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The Beginner’s Guide to Tagalog Pronouns

Grammar, Maralita (Absolute Beginner),

Tagalog pronouns can be very confusing if you use a text book approach. A textbook chapter on pronouns will probably have a nice big chart with the persons (first person, second person, third person) and the different usages. This approach can be effective for those studying Tagalog in an academic setting.

However, if your immediate concern is to start communicating with native speakers using Tagalog pronouns, a more natural and effective way to learn pronouns is by familiarizing yourself with basic sentence structures, and building off from these basic sentences.

That’s what we’ll do in this article.

Then, after the different types of Tagalog pronouns are discussed, we’ll throw in a segment on making your pronouns more polite for speaking to strangers, older people and your bosses at work.

Oh, by the way, if you are a grammar hound, you can match this article with our other guides on Tagalog grammar (see article: Tagalog Prefixes, Infixes and Suffixes: Why Tagalog Verbs Drive Language Learners Crazy), and Tagalog nouns (see article: All You Have to Know About Tagalog Nouns).

Okay, ‘nuf said. Let’s dive right into it…

First Person Tagalog Pronouns

A good place to start is with the first person Tagalog pronouns. A first person pronoun is used when you are talking about yourself or you and your group.

Tagalog First Person Singular

In English first person pronouns would be: I, me, my, mine and myself. You are probably quite familiar with their basic usage, and from these words you can figure out what is a first person singular pronoun. Meanwhile, there are three first person singular Tagalog pronouns: ako, ko and akin. There is a bunch of grammar terminology associated with them which you can look up in your textbook, but it would be best to use examples.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “ako”

This is when the pronoun refers to yourself and just yourself. It can be used at the start, middle or end of a sentence. When used in the middle of a sentence, the suffix ng is usually added. Here are some examples:

I am an American. = Ako ay Amerikano.

I am hungry. = Gutom na ako.

I went to the Philippines. = Pumunta ako sa Pilipinas.

I don’t have a spouse. = Wala akong asawa. (Don’t be confused by ako + ng)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “ko”

The pronoun ko is very similar in usage to the English “my”. It can’t be used at the start of a sentence, but it can be used in the middle and the end of a sentence.

Here is my passport = Ito ang pasaporte ko.

These are my papers. = Mga papeles ko ito.

This is my cellphone. = Cellphone ko ito.

This is Anna, my lovely girlfriend. = Ito si Anna, ang maganda kong nobia. (Don’t be confused by ko + ng.)
(This sentence structure is rather formal for casual conversation.)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “akin”

Akin is used to signify your possession over something.

I wish you were mine. = Sana akin ka na lang.

This wallet is mine. = Akin ang wallet na ito.

My heart hurts. = Masakit ang aking puso. (This sounds very formal, and would not be used for everyday speech. It would be more normal to say Masakit ang puso ko,)

Usually ko is used if it’s after the object it is referring to. Akin is used before the wallet.

This is my money. = Pera ko ito. = Akin ang pera na ito.

Ko is more often used for everyday speech, and akin is used if you want to emphasize ownership over something.

First Person Dual Tagalog Pronouns

There are languages which have first person dual pronouns, meaning “I and you” (the example I can think of is the Mandarin Chinese 咱们 (zánmen)). If you look at an old stuffy textbook on Tagalog they might list these first person dual pronouns: kitá/kata, nita/nata, kanitá/kanata. News flash… People who speak Tagalog in the real world never use pronouns in first person dual form anymore. First person dual Tagalog pronouns are practically extinct. Kita is still used regularly, but not as second person pronouns, but the rest are absent in today’s Tagalog. There might be a couple of old folks in the far flung barrios which still use these forms of pronouns, but the vast majority of the Tagalog speaking world would, perhaps outside some linguist who studies archaic or obsolete Tagalog, would have no clue what they mean.

So how would you say “we” (you and I) in Tagalog? You can use the first person plural, such as natin or just specify you are referring to two people, speaker and lister, such as nating dalawa.

