# Eh bakit naiintindihan mo tanong ko, hehe



## Seb_K

Guys, what does this phrase mean?

"Eh bakit naiintindihan mo tanong ko, hehe ..."


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## MariadeManila

"How come you could understand my question?"

cheers!
Maria


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## Qcumber

Seb_K said:


> Guys, what does this phrase mean?
> 
> "Eh bakit naiintindihan mo tanong ko, hehe ..."


The sentence is faulty. It should be.
*Eh, bákit naíintidihán mó ang tanóng kó?*
"Eh, how come you understand my question?"


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## Seb_K

Thank you!

And how do I answer ... Yes, I do understand your question.


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## Qcumber

óo, naíntindihán (kó ang tanóng mó.)
Yes, (I) have understood (your question).


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## Camote

Qcumber said:


> The sentence is faulty. It should be.
> *Eh, bákit naíintidihán mó ang tanóng kó?*
> "Eh, how come you understand my question?"


 
correct qcumber but the example given by seb_k is also suitable for informal speech or slang.


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## Seb_K

Camote, 

Thanks for the explanation as well.


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## Qcumber

*Eh, bákit naíintindihán mó ang tanóng ko, hehe ...*
Now that I think of it, this sentence is not a question.

The meaning of *bákit *"why" here is calqued on the exclamative why in English, not the interrogative one. So the right translation is:

*"Why! You do understand my question!"*

To which one could reply:
*Bákit hindî? Nag-ááral akó ng [nang] Tagálog.*
*"Why not? I'm learning Tagalog."*


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## Seb_K

Qcumber, 

Thanks!


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## Cracker Jack

Seb_K said:


> Thank you!
> 
> And how do I answer ... Yes, I do understand your question.


 
If somebody asks you why you understand his question, your reply should be a reason.  You can say ''Naintindihan ko dahil/kasi...(then give the reason).  Or else you can just say Kasi...or Dahil...


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> *Eh, bákit naíintindihán mó ang tanóng ko, hehe ...*
> Now that I think of it, this sentence is not a question.
> 
> The meaning of *bákit *"why" here is calqued on the exclamative why in English, not the interrogative one. So the right translation is:
> 
> *"Why! You do understand my question!"*
> 
> To which one could reply:
> *Bákit hindî? Nag-ááral akó ng [nang] Tagálog.*
> *"Why not? I'm learning Tagalog."*


 
I'm not sure about the exclamative why but it can also be a question:
Eh, bakit naiintindihan mo (ang) tanong ko? 
Or Ba't naiintindihan mo tanong ko? 
You tend to omit *ang* in *informal* conversation. Since you are a linguist, I'll leave that to you (how you call this phenomenon in languages). I'm not sure if it is *expletive* like in:

Is there anything else (that) I can help you with? 
(Pronoun *that* may or may not be there.)   

Bakit or Ba't hindi? Nag-aaral ako *ng** Tagalog, eh. 

**ng* is used before nouns
*nang* is after clauses or verbs 

Nang sumapit ang dilim (When nightfall came) (literary)
Nang ako'y isilang (When I was born) (literary)


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## Qcumber

ffrancis said:


> I'm not sure about the exclamative why but it can also be a question:
> Eh, bakit naiintindihan mo (ang) tanong ko?
> Or Ba't naiintindihan mo tanong ko?
> You tend to omit *ang* in *informal* conversation. Since you are a linguist, I'll leave that to you (how you call this phenomenon in languages). I'm not sure if it is *expletive* like in:
> 
> Is there anything else (that) I can help you with?
> (Pronoun *that* may or may not be there.)
> 
> Bakit or Ba't hindi? Nag-aaral ako *ng** Tagalog, eh.
> 
> **ng* is used before nouns
> *nang* is after clauses or verbs
> 
> Nang sumapit ang dilim (When nightfall came) (literary)
> Nang ako'y isilang (When I was born) (literary)


 
Yes, , I know this. *Nang* is abbreviated as *ng* before nouns, but it is still pronounced *[nang]* hence my writing <*ng [nang*]> for readers who are not aware of this convention, i.e. the majority.


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