Filipino Spanish
Spanish Influence on Filipino Culture
There is a deeply rooted connection between the Philippines and the Spanish-speaking world. ¿Puedes adivinar por qué?(Can you guess why?) The Philippines used to be a Spanish colony, and the country was named after King Philip II of Spain.
Spain controlled the archipelago for more than 300 years, and the results of Spanish colonization are still apparent in daily life. For example, paellaand churrosare common foods in the Philippines. Additionally, the names of many provinces, cities, and streets, as well as many common Filipino surnames, reveal the country's linguistic ties to Spain.
Spanish Spoken in the Philippines
The Spanish language was introduced to the Philippines in the 16th century and remained one of the official languages into the 20th century. In 1987, Spanish was abolished as an official language of the Philippines. However, you can still hear many words that come from Spanish in several of the languages spoken in the Philippines, including chabacano(Chavacano or Chabacano) and filipino(Filipino). Let's take a look at just a few!
| Filipino | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| estudyante | estudiante | student |
| kotse | coche | car |
| kutsara | cuchara | spoon |
| mesa | mesa | table |
| libro | libro | book |
| trabaho | trabajo | work |
Want to learn more about how people speak in different countries? Learn how to sound like a local all over the Spanish-speaking world with these articles:
