Guide · Tagalog words
What is a salo-salo?
A salo-salo (often spelled salu-salo) is a Filipino get-together built around a shared meal: family, friends or neighbors gathered at one table, everyone eating from the same dishes. In English, “a gathering”, “a get-together” or “a potluck dinner” come close, but none carry the sharing.
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Finish this: our barkada or family always laughs when ___.
Tapusin yung line: Laging nauuwi sa tawanan kapag ___.
Shared laughter becomes part of a group's language. Sometimes one unfinished sentence is enough to bring everyone back there.
Yung shared laughter, nagiging sariling language ng group. Minsan isang bitin na sentence lang, gets na agad.
In short
The idea
The root is salo. As a verb it means to catch something; at the table it means to share a meal. “Makisalo ka!” is the invitation you hear when you walk in while a Filipino family is eating: join us, eat with us. Doubled, salo-salo is the whole event, many people sharing.
A salo-salo doesn’t need an occasion. It can be a birthday, a visit from a balikbayan, a send-off or simply a Sunday. What makes it a salo-salo is that the food is shared, everyone is welcome to it, and people stay long after eating.
Tips
- Never arrive empty-handed. A dessert or drinks is enough.
- Accept the second helping, or at least a small one.
- Stay for the kwentuhan after the meal. That’s half the salo-salo.
- Bring containers. Leftovers are part of the hospitality.
Decks for this
How a salo-salo goes
Guests arrive with something: a dish, dessert, drinks or a box of pasalubong. Elders are greeted first. The food is laid out all at once rather than in courses, and someone insists you take more. After eating, the table stays occupied for hours: stories, karaoke, card games, and eventually the dividing of leftovers into containers so nobody goes home empty-handed.
If you’re hosting one with friends who aren’t Filipino, see questions for a Filipino food night.
The questions
Questions for a salo-salo
Questions for the table, for passing the food and for the long stay after. In English and Filipino.
Around the table
6 questions
Roles, chores and the topics the family can talk about forever.
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At family gatherings, where do you usually end up: helping, chatting, eating, or observing?
Kapag may family gathering, saan ka usually napupunta: tumutulong, nakikipagkwentuhan, kumakain, o nag-oobserve?
Back of the card
Gatherings bring out our natural moves. Some people serve, some talk, some watch, and some happily stay near the food.
Sa gatherings, lumalabas yung natural move natin. May tumutulong, may nagkukuwento, may nag-oobserve, at may masaya sa tabi ng pagkain.
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At home, who usually notices the chores, mess, or little things first?
Sa bahay ninyo, sino yung madalas unang nakakapansin ng chores, kalat, o maliliit na kailangan gawin?
Back of the card
Every home has someone who notices first. That kind of attention can be quiet, but it keeps many things moving.
Sa bawat bahay, may taong unang nakakapansin. Tahimik minsan yung ganung attention, pero marami siyang napapaandar.
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Name a topic your family or friends can discuss forever.
Sabihin yung topic na kayang pag-usapan forever ng family o friends mo.
Back of the card
Every group has a topic that refuses to end. It keeps coming back because everyone has one more detail to add.
May topic talaga na ayaw matapos. Paulit-ulit bumabalik kasi laging may dagdag na kwento ang bawat isa.
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Finish this: our barkada or family always laughs when ___.
Tapusin yung line: Laging nauuwi sa tawanan kapag ___.
Back of the card
Shared laughter becomes part of a group's language. Sometimes one unfinished sentence is enough to bring everyone back there.
Yung shared laughter, nagiging sariling language ng group. Minsan isang bitin na sentence lang, gets na agad.
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Tell us the funny memory your friends or family still bring up.
Ikuwento yung funny memory na binabalikan pa rin ng friends o family mo.
Back of the card
Some stories become part of a group's archive. If people still bring it up, it probably earned its place.
May stories na parte na ng group archive. Kapag binabalikan pa rin, malamang deserve niya yung spot.
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Think of someone in your circle who can turn anything into a funny story.
Isipin yung tao sa circle niyo na kayang gawing funny story kahit simpleng bagay lang.