This is our (yours and mine) victory = Panalo natin ito. = Panalo nating dalawa ito.

Later towards the end of this article, the pronoun kita, the direct second person with indirect first person Tagalog pronoun, will be discussed.

First Person Plural Inclusive Tagalog Pronouns

First person plural inclusive pronouns? What are these? These would refer to you and the people you are with the listener or listeners. These pronouns are inclusive of all who the speech is directed at, not just the group the speaker is representing. This is an important point since lots of beginners Tagalog learners often mix up inclusive and exclusive pronouns. These pronouns are tayo, natin and atin. Let’s go straight to the examples to illustrate this.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “tayo”

Tayo mean “us” or “we”. It’s an inclusive pronoun so it refers to both you, the other people you represent and those of the people you are speaking with.

All of us (who are listening) are the owners of this roast pig. = Tayo ang may-ari ng lechon na ito.

Let’s both go to the beach. = Punta tayo sa tabing-dagat.

Let’s all go to the beach. = Punta tayo sa tabing-dagat.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “natin”

Natin means “us” or “our” in English, inclusive of the person or persons being spoken to.

Let us go to the bank. = Puntahan natin and bangko.

Our mother cooked the rice. = Nanay natin ang nagluto ng bigas,

Using the Tagalog pronoun “atin”

Atin means “us” in English, inclusive of the person or persons being spoken to. Atin signifies possession over something but it cannot directly modify a noun.

This money belongs to us = Atin ang pera na ito.

Tell Manuel to give money back to us. = Sabihin mo kay Manuel ibalik niya ang pera sa atin

Tip on sa atin: in rapid speak sa atin is usually pronounced “satin” but it is never spelled this way (like what I did just now).

First Person Plural Exclusive Tagalog Pronouns

These are pronouns that refer to you and one or more people you represent. Unlike the inclusive pronouns, the exclude the person being spoken to. These pronouns are kami, namin and amin.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “kami”

Since kami is typically used as a subject you’ll typically see it at the front or middle of the sentence. It means “we” excluding the person being spoken to,

We (not you) will do the work. = Kami ang gagawa ng trabaho.

We have already eaten. = Kumain na kami.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “namin”

Namin means “our” or “we” not including the person or persons being spoken to. It can be used either as a modifying word like “our” money, or as a straight out pronoun replacing the word “us”. These two usages might be a bit confusing so it is good to keep this is mind.

It was our mother who worked (not your mother). = Nanay namin ang nagtrabaho. (Whose mother? Our mother)

We are going to the moon tomorrow. = Pupuntahan namin ang buwan bukas. (Who is going? We are going)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “amin”

Give the money to us. = Ibigigay mo ang pera sa amin.

The words aming and naming are amin plus the suffix ng and namin plus the suffix ng. Like the word ating (atin + ng) this is usually reserved for formal speech.

Our family is happy. (my and the people I represent’s family) = Masaya ang aming pamilya.

It’s much more casual to say: Our family is happy. = Masaya ang pamilya namin.

You’ll never find aming at the end of a sentence, as it always precedes the word it is expressing possession over. Meanwhile, the word namin comes right after the word it is expressing possession over.

Don’t be confused by the word naming. It is namin with an ng attached to it.

John is our (not your) kind friend. = Si John ay ang kaibigan naming mabait.

Second Person Tagalog Pronouns

Second person Tagalog pronouns can be mind-bending to study. They are used used to replace words that refer to the person or persons you are speaking to. You gotta’ get a good grip of them, so you can say stuff like: I love you. = Mahal kita. They can be rather complex to the uninitiated so a good approach would be just to drive straight into some example.

