaving tomorrow” can be “Aalis tayo bukas” if the recipient is part of the departing group, or “Aalis kami bukas” if not. The English tense alone does not settle that choice. A brief source intended for several audiences may need two versions rather than one pronoun assumed to fit every recipient.

Respect is conveyed by a construction, not a pile of titles

Filipino can use po and respectful address patterns to shape a message’s relationship. “Thank you” can be “Salamat po” in a respectful exchange. Choose this according to the situation rather than inserting a politeness marker after every phrase or inventing a title that the English source never used.

The distinction is especially useful for a first message to an unfamiliar adult or someone in a formal role. At the same time, a close friend’s message should not become ceremonious merely because a translation system defaults to a more formal phrase. Preserve the intended warmth, urgency, and social distance through the whole sentence.

English he and she can merge into siya

Filipino siya does not distinguish the English he/she contrast. If an English paragraph relies only on those gendered pronouns to separate two people, repeat their names where needed. That keeps the actions clear without adding unnecessary gender descriptions.

English singular they also needs its number interpreted. Do not automatically use a plural Filipino pronoun when the English writer refers to one person neutrally. Establish the actual referent and keep the same person linked to later actions and possessions. The translation should preserve identity without guessing or multiplying the participants.

Build the verb around participants and aspect

Filipino focus and voice patterns do not map directly to one English active/passive choice. Identify the actor, affected item, recipient, and relevant topic before choosing the verb’s form and participant markers. An English word order pasted onto individual Filipino equivalents can misidentify who did what.

Completed, ongoing, and contemplated actions also need their own target forms. Read time expressions and completion words together with the verb: a statement that work is finished must not become a plan to begin it. Preserve official names and technical terms where appropriate, including deliberately used English expressions. Filipino translation should be natural for the intended audience rather than forcing every borrowed term into an unfamiliar replacement or copying an entire English sentence without adapting its grammar.