# countdown



## Qcumber

Hello!
How do you countdown in Tagalog?
For instance could
"Three, two, one, go!"
be translated as:
*Tatló, dalawá, isá, alís!*
?


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> Hello!
> How do you countdown in Tagalog?
> For instance could
> "Three, two, one, go!"
> be translated as:
> *Tatló, dalawá, isá, alís!*
> ?



I have only heard two types of countdowns: 

1. English (ascending and descending order)
- I believe the reverse countdown is adopted from the English; I've heard it employed in schools and military training for high school (CAT) and college students (ROTC). 

2. Tagalog (ascending only) 
- As far as I can remember and based on my experience, I've only heard an ascending countdown in Tagalog; otherwise, we would use the English descending countdown in games, for example. We also use the English "ready, get set, go!" *Go* in this context is not translated as _*alis*_ as there is no equivalent in our language.  
- I've heard this applied in schools and at home. When my father asked us to do something and we wouldn't obey, he would get mad and count from one to ten (never from ten to one) in Tagalog, or he would give us a beating.


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## sean de lier

ffrancis said:


> I have only heard two types of countdowns:
> 
> 1. English (ascending and descending order)
> - I believe the reverse countdown is adopted from the English; I've heard it employed in schools and military training for high school (CAT) and college students (ROTC).
> 
> 2. Tagalog (ascending only)
> - As far as I can remember and based on my experience, I've only heard an ascending countdown in Tagalog; otherwise, we would use the English descending countdown in games, for example. We also use the English "ready, get set, go!" *Go* in this context is not translated as _*alis*_ as there is no equivalent in our language.
> - I've heard this applied in schools and at home. When my father asked us to do something and we wouldn't obey, he would get mad and count from one to ten (never from ten to one) in Tagalog, or he would give us a beating.


My parents count only from one till three... isa, dalawa, tatlo. Occasionally, they do give me "dalawa't kalahati" (two and a half) between "dalawa" and "tatlo". When "tatlo" comes, that's it.

And yes, I agree, I don't remember hearing the descending form, even in my CAT.


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## epistolario

sean de lier said:


> My parents count only from one till three... isa, dalawa, tatlo. Occasionally, they do give me "dalawa't kalahati" (two and a half) between "dalawa" and "tatlo". When "tatlo" comes, that's it.
> 
> And yes, I agree, I don't remember hearing the descending form, even in my CAT.



I totally agree. I think I made a mistake when I attributed the one-to-ten count to my father when I commonly heard it in games, military training, classes, and other activites that need more time. It is common for parents to count from one to three only because obedience should be immediate, in the first place. Also, the use of fractions in counting is also common when more time is needed. 

By the way, I tried the descending countdown in Tagalog and it doesn't sound natural.


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## sean de lier

Can we say that countdown in Tagalog can change depending on what the countdown is being used for? 

In races (especially running) we use "Isa, Dalawa, Takbo!" ("One, Two, Run!" or "One, Two, Go!") We certainly can't use that in other situations...


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## Qcumber

For a race we say: "Ready? steady? Go!", also "Ready, steady, go!".
Countdowns are used when some event should take place at the end, for instance launching a rocket. Countups are when you wait for somebody to do something, and punish them if they don't.


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> For a race we say: "Ready? steady? Go!", also "Ready, steady, go!".
> Countdowns are used when some event should take place at the end, for instance launching a rocket. Countups are when you wait for somebody to do something, and punish them if they don't.




Here, we adopt the AmE r*eady, get set, go! *

Now I've learned something: *countup* and *countdown*. So, there is no such thing as an *ascending countdown*.


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