Second Person Singular Tagalog Pronouns

Second person singular Tagalog pronouns are words used when referring to the person you are speaking to.The English second person singular Tagalog pronouns would be: you, your, yours and yourself. These awesomely useful Tagalog pronouns are: ikaw, ka, mo, and iyo. Here are some sentences you can use as guides in constructing your own.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “ikaw”

Second person singular Tagalog pronouns can be a bit confusing, so studying some sentence patterns can be useful here. Ikaw is typically used at the start of the sentence as the subject. Sometimes, native speakers will use the word ikaw at the end of the sentence to emphasize that they are referring to the speaker.

You are my everything. = Ikaw ang lahat sa akin.

You are the only one I know here. = Ikaw lang kilala ko dito.

You are the biggest person here. = Ikaw ang pinakamalaking tao dito.

The most important person here is you. = Ang pinakamahalagang tao dito ay ikaw. (The sentences construction with the word ikaw at the end is used for emphasis, “it is you not someone else.”)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “ka”

You’ll probably use ka the most of all Tagalog pronouns. It can help replace the word “you” in many instances. It’ll probably make its way to many of the sentences you’ll have in the natural course of speech.

Do you like fish? = Mahilig ka ba sa isda?

You are grown up now. = Malaki ka na.

The doctor is coming tomorrow to look at you. = Pupunta ang doktor bukas para tignan ka.

Are you coming along? = Sasama ka?

You aren’t with anyone here. = Wala kang kasama dito. (Kang is ka with the suffix ng)

Remember that ka is never used at the start of a sentence. This is in contrast with ikaw which is usually at the start of a sentence.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “mo”

The Tagalog pronoun mo is never used at the start of a sentence, but can be practically anywhere else. It can act as a pronoun or can denote the ownership of the person you are speaking to over something.

Have you watched this movie? = Napanood mo na ba ang sine na ito?

Do you love me? = Mahal mo ba ako?

Get the food from the ref. = Kunin mo ang pagkain sa ref.

Do you understand? = Naiintindihan mo ba?

Ben wants to get to know you beautiful friend. = Gusto ni Ben makilala ang kaibigan mong maganda. (Mong is mo with the suffix ng)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “iyo”

 Iyo is a second singular pronoun which means it refers to the person you are speaking to, like “you” or “yours” in English. This pronoun is used for emphasizing ownership of the person you are speaking to, that something is being giving or sent to that person. The single pronoun iyo can be made plural by turning into the plural niyo or ninyo which will be covered in later parts of this article.

This is yours. = Iyo ito.

My heart is yours. = Iyo ang puso ko.

James gave you the money. =  Binigay ni James sa iyo yung pera.

Don’t be confused by the word sayo. Sayo is sa + iyo

These are your shoes. = Sa iyo ang sapatos na ito. = Sayo ang sapatos na ito.

Also iyong is iyo with the suffix ng (iyong). Like used in a more formal register of speech.

Your friend is about to arrive. = Ang iyong kaibigan ay darating na.

But you could use a more casual mo instead of iyong the pronoun is signifiying possession over.

Your friend is about to arrive. = Ang kaibigan mo ay darating na.

Direct second person with indirect first person Tagalog pronoun “kita”

The pronoun kita is sometimes lumped into its own catageory. This us because  Kita is second person pronoun only used when the speaker (first person) is doing something wherein the object of his actions are the person he is speaking to (second person) . It can be translated into the word “you”. Of course, the best example of the word kita is:

I love you. = Mahal kita.

Well, here are some other samples.

You are my girlfriend. = Nobia kita.

I will give you money. = Bibigyan kita ng pera.

Can I kiss you? = Pwede ba kita halikan?

I’m going to port you to the police = Isususmbong kita sa pulis.

Beware that the pronoun kita is different from the the word kita (profits) and kita (to see); both of the later kita (profits) and kita (see) are homonyms/sound alike. In you can say Kita kita sa mall kahapon. (Shortened for Nakita kita….). Or you can say kita-kits (slang for kita kita (“to see” then the pronoun) meaning “see you around”).

