# Where is the bathroom ?



## Howard_Z (7 mo ago)

Probably the most important words to learn in another language is "where is the bathroom" or toilet or water closet.

How is this said in Tagalog ?


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Google translate Howard, our best friend.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Most Filipinos know some English, so if you start asking before you are to much in a hurry  I suppouse find one who can tell you. But dont expect there are public toilets because Filipinos pee "everywhere"  but some businesses have for customers as e g malls. 

But dont do as a tourist did when asking an aunt of mine when she was teenager working in a shop. Instead of asking it clear "Where is the toilet?" he tried to tell it nicer: 
- Where can I throw water?
-??? Anywhere.
🤣


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

The general public calls a toilet the "CR" or "Comfort Room". Keep that in mind when asking. Males just generally pee against a wall most anywhere, Females are somewhat more discreet, but I have seen them just get a bit secluded and drop panty, squat & pee. I live out amongst the locals so you may not see this in the larger cities.

Fred


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## Howard_Z (7 mo ago)

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Tagalog 101: How to say, “Where is the bathroom?” or “May I please go to the bathroom?” | mommysaiddaddysaid.com






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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

You wouldn't want to use a public restroom. To enter one you would immediately know why the locals just pee up a wall. I once saw a young lad next door to us peeing up the outside wall of their CR.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Howard_Z said:


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Not a slang word but it's called a "Banyo"

You'll have to adjust your body it takes time but you'll have your early morning and then when out and about the only concern would be to urinate and so some businesses don't have a toilet or they won't offer you the toilet it's only for employees, that's how it is, so good luck finding a toilet and good luck finding a trash container also.

The mall would have a toilet so also travel with those disposable wet tissues available here because they don't use toilet paper and if the water is not running (most of the time no water) won't be any water to wash the hind end so even worse if if you have a runny buttisimo. 

When eating out you'd also need a towel to wipe your hands they never give out enough tissue to wipe the hands or face, there's also no such thing as a water fountain anywhere. If you require water you'd also bring your own water bottle or buy bottled water, in the mall the price seems to climb for a simple bottle of water.

I remember you mentioned you like to bike, a good add-on would be those Camel water backpacks.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Slippers or shoes in a CR? Wait until you have to pay 5 P for a pee or 10 P for the full round in a CR with a cleaner/caretaker. From another post, yes carry small change and bum fodder as others have mentioned.
The Philippines is an acquired taste, I love it, many hate it and the only way to know is spend time here and stop worrying. Come and enjoy.

As Mark suggested, do all your paperwork before you leave the office.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Most restaurants will have a CR so if you are taken short Jolliebee or McDonalds can be a good call, also a hotel. The malls are in general good but small supermarkets can be not much better than a petrol station. The floors are often wet because they seem to equate cleanliness with the amount of water on the floor, the more water the cleaner it is. So good to practice using the facilities without getting your pants on the floor.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Nasaan Cr Po,or nasaan banyo Po (Where is Cr Sir, or where is the bathroom Sir?)


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Howard, I have to warn you that if you attempt to speak Tagalog they won't understand what the heck you're saying, we just can't get the accent right and I've actually had citizens tell me to PLEASE.... "Speak English". I really don't like to speak or attempt to pronounce Tagalog but at times you'll have to or you'll get that guppy look from the market area stands or with interactions.

Even English words have an accent here, like bacon, and chicken.... they are pronounced differently so you'd be asking for bacon - "Baykhan" and chicken -"Cheekhan". 

I will just find it myself, that's your best bet, find the CR yourself or if in the mall they have the international signs for the restroom, usually these places are upstairs (2nd floor) in malls but not always. You'll find somebody that can understand the toilet or CR, those would be the known English words for the John, they probably won't understand comfort room, rest room, the john or bathroom.

Learning to speak Tagalog for such things as numbers, colors, vegetable names, flour, salt, sugar, and vinegar basic food needs would be a help to you especially in the market areas because they all have different names not even close to our English words and if that doesn't work just see what they have to sell.

The trouble you'll have is outside of the larger cities, many do not speak English sadly even the store workers but I would think most of the cashiers can speak enough to get by or they speak very well, they try and I am always patient and actually, I don't talk much to staff anymore unless they approach me and talk English I really mind my own business and that's what they'd like us to do, many avoid us because they cannot speak English. You will find friendly workers that speak English and could end up with a friendly business relationship, I have several excellent working relationships with store staff, especially in the grocery stores I frequent.


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## Howard_Z (7 mo ago)

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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Mark,i beg to differ. It depends on your willingness to study and pronounce it correctly. I speak it all the time and they understand me. Maybe its just you. I find the filipino people are very resilient and able to understand tagalog spoken by foreigners on the 6 islands Ive been on. I think from what you say so many times that either you have picked the most obtuse area to live or they just dont like your tagalog.......Or,they just dont want to talk to you. By them calling you Bakla thats the most derogatory thing they could say to you(thats way worse than calling you a gay because it means you are a woman all the way) and for some reason they just dont like you.(sorry to say)To make a blanket statement like that is off. I know foreigners from many countries speaking tagalog,bisaya,waray etc. It depends on the person. They love my Tagalog even though its not perfect. As my friend Anna Yap stated "your unforgettable tagalog makes me smile". I save tons of money speaking tagalog and once they hear me speak to them in tagalog they dont try to hit me with foreigner tax. They are so shocked I speak tagalog they give me the true price. From then on life is normal with them. Its just respectful to speak their language to them and even doing so many reply in english....why? Respect.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

M.C.A. said:


> Learning to speak Tagalog for such things as numbers, colors, vegetable names, flour, salt, sugar, and vinegar basic food needs would be a help to you especially in the market areas because they all have different names not even close to our English words and if that doesn't work just see what they have to sell.


