A Filipino quirk that many a time frustrates foreigners as much as it confuses them is when locals refuse to give an outright decline or negation. Filipinos, in general, don’t like confrontations, and many avoid saying ‘no’ at all costs. Instead, they’ll give the Tagalog equivalent to a ‘maybe’, an ‘alright, we’ll see’, or an ‘I’ll try.’ So should a Filipino be invited to a gathering, and he says ‘I’ll try,’ there’s a 50/50 chance he won’t make an appearance. Pay attention to the words they use and their tone of delivery – you’ll soon recognise what a Filipino ‘no’ sounds like. |
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