# You should work on your problem solving skills.



## tagalogstudent

My Filippina fiancee has absolutely _zero_ problem solving skills!  I mean, have you ever played a video game and saw an NPC run into a dumpster, and didn't have the mental wherewithal to think "Wait a minute:  Maybe I should go _around_ the dumpster!"  Well, she's not _that_ bad, but she's still pretty bad.

For example, I'm trying to get her a paypal account (it's cheaper for me to send her money with Paypal than with Western Union).  She doesn't have her own bank account, so she's using her aunt's.  I told her that I need the routing number for the bank, along with the account number and the name of the bank, in order to complete the registration process.  When she said that she didn't know her aunt's routing number, I told her that the bank knows the routing number, as it's the same for every account in the entire bank.  I couldn't call them myself, since International telephone is expensive, so I needed her help.

I kept reminding her and reminding her.  Two weeks later, she said that her aunt hadn't gotten around to asking the bank yet.  I was flabbergasted at how she couldn't think to herself, "Wait, maybe I could call and ask them the routing number _myself_!"

I don't hate her for that; I actually think that she kinda cancels me out (she's the yin to my yang), but this is ridiculous.

I know I should not be so hot-tempered, and I'm already working on that, but I can find that in English, no fuss no muss.  My fiancee is trying hard to learn English, too, but in the meantime, it's hard to talk to her without having to spend twenty minutes on a single sentence.

So, how can I ask her, in Tagalog, to work on her problem solving skills?  Normally, I would translate this into translate (dot) google (dot) com, but I don't think they call that phenomenon the same thing we call it, so a literal translation would probably confuse her.

What should I say to her?


----------



## Xinito

That's kinda a tall glass, since we don't bother telling others to get with the program or such...  We just leave them the F behind.  Sorry about their luck, but I must get getting on my way.  But since she's your gf, then yes, your patience with her is, I'm sure, greatly appreciated.

Anyway, to loosely translate: "You need to (or should) work on your problem solving skills", I would say:
"Dápat matúto kang pag-asáhan ang saríli mo."
(You must learn how to rely/depend on yourself."

"Kailángan mo'ng mag-umpisá na pag-asáhan ang sarili mo."
(You need to start learning to rely/depend on yourself."

"Dápat matúto kang mag-asikáso ng (nang) mga (mangá) problema mo."
(You must learn to fix your own problems.)


----------



## tagalogstudent

Xinito said:


> But since she's your gf, then yes, your patience with her is, I'm sure, greatly appreciated.


Not just gf; she's my fiancee that I want to bring to the United States soon.



> Anyway, to loosely translate: "You need to (or should) work on your problem solving skills", I would say:
> "Dápat matúto kang pag-asáhan ang saríli mo."
> (You must learn how to rely/depend on yourself."
> 
> "Kailángan mo'ng mag-umpisá na pag-asáhan ang sarili mo."
> (You need to start learning to rely/depend on yourself."
> 
> "Dápat matúto kang mag-asikáso ng (nang) mga (mangá) problema mo."
> (You must learn to fix your own problems.)


So, is there any way, in Tagalog, to describe the actual, scientific term "problem solving skills," the kind of scientific procedure that you can go to a class to learn?


----------



## Xinito

I looked at the site you suggested above.  I had to do it  word by word, but hopefully she understands this, as I was only a wee little booger biter when I left for the U.S.

"Dapat masanay ka'ng humanap/*mag-hanáp* ng paglutas sa mga problema"
"You must get used to finding/searching for solutions to [your] problems"

I know it sounds hard but you can "soften" it by opening with:
"Hon, sana masanay ka'ng..."
(Honey, I wish you would get used to..."

"Hon, mas magalíng/magandá kung masanay ka'ng..."
(Honey, it's better if you get used to..."


----------



## niernier

I think we would have to borrow that phrase "problem solving skills". We don't have a Tagalog term for that because in the first place, the medium of instruction for Science and Math subjects is English.Scientific terms are always left in English. 

It seems to me that your fiancee lacks "disposisyon sa buhay" *I am not sure if we can do a literal translation on that, but in English do you call that "disposition in life"? *


I strongly suggest that you soften the sentence so that it wouldn't sound harsh. You can use Xinito's suggestions. Open it with:

*"Hon, Dapat matuto ka naman kung paano asikasuhin ang problema."*
_"Hon, you should know how to take care of the problem."_

This one is your sentence, but I tell you, it sounds very rude to me. To the listener, it sounds like she's a total idiot.
*"You should work on your problem solving skills."*
_"Ayusin mo naman ang problem solving skills mo."_


----------



## cherine

Mod reminder:

Dear all,
Although I personally enjoyed reading your posts, I had to delete 10 of them because they're off-topic.
Please remember that chat and off-topic discussions should be taken by PM (Private Messages) and not in the public forum. Posts should focus on the question of the thread, and other personal comments are against the rules.

Thanks for your understanding. 
Cherine
Moderator.


----------



## DotterKat

* You should work on your problem solving skills.

*_Kailangan mong magsanay sa paglutas ng mga pangaraw-araw na problema._


----------



## niernier

DotterKat said:


> * You should work on your problem solving skills.
> 
> *_Kailangan mong magsanay sa paglutas ng mga pangaraw-araw na problema._



That's indeed a very neat translation.


----------



## babolnart

in a very classic form, you could say:

*You should / work on / your **skills / in **problem solving .*
Kailangan mong / sanayin /ang iyong galing / sa paglutas ng mga suliranin.

I tweaked the original sentence a bit.


----------



## amoy_ube

All of the above suggestions are fine but they seem too formal, maybe you could try this:

Siguro hun, mas mabuti kung matututo kang magdesisyon para sa sarili mo o magkaroon ng sariling kusa sa pag-solve ng mga problema.


----------

