# Mahal na mahal kita. Ikaw lang. Walang iba.



## Figit

Hello fellow forum users,

I have a Filipina girlfriend who after three weeks together began to include 'Mahal kita' in emails to me, after about five weeks she would include 'Mahal na mahal kita' and now a couple days ago she started closing with 'Mahal na mahal kita ikaw lang walang iba'.

I do not speak Tagalog but have used forums like this and dictionaries to translate the words she says to me. She speaks to me in English on the phone and webcam, writes to me mostly in english and usually only closes her emails to me in Tagalog.

She told me 'Mahal na mahal kita ikaw lang walang iba' in a few emails and then last night she said it while we were on the webcam and she began crying very hard. I have loosely translated it to mean 'I love you so much and only you' but I am wondering what cultural significance her saying this to me means that it would make her cry. Since then she has also begun calling me 'Mahal' instead of using my first name.

Any help to understand the cultural significance of her statements or possible proper translation would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: I just did a word for word translation with dictionary and I think the last part says something about missing me which might explain the crying. I would still really like a proper translation if possible.


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## niernier

Figit said:


> Hello fellow forum users,
> 
> I have a filipina girlfriend who after three weeks together began to include 'Mahal kita' in emails to me, after about five weeks she would include 'Mahal na mahal kita' and now a couple days ago she started closing with 'Mahal na mahal kita ikaw lang walang iba'.
> 
> I do not speak Tagalog but have used forums like this and dictionaries to translate the words she says to me. She speaks to me in english on the phone and webcam, writes to me mostly in english and usually only closes her emails to me in Tagalog.
> 
> She told me 'Mahal na mahal kita ikaw lang walang iba' in a few emails and then last night she said it while we were on the webcam and she began crying very hard. I have loosely translated it to mean 'I love you so much and only you' but I am wondering what cultural significance her saying this to me means that it would make her cry. Since then she has also begun calling me 'Mahal' instead of using my first name.
> 
> Any help to understand the cultural significance of her statements or possible proper translation would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> 
> Edit: I just did a word for word translation with dictionary and I think the last part says something about missing me which might explain the crying. I would still really like a proper translation if possible.



I must say you found a good dictionary. Apparently, you overlooked the part which says 'walang iba'. It means 'no other'.
 
'Mahal na mahal kita ikaw lang walang iba' in English is 'I love you very much (and) only you no other'.
 
ikaw lang = only you
walang iba = no other

Sorry if I cannot make out a possible connection between the cultural significance of that phrase and the reason why she is crying. This is kind of stuff that girls only knew!  

From our culture, the traditional Filipina maiden is shy and secretive about her feelings for a suitor. She goes as far as denying it even if she is totally in love with him. I can only guess that her crying is enough to tell you, that she means what she says.


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## Figit

Thank-you niernier for your reply, I find it difficult to use a dictionary because many words have different meanings depending on the situation. I use a combination of dictionary, forums and searching the Internet to translate but it is not easy.

In the beginning my girlfriend was very shy to tell me her feelings but has gradually opened up a bit. She prefers to tell me her feelings in Tagalog because I think she feels more comfortable saying them that way.

You are right only a girl truly knows why she is crying and if I try forever I will never understand. When she did cry she would not talk to me so I told her it was alright if she only listened and gradually she started talking again.

The joys of dating a Filipina. 

Once again thank-you for your reply and helping me to clarify the translation.


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## Cracker Jack

Your sentence is like a telegram.  But I would understand it if your gf was in a hurry.  The more natural way of saying it is ''Mahal na mahal kita.  Ikaw lang.  Walang iba.'' And I would translate it this way: I love you so much.  You alone.  No one else.''


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## niernier

Sorry, but I disagree if you say that the sentence is like a telegram. The sentence itself is fine without separating them into 3 sentences. What's missing here is a comma.

*Mahal na mahal kita, ikaw lang walang iba*.

If you separate them into 3 sentences, the latter seems to be incomplete or lacking a subject. 

In any case, I thank you for giving a better translation.


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## Figit

Personally I did not know there was suppose to be any punctuation and only write the sentence the way it is written to me. I know it has nothing to do with the translation but my girlfriend no longer cries when she says it so that is a good thing. 

Thanks for the clarification.


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## meandmyguitar

Would anyone know what someone would mean if they said "Mahal na kasi kita"?


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## niernier

meandmyguitar said:


> Would anyone know what someone would mean if they said "Mahal na kasi kita"?



Mahal na kasi kita
*It's because I already love you.*

mahal kita = I love you
kasi = because


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## meandmyguitar

That was fast! Thanks!


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## Ajura

Figit said:


> Hello fellow forum users,
> 
> I have a filipina girlfriend who after three weeks together began to include 'Mahal kita' in emails to me, after about five weeks she would include 'Mahal na mahal kita' and now a couple days ago she started closing with 'Mahal na mahal kita ikaw lang walang iba'.
> 
> I do not speak Tagalog but have used forums like this and dictionaries to translate the words she says to me. She speaks to me in english on the phone and webcam, writes to me mostly in english and usually only closes her emails to me in Tagalog.
> 
> She told me 'Mahal na mahal kita ikaw lang walang iba' in a few emails and then last night she said it while we were on the webcam and she began crying very hard. I have loosely translated it to mean 'I love you so much and only you' but I am wondering what cultural significance her saying this to me means that it would make her cry. Since then she has also begun calling me 'Mahal' instead of using my first name.
> 
> Any help to understand the cultural significance of her statements or possible proper translation would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Edit: I just did a word for word translation with dictionary and I think the last part says something about missing me which might explain the crying. I would still really like a proper translation if possible.



Kita is used as us in Batanggenyo Tagalog and Marinduque Tagalog as we while the northern variants of Tagalog use Kita as I_you while Tayo is for us.


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## Jabberwock

Figit,

It could be something simpler than a cultural significance. Think of it this way:

mahal kita - She loves you.
mahal na mahal kita - She really loves you.
mahal na mahal kita. ikaw lang walang iba - She now realizes you're the one she has been looking for, realizing she has completely fallen for you and there is no other.  

It seems to me that it could be that simple.


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## Figit

Jabberwock thanks for your reply. Some time as passed since I made the original post and the relationship has developed exponentially. We have now met in person and discussed the reason for her being so emotional when first making this statement. She explained how she had fallen in love with me and did not think we would ever met in person.

Thanks again to everybody for their kind words and great translation.


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## Jabberwock

That'd explain things.  I'm glad you two are doing well Figit!


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