# Kumain ka na ba?



## Qcumber

Isn't 
*Kumáin ká ná bá?* = Have you eaten?
used as a greeting
the way the Chinese say:
Chī fàn le ma ? = ditto
吃飯了[口 + 馬]
 (sorry  4th logogram missing in my system)
?


----------



## tanzhang

yes but it can also mean have you eaten yet


----------



## Etruscanus

Kumain ka na ba?

This is a beautiful greeting, which draws the outsider into the realm of the one inviting.  The first time in the Philippines, this greeting perplexed me, but once the social context was described, it made sense (i.e. the welcoming warmth of Filipino culture).


----------



## Qcumber

Etruscanus said:


> Kumain ka na ba?
> 
> This is a beautiful greeting, which draws the outsider into the realm of the one inviting. The first time in the Philippines, this greeting perplexed me, but once the social context was described, it made sense (i.e. the welcoming warmth of Filipino culture).


 
 Yes, it's like:
Saán ká púpuntá? = Where are you going?
It's just a greeting, about the equivalent of "How are you?"
They even use the English translation when addressing visitors, seemingly unaware it has its litteral meaning for us. 
I think there is an equivalent greeting in Siamese.


----------



## pharabus

my favourite is kain tayo! or lets eat! 

I met some Philippinos in Canada of all places, just walked past them going to a museum, they where eating a picnic, recognised my fiancee as Philippina and shouted over to us "Kain Tayo!"


----------



## Etruscanus

Qcumber said:


> Yes, it's like:
> Saán ká púpuntá? = Where are you going?
> It's just a greeting, about the equivalent of "How are you?"
> They even use the English translation when addressing visitors, seemingly unaware of it has its litteral meaning for us.
> I think there is an equivalent greeting in Siamese.




In Lao, it is "*pai sai?*” which means, "Where are you going?" It is an equivalent of "How are you?"  When the Lao (Laotians) speak English the will often say "Where are you going?" as a greeting.


----------



## Etruscanus

In _Samarenyo*_ you hear people announcing their presence outside your dwelling by saying "*Ma upay!*" which can mean anything anything from "Good morning!" to "Good night."

_*Samarenyo_ (Waray-Waray) is spoken in the eastern Visayas.


----------

