Lesson 4 Activity 1

Grammar Notes:

            Both Spanish and Ilokano are used when telling time.  The hour is expressed by using the Ilokano term “alas” followed by the appropriate Spanish number.  For example, 3:00 is expressed as “alas tres.”  Minutes are also expressed with Spanish numbers.  When giving time in hours and minutes, speakers may include the optional Ilokano conjunction “y,” which means “and.”   For example, 2:15pm may be expressed with the conjunction, as in “alas dos y kinse” or without, “alas dos kinse”.  Both are acceptable and understandable.  However, when expressing the 30-minute mark with the term “media” (“half”) you must use “y.”  5:30 may be expressed as “alas singko y media” (literally translated as “five and half”; or as “alas singko treinta” (which translates as “five thirty.”)

            Examples:    

                        3:00     -           Alas tres

                        4:20     -           Alas kuatro bainte/Alas kuatro y bainte

                        5:00     -           Alas singko

                        5:30     -           Alas singko y media or Alas singko treinta

            a.  The following common phrases are used when expressing time.

                 1.  iti bigat                            -           in the morning/am

                 2.  iti malem                         -           in the afternoon/pm

                 3.  iti aldaw                          -           during the day

                 4.  iti sardam                        -           in the evening/pm

                 5.  iti rabii                            -           at night

                 6.  iti tenga’t aldaw              -           at noon

                 7.  apagisu nga                     -           exactly at

                 8.  segundo                          -           second

                 9.  minuto                            -           minute

               10.  Ania ti orasen?                -           What time is it?

               11.  Alas diesen!                    -           It’s ten o’clock already!

               12.  media                             -           half (past the hour)

               13.  kuarto                            -           quarter of an hour

               14.  menos                            -           minus (less the specified minutes)

               15.  walo minuto kalpasan

                      ti alas dos ti malem          -           8 minutes after 2:00pm

               16.  walo minuto kasakbay-

                       an ti alas dos ti malem    -           8 minutes before 2:00pm

               17.  malpas/sakbay                -           after/before

               18.  inton bigat                       -           tomorrow        

               19.  idi kalman                       -           yesterday

               20.  idi napalabas a bulan       -           last month           

b. Study the following examples which use the expressions above:

                 1.  Nangan isuna ti pammigat iti a las otso iti bigat. 

                      He ate (took) breakfast at 8:00 in the morning.

                 2.  Simmangpet isuna apagisu nga a las dies iti rabii.

                      He arrived exactly at 10:00 in the evening.

Additional Notes:

The Ilokano word “iti” is a preposition that has several functions based on the context. 

1. “Iti” means “in the” when it precedes a term for a part of a day such as morning or afternoon.  For example, “iti bigat” means “in the morning.” 

2. “Iti” means “at” when it precedes a specific time.  For example, “iti a las otso” means “at 8:00.” 

3.  When “iti” precedes a day of the week or a month, it expresses past time.  For example, the phrase, “iti Lunes” means “last Monday.”

Sometimes “iti” is shortened to “ti” when speaking, i.e., ti bigat, ti tenga’t aldaw or ti malem. “Tenga’t” is a shortened equivalent of “tenga iti”.   

 1.  Listen as the speaker tells time in Ilokano.  Repeat after the speaker.