I want to get to know you. =  Gusto kitang makilala. (Kitang is kita plus the suffix ng)

Second Person Plural Tagalog Pronouns

There is a lot that we could do with second person plural Tagalog pronouns: kayo, ninyo/niyo, and inyo. You can you use it for addressing groups of people at parties, public speaking, at the bar, or an intimate gathering of friends or family.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “kayo”

This Tagalog pronoun kayo is a word that refers to two or more people you are speaking to.

You (plural) are blocking the way. = Nakaharang kayo sa daan.

You will decide what will happen. = Kayo ang magdedesisyon kung anong mangyayari.

(You, plural) Hold on tight. = Kapit kayo ng mabuti.

You (plural) are smart. = Kayo ay matalino. = Matalino kayo. The structure with kayo at the end is lot more natural sound. The one with kayo at the beginning sounds formal.

Take note that kayong is kayo + ng. Don’t (you) run. = Huwag kayong tumakbo.

You Filipinos are a happy people. = Kayong mga Pilipino ay masiyahin na tao.

Literally: Don’t you have hands? = Wala ba kayong mga kamay? (This vernacular set phrase is used in informal gatherings where an emcee or host will request for a group of people to clap after a speech or performance, similar to “Let’s give him/her a round of applause”.)

Note that there is an obsolete Tagalog word kayo which means cloth, which still comes up in the expression balat-kayo which means to pretend to be something else. This word has no relation to the pronoun.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “ninyo/niyo”

Ninyo and niyo are the same word. They typically signify possession of the persons you are speaking to over something, though they can also stand in alone as a pronoun, such as during a command, request or imperative. The formal version is ninyo and is still widely used, but you may hear the contraction niyo more often during speech. Both pronouns are perfectly interchangeable with affecting much, if at all, the meaning or tone of speech. Both ninyo and niyo will be used interchangeably in this article as well. Perhaps, the only time one might consider favoring ninyo is over niyo is during a formal written message or public speech. Just note that you will never find these pronouns at the start of a sentence.

This is your food. = Pagkain ninyo ito.

Your (plural) money was lost. = Nawala ang pera niyo (No emphasis)  = Pera niyo ang nawala. (Emphasizing it was their money which was lost)

You (plural) gave Frank a problem = Binigyan ninyo si Frank ng problema.

(You, plural) get the water on the table. = Kunin niyo yung tubig sa mesa.

You (plural) will look for the chicken tomorrow. = Hahanapin ninyo ang manok bukas.

Frank wants to buy your big dog. = Gusto ni Frank bilhin ang aso mong malaki. (Mong is mo with the suffix ng)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “inyo”

Inyo is the plural of iyo. If iyo is the second person singular pronoun often signifying possession, inyo is second person singular pronoun. These Tagalog pronouns could be translated into plural “your” or “yours” depending on the usage. Just like iyo which has iyong, the pronoun inyong is inyo plus the suffix ng.

Your things have been prepared. (talking to two or more people) = Nakahanda na ang inyong gamit.

This is yours. (talking to two or more people) = Inyo ito.

Jack and Jill, the ball is yours. = Jack and Jill, inyo ang bola.

I don’t know with you guys. = Hindi ko alam sa inyo.

Bring your umbrella. = Dahlin mo ang iyong payong. (Iyong is rather formal. Iyong is iyo plus the suffix ng. A more conversation way of saying this would be “Dalhin mo ang payong mo“.)

Inyo and niyo can be confusing for some learners.

Third Person Tagalog Pronouns

Welcome to the world of third person Tagalog pronouns! They are called third person pronouns since they represent the third person being spoken to – the first person is the speaker and the people he or she represents; the second person is the person or persons being spoken to, and the third person is about the other people they are speaking about.

They’re quite useful in engaging in the favorite past-time of the human species – talking about others. Just like in first and second person Tagalog pronouns, third person Tagalog pronouns can be singular or plural, and have a lot of other variations.