 When it isnt abstract things or out of sight and to hard to draw, much can be solved by "speaking" as 2-3yo toddlers do. If tthey arent to shy and come to a new country and find someone in their age they soon know the other's name and perhaps age too and start playing without knowing a word in the new language by using body language. At market can most be solved by pointing and if bother ask for price, then many write or show by hands when they understand the foreigner dont understand Tagalog - or more likely answer in English 

One of my grandfathers was very good at such "body language", he was manager in a museum and when they were short of guides . inspite of my grandfather knew around 2 words English - he even managed to make English and German tourist finding the tour interesting and funny. But he was more as a naughty boy at old age too so kind of not so far in mind from toddler age 

Many rural CAN speak some English, but are unsecure and are affraid of losing face by speak bad, but when get to know them so they relax, most know some. Although it can be hard to understand what some say in English by the accent. 
E g direct after foreign media came to Tacloban after Yolanda an interview were shown several times with same Filipina and it took me several showing before I understood she spoke English


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Lunkan nailed it...Most filipino speak some english. Some dont want to do it to save face of possibly pronouncing it incorrectly.


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## KatanaDV20 (Mar 27, 2020)

Gary D said:


> You wouldn't want to use a public restroom.


Accurate. I was with the gf at the SM Mall in Iloilo in 2019 and I had to visit the CR. It was a mall so I didn't think it would be bad...or so I thought.

I walked in and the floor was flooded - water coming from the stalls, 2 of the crappers were overflowing. There was about 5mm of standing water. Stunk. But I had to go pee, so I did my thing. The flushes in the urinals were not working so (you guessed it) standing stagnant pee was in there.

I then went to the sink to wash and rinse, oh yea no running water, no soap, no tissues. I walked out shaking my head and the gf looking at me like "What". I told her how grim it was. Her turn and after about 2 mins about 5 girls (her included) ran out of the womens CR squealing - I could see brown water flowing along the floor behind them as I waited outside. Another crapper leak.

The gf got home and washed the heck out of her shoes dousing them in detergent. I did the same.

The security guards and other mall employees didn't seem the least bit concerned about all this. One guard even stood in that water smartening himself up in the mirror before heading back out. Right outside those disgusting toilets is a branch of Turks.

If its like this when Im back there later this year im gonna carry an empty 2 litre plastic bottle in the backpack and just go stand behind a tree


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

KatanaDV20 said:


> Accurate. I was with the gf at the SM Mall in Iloilo in 2019 and I had to visit the CR. It was a mall so I didn't think it would be bad...or so I thought.
> 
> I walked in and the floor was flooded - water coming from the stalls, 2 of the crappers were overflowing. There was about 5mm of standing water. Stunk. But I had to go pee, so I did my thing. The flushes in the urinals were not working so (you guessed it) standing stagnant pee was in there.
> 
> ...


So what's the bottle for?


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## grahamw57 (May 27, 2018)

Sa an CR ? 

That's it. Simple.


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## Danward (Oct 14, 2021)

We take a carry bag wherever we go and inside beside bottled water is a roll of ............


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## Kalbo832 (7 mo ago)

Just say "Sir CR or Ma'am CR?" If you tried in Tagalog or their local dialect they won't understand your accent. It takes a few years to drop the accent you start out with when learning Tagalog.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

My wife is from the Visayas so she speaks Tagalog with an accent. The locals can tell immediately that she is an outsider.


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## Kalbo832 (7 mo ago)

Gary D said:


> My wife is from the Visayas so she speaks Tagalog with an accent. The locals can tell immediately that she is an outsider.


Yes, her accent they would be able to understand.


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## KatanaDV20 (Mar 27, 2020)

Gary D said:


> So what's the bottle for?


Was just joking around 
I used to fly light airplanes and on long flights when you had to go - you had to go (with some in-seat gymnastics) 
A bottle was used and its an idea I borrowed from there lol. You do also get purpose-made relief systems.









Top 5 Ways To Relieve Yourself If You're Stuck Flying A Plane - Aviation Buzzword


The thin/dry air of high altitudes, long exposure to direct sunlight, and jet lag can all wreak havoc on your body. Proper hydration is fundamental to keep you in the air. Here are the top 5 ways, in no particular order, to relieve yourself inflight after consuming enough liquid to sustain a...




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Danward said:


> We take a carry bag wherever we go and inside beside bottled water is a roll of ............


Great tip, Will make sure to carry two big rolls one in each backpack along with sanitizer.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

KatanaDV20 said:


> Was just joking around
> I used to fly light airplanes and on long flights .......


Same here - Gatorade bottle 

Fred


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