kain tayo
/ˈkaʔin ˈtajo/word by word
In Tagalog, the phrase for "come eat" is kain tayo.
kain tayo is an invitation for someone to join the speaker in eating a meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb kain (eat) and the pronoun tayo (us/we, including the listener).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkaʔin ˈtajo/
When do people say it?
Saying kain tayo is a common social courtesy in the Philippines, often used as a polite way to acknowledge someone when you are eating or to offer hospitality. A common natural response to the invitation is sige, which means "okay" or "sure".
Did you know?
- It is considered polite for a person eating in public to say kain tayo to anyone who passes by, even total strangers.
- Saying kain tayo is often a phatic gesture of politeness rather than a literal invitation. In many cases, the speaker does not actually expect the other person to join them.
- The word kain shares a common ancestor with words in distant languages like Malay and Indonesian. This is because it stems from the ancient Proto-Austronesian root *kaən.
Examples in context
- Kain tayo!Come eat!
- Kain tayo, mainit pa ang kanin.Come eat, the rice is still warm.
- Tara, kain tayo sa kusina.Let's go, come eat in the kitchen.
Example conversation
Angela and Jose are in the living room at lunchtime.
- AngelaJose, kain tayo!Jose, come eat!
- JoseSige, papunta na ako.Okay, I'm coming now.
- AngelaMasarap ang niluto ko.What I cooked is delicious.
- JoseSalamat, Angela.Thank you, Angela.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kain, tayo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kain, tayo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