Third Person Singular Tagalog Pronouns

The third person singular Tagalog pronouns are: siya, niya, and kaniya/kanya. In English, third person singular pronouns would be: he, him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, and itself. Unlike in English and many other languages, Tagalog pronuns have no gender. The same forms are used whether the subject is male or female.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “siya”

The Tagalog pronoun siya is used to refer to another person or object. While spelled siya, out in the wild in actual speech the first vowel is often dropped and the word is pronounced as sya or sha. It will always be spelled as siya though.

I heard that she has already separated with her spouse. = Balita ko nakipaghiwalay na siya sa asawa niya.

It is big. = Malaki siya.

He bought a car. = Bumili siya ng kotse.

I only like her. = Siya lang ang gusto ko.

Like many other Tagalog pronouns, you can also add ng as a suffix to siya.

It doesn’t have gasoline. = Wala siyang gasolina.

It’s real gold. = Totoo siyang ginto.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “niya”

This third person singular pronoun can describe possession or replace a person or object. Niya can replace: he, she, him, her or it. Just like in the pronoun siya, the first vowel of niya is not often pronounced in rapid everyday speech.

This is her bag. = Ito ang bag niya. = Bag niya ito.

He knows what he is doing. Alam niya ang ginagaw niya.

He is so handsome. = Ang guwapo niya!

Just like many of the pronouns, the suffix ng can be added to niya.

Paul is his Filipino friend. = Si Paul ang kaibigan niyang Pilipino.

James wore his read clothes. = Sinuot ni James and pula niyang damit.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “kaniya/kanya”

Kaniya and kanya are interchangeable.The situation with kaniya and kanya is similar to ninyo and niyo. The formal spelling of the word is kaniya but spelling kanya is widely accepted. During everyday speech, the middle vowel “i” is often dropped and the word is pronounced kanya. You might note that in siya, in speech is also usually pronounced sya with the “i” dropped in pronunciation. In this article I’ll use both.

This is his. = Kaniya ito.

The money is his. = Kanya ang pera.

This is not his. = Hindi ito sa kaniya.

I saw his dog. = Nakita ko ang kanyang aso.

You can also add the suffix ng, to make kanya into kanyang.

Maria placed the watch in her pocket. = Linigay ni Maria ang relo sa kanyang bulsa.

Tom found his child. = Natagpuan ni Tom ang kaniyang anak.

Third Person Plural Tagalog Pronouns

Third person plural Tagalog person pronouns are: sila, nila and kanila. They are used to refer to two or more people or objects other than the speaker and the person being spoken to. In English, third person plural pronouns would be: they, them, their, theirs, and themselves.

Using the Tagalog pronoun “sila”

Use sila when talking about groups of people or objects.

They are fast. = Mabilis sila.

They like rolling in the mud. = Mahilig sila gumulong sa putik.

They are Filipino. = Pilipino sila. = Sila ay Pilipino. (“Pilipino sila.” is more natural in this case, “Sila ay Pilipino.” would be used to emphasize it is they who are Filipinos.)

They are the people caught by the police/They were caught be the police. = Sila ang hinuli ng pulis. = Hinuli sila ng pulis. (Like in the above example, “Hinuli sila ng pulis.” is more natural.)

Adding ng in some cases will add fluency to the sentence. This will make turn sila into silang, but is not to be confused with the Tagalog word silang which means “to be born.”

They are fond of dancing. = Mahilig silang sumayaw. (Mahilig sila sumayaw. is also acceptable)

They went to the Philippines. = Pumunta silang Pilipinas. (Pumunta sila sa Pilipnas)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “nila”

Nila is another second person plural pronoun you would want to know how to use. This pronoun can mean: they, them or their.

They are getting the papers. = Kinukuha nila ang papeles

Jack and Jill rode their car. = Sumakay si Jack and Jill sa kotse nila.

They have to get the from the bank. Kailangan nila kunin ang pera sa bangko.

Their house burned. = Nasunog ang bahay nila.

This is their land. = Lupa nila ito.