Back of the card
Every circle has someone who makes ordinary stories funnier than expected. Naming them is also a tiny thank-you.
May tao talagang nagpapasaya ng simpleng kwento. Kapag naalala mo siya, parang small thank-you na rin.
While the food goes around
5 questions
Snacks, drinks, free food and the person who quietly takes care of everyone.
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Pick one snack you would still accept even when you're already full.
Pick one snack na tatanggapin mo pa rin kahit busog ka na.
Back of the card
Some cravings stay charmingly powerful. The snack you still make room for usually knows exactly how to find your soft spot.
May cravings talaga na malakas pa rin kahit busog. Yung snack na yan, alam kung saan ka mahina.
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Who do you enjoy eating with, even if the food is simple?
Sino yung masarap kasamang kumain kahit simple lang ang pagkain?
Back of the card
The company can change the meal. Some people make even ordinary food feel warmer.
Iba ang pagkain kapag okay ang kasama. May mga taong kahit simpleng meal, gumagaan yung moment.
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Pick one drink that makes an ordinary day feel a little special.
Pumili ng isang drink na nagpaparamdam na medyo special ang ordinary day.
Back of the card
A drink can turn an ordinary pause into a tiny celebration. Sometimes that small upgrade is the whole point.
Minsan isang drink lang, parang may small celebration na sa ordinary day. Yun na yung tiny upgrade.
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Name a food that tastes better when it's free.
Sabihin mo yung pagkain na mas masarap kapag libre.
Back of the card
Free food has its own seasoning. Sometimes the best flavor is the tiny thrill of not paying for it.
May sariling sarap ang libreng pagkain. Minsan yung best flavor, yung small joy na hindi ikaw ang nagbayad.
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What small thing do you naturally take care of during a hangout?
Anong maliit na bagay ang natural mong inaasikaso kapag may hangout?
Back of the card
Some small things find the same person every time. It can be funny how a group quietly learns who handles what.
May maliliit na bagay na laging may hinahanap na tao. Funny rin kung paano tahimik na natututo ang group kung sino ang umaasikaso ng ano.
The long stay after
4 questions
For when the plates are cleared and nobody is leaving yet.
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After the main plan ends, which part of the hangout do you enjoy most?
After ng main plan, which part ng hangout ang pinaka-enjoy mo?
Back of the card
The after-plan part can become the real memory. Looser moments sometimes carry the easiest stories.
Minsan yung after ng main plan ang nagiging totoong memory. Mas loose kasi, kaya mas madaling magka-kwento.
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For a good hangout, what matters most: tasty food, a comfy place, or good conversation?
Sa bonding, ano ang pinakamahalaga: masarap na pagkain, komportableng lugar, o masayang kuwentuhan?
Back of the card
Imagine a hangout with your top choice and nothing fancy. Where would it happen?
Isipin ang simpleng bonding na mayroon ng pinili mo. Saan ito mangyayari?
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When was the last time a meal became a good memory?
Kailan huling naging magandang memory yung isang meal?
Back of the card
A good meal memory is rarely only about food. It can be the timing, the people, or the feeling around the table.
Hindi lang pagkain ang laman ng good meal memory. Pwedeng timing, kasama, o yung feeling sa paligid ng table.
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Share one time your timing was really off and it became funny later.
Mag-share ng time na sobrang sablay ng timing mo at naging funny later.
Back of the card
Bad timing can be annoying in the moment and hilarious later. It has a way of turning itself into comedy.
Yung bad timing, nakakainis sa moment pero funny later. Parang kusa siyang nagiging comedy pag binalikan.
What “salo-salo” means
Frequently asked questions
What does salo-salo mean in English?
Salo-salo means a get-together around a shared meal. The closest English words are “gathering” or “get-together”, with the sense that everyone shares the food.
Is it salo-salo or salu-salo?
Both spellings are widely used and mean the same thing.
What does makisalo mean?
Makisalo means to join others in their meal. “Makisalo ka” is a warm invitation to sit down and eat with the family.
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