Filipinos - explain this, please

[Liz CA]

I work with a young Filipino man whose English is very good. However, when he tells me about a patient/client, he often starts out saying "He is fine. Her BP was..."

This used to confuse me and I had to clarify if he was talking about the same person or had moved on in the report. This happens so frequently that I am now used to it.

Do Filipinos not distinguish with pronouns? :)

[myfunnybunch]

I don't know about Filipino languages particularly, but our Asian exchange students often confuse gendered pronouns in English because they do not use them in their languages. :)

[solascriptura]

Gender pronouns are not used in all languages.  My asian friends confuse the two all the time.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, Filipinos mix up those pronouns all the time.  Even my husband who has been in Canada or the US since he was 6 years old does it.  

[Aura]

My MIL, who is Chinese, does this all the time. She's been in the US since before my dh was born. He's 46 now.

 

I still have to stop and think about who she's referring to. She swaps genders more times than not.

[Liz CA]

Thanks! This confirms what I have been suspecting because this young nurse is extremely competent and fluent in English.

[Laura in CA]

That is the ONE mistake my dad still makes (he's been in the U.S. for 60 years now :) ). Some of his siblings still mix up definite and indefinite articles, use singular/plurals incorrectly, etc.; my dad does all that fine, but still says things like, for example, "She blah blah blah" when referring (I thought) to my son. Sooooo confusing! :glare:  hahaha   :lol:  He sees our confused faces and quickly corrects himself.

 

On the bright side, I suppose speakers of these languages can skip all the agonizing we are doing here about gender-neutral pronouns! :D