The sibling asked for money from their rich father. = Humingi ang magkapatid ng pera sa tatay nilang mayaman. (Nilang is nila plus the suffix ng)

Using the Tagalog pronoun “kanila”

Kanila is a third person plural pronoun. It can also mean their, theirs or them in English, depending on its usage.

This is theirs. = Kanila ito.

This house is theirs. = Kanila ang bahay na ito.

Give the money to them. = Ibigay mo ang pera sa kanila.

Their house got damaged. = Nasira ang kanilang bahay.

Maria went to their house. = Pumunta si Maria sa kanilang bahay. (Kanilang is kanila with ng attached to it)

Their project was chosen by the leader. = Kanilang proyekto ang pinili ng pinuno. (Pinili ang proyeko nila ng pinuno. would be a more conversational way of saying this sentence.)

Formal and Polite Usage of Tagalog Pronouns

Like many other languages, the level of politeness you want to convey can affect the way you use Tagalog pronouns. You may want to use different Tagalog pronouns in situations where you want to keep a respectful distance or want to avoid coming of as overfamiliar, such as speaking to a stranger on the street. As foreign speaker, you may be forgiven for not conveying formality through pronouns, but never-the-less, it is good to be aware of them, since Tagalog might speakers might use them on you as well.

By the way, you may want to also use the word “po” (or the variant “ho“) if you want to add another indication of politeness. In this article, we’ll place the word po in parenthesis to indicate that the sentence will be grammatically correct without it. Remember that po can be in several possible locations in a sentence so don’t be take the suggested locations of po in the examples below as a hard and fast rule.

Using second or third person plural instead of single person pronouns.

When speaking to a person to whom you want to convey politeness, instead of using the second person singular, such as: mo, ikaw, ka or iyo. Instead, use second or third person plural pronouns, such as, kayo, sila, or ninyo/niyo.

Use “niyo/ninyo” or “nila” instead of “mo”

Using the word mo can sound overly-familiar or even confrontation to a native speaker, especially to someone older, uniformed personnel, a work superior, a public official or someone with a higher perceived status in society. You can swap out the word mo with nila, niyo or ninyo.

What is your name? = Anong pangalan mo? = More polite: Anong (pong) pangalan nila/ninyo? or Anong pangalan nila/niyo/ninyo po? (The pong here is po plus ng, while it is not necessary to make the sentence grammatically correct, it is always good to add the po to sentences when speaking someone respectfully, such as someone older.

Where is your house? = Saan ang bahay mo? = More polite: Saan (po) ang bahay nila? or Saan (po) ang bahay niyo/ninyo?

(You) get the money tomorrow. = Kunin mo ang pera bukas. = More polite: Kunin (po) nila/niyo/ninyo ang pera bukas.

You can pay for the drinks tomorrow. = Pwede mong bayaran yung inumin bukas. = More polite: Pwede (po) niyong/ninyong/nilang bayaran ang inumin bukas.

Use “kayo” or “sila” instead of “ikaw” or “ka”

Likewise, the second person singular pronouns ka or ikaw can sound confrontational. Swap these pronouns with kayo or sila to add some a respectful verbal space between you and the person you are speaking to.

Are you already hungry? = Gutom ka na ba? = More polite: Gutom na (po) kayo?

Where do you live? = Saan ka nakatira? = More polite:  Saan (po) sila nakatira?

You are too tall for these pants. =  Masyado kang matangkad para sa pantalon na ito. = More polite: Masyado kayong matangkad para sa pantalon na ito.

Are you lost? = Nawawala ka ba? = More polite: Nawawala (po) ba kayo/sila?

Are you the person I looking for? = Ikaw ba ang hinahanap ko? = More polite: Kayo/Sila (po) ba ang hinahanap ko?

You got my bag. = Ikaw ang kumuha ng bag ko. = More polite:  Kayo/Sila po ang kumuha ng bag ko.

Closing Thoughts on Tagalog Pronouns

So this is it guys! Good luck with learning Tagalog pronouns. I hope this guide provided a good bird’s eye view on these pronouns. Throw caution to the wind and learn by using them, getting corrected and laughed at. Listen closely to native speakers and never be afraid to ask.

