# bakit naman? bakit ganon?



## AskLang

1) Bakit naman?

Why so?
And so why?

2) Bakit ganon?

Why is that?

Does my instinct serve me right that the equivalent of 'bakit naman' is 'why so'? I've read from some site that its equivalent is 'and so why?' Isn't its Tagalog version 'at bakit naman?' With number 2, is the equivalent I gave correct?

Salamat po.


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## DotterKat

You are correct on both counts and in fact, in an ongoing conversation one could simply say "*Why?*" and that would be perfectly understandable. One caveat of course is that you don't properly start a sentence with "and" (though even that rule is becoming obsolete), but that would be acceptable in everyday conversation.


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## edrcet

Actually I think the meanings to a Tagalog speaker is a little different.  BAKIT NAMAN, uses the adverb NAMAN translated as an emphatic adverb.  English equivalents may be, Truly, Really, or to emphasize  the fact or feeling involved in an expression.  So, perhaps WHY, REALLY? would be more correct for the first example.  NAMAN translates additionally as ALSO; TOO.

The second example, BAKIT GANON, is actually slang as GANON isn't really a word; it's derived from Tagalog GANOON, which translates as "in that manner; i.e., like that.  So BAKIT GANON (slang) could be better expressed as WHY (IS IT) LIKE THAT?


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## DotterKat

I don't agree. Though _naman_ has different meanings and can certainly be used as an adverb intensifier, that is not the case here. In "Bakit naman", it is merely an *interjection* and nothing else. Consider that if it were an adverb intensifier, what verb is it modifying? The only other word _bakit _(why) is itself a relative adverb and naman is not modifying that. I still say that an appropriate translation is simply "*why*" and the correct intonation (a pleading or exasperated tone perhaps) to that one word response will be an adequate equivalent of the Tagalog text. My point is, one should not feel obligated to translate text verbatim as there are frequently no direct equivalencies between languages, differences in cultural nuances being what they are.

"_Why, really?_" could be translated as "_Bakit? Talaga?_" and thus loses the beseeching, pleading or imploring tone of "Bakit naman?" On the other hand, "Why, really?" / "Bakit? Talaga?" merely suggests an inquisitive tone.

Finally, ganon is not slang. It is merely an elided version of ganoon. In fact, if one went by the definition of slang as non-standard words, then ganoon would be slang as most Tagalog speakers, including myself, frequently pronounce it "ganon".


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## mataripis

AskLang said:


> 1) Bakit naman?
> 
> Why so?
> And so why?
> 
> 2) Bakit ganon?
> 
> Why is that?
> 
> Does my instinct serve me right that the equivalent of 'bakit naman' is 'why so'? I've read from some site that its equivalent is 'and so why?' Isn't its Tagalog version 'at bakit naman?' With number 2, is the equivalent I gave correct?
> 
> Salamat po.


1.) bakit naman-  You are saying why the one who speak sounds/become bias!   1.) You say it is alright but something went wrong! _Why_ it happened?   2.) Bakit Ganoon?  -  The trend of scenario is usual but you want clear explanation _How_ it happened!   2.) I completed the requirements but they ask for more! How it could be?


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