r/Bicol • u/astraliusx • 19h ago
Discussion I’m building a Filipino-to-Bikol app and need native speakers
Hi everyone. I’m currently building Taramon, a Filipino-to-Bicol learning app.
The main reason I started it is simple: learning Bicol online can be confusing. A word can have different meanings, some phrases don’t translate naturally word-for-word, and sometimes the “correct” translation depends on context.
So instead of making Taramon just spit out one answer, I’m trying to build it around reviewed translations, meaning/context, and different Bicol varieties.
For the first version, I’m focusing on:
- Central Bikol
- Partido Bikol
- Rinconada Bikol
It’s still not released yet, and that’s actually why I’m posting here.
I’m looking for two kinds of people:
- People who want to learn Bicol and would like early access
- Native Bicol speakers who’d be willing to check translations and tell me when something sounds wrong or unnatural
I really don’t want to build this by guessing or blindly relying on AI. I’d rather have real speakers help shape it properly.
If you’re interested, you can join the early access list here:
And if you speak Bicol, I’d also love to hear this:
What’s one Bicol word or phrase that people often translate incorrectly or use differently depending on context?
That would help me a lot.