Start with simple sentence sentences structures, such as the ones you have here, and build up on them. Don’t just rely on what you find here, but keep your eyes and ears open to Tagalog spoken or written by native speakers. Learning isn’t always easy, but it’s in learning what is challenging that you get something valuable.

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Talk Tagalog | James and Angel: Episode 5: Buying Fruits at the Market

Listening Comprehension, Maharlika (Intermediate), Talk Tagalog Podcast

James and Angel are at the market together. They buy fruits commonly found in the Philippines.

Tagalog Transcript:
James : Mabuti naman na nasamahan mo ako sa palengke ngayon. Salamat ha, Angel.
Angel : Walang anuman James. May gusto rin kasing ipabili ang nanay ko na mga prutas.
James : Bibili rin ako ng prutas. Mahilig kasi ako sa masustansyang pagkain.
Angel : Eto o, ang lalaki ng saging. Hinog na siya, kasi dilaw na.
James : Gusto ko naman ang mansanas na ‘to, yung mga kulay pula.
Angel : Kuha din tayo ng ponkan. Siguradong magugustuhan ito ng nanay ko. Mura pa yung presyo niya.
James : Paano kaya itong langka? Medyo mahal siya ngayon pero matagal na ako hindi nakakakain ng langka.
Angel : Sulit na siguro ‘yan sa presyo niya. Uy, bili din tayo ng pinya, pero patalop muna natin sa tindera.
James : Oo, mahirapan kasi gawin ‘yan ng tama… yung tinatanggal mo yung mata ng paikot.
Angel: Nagbilin pala nanay ko bumili ng papaya. Kuha tayo ng berde, para gamitin ng mama ko sa tinola.
James: Tamang-tama, bibili din kasi ako ng papaya. Pero yung pahinog pa lang, kasi hindi ko siya agad makakain.
Angel : Uy, ito oh, ang laki ng pakwan. Baka hindi namin maubos to.
James : Ipahati na lang natin sa dalawa, para parehong tayong meron.
Angel: Matamis kaya siya?
James: Sa palagay ko matamis siya.
Angel: Tara, patimbang na natin ito.

English Translation:
James : It’s great you were able to accompany me to the market today. Thanks a lot, Angel.
Angel : You’re welcome James. My mom asked me to to buy her some fruits for her, anyway.
James : I’ll be buying fruits too. I’m fond of eating healthy food.
Angel : Here, these bananas are big. They’re ripe already, since they’re yellow.
James : I want these apples, the red ones.
Angel : Let’s get these Ponkan oranges too. My mom will like them for sure.They’re pretty cheap too.
James : How about this jackfruits? They’re a little expensive now but I haven’t had jackfruit in a while.
Angel : I think it’s worth it’s price. Hey, let’s buy some pineapples, but let’s let the vendor lady peel it.
James : Yes, it’s quite difficult to do it right… carving out all those “eyes” in a spiral.
Angel : My mom asked me to buy some papayas. Let’s get a green one, since we’ll use them for chicken broth.
James : It just so happens I’m going to buy a papaya too. But I’m going to get one that’s just about to ripen, since I won’t get to eat it at once.
Angel : Hey, look at how huge this watermelon is. I don’t think we’d be able to eat it all up.
James : Let ask them to cut it into halves, so both of us will have some.
Angel : Do you think it’s sweet.
James: I think it’s sweet.
Angel : Come on, let’s have it weighed.

Talk Tagalog | James and Angel: Episode 4 – Filipino Food Dining Out

Listening Comprehension, Maharlika (Intermediate), Talk Tagalog Podcast

James and Angel are eating together in a restaurant. They order popular Filipino dishes.

Tagalog Transcript:
James : Angel, parang ang sarap ng pagkain sa restaurant na ‘to.
Angel : Oo nga James. Salamat sa pagdala mo sakin dito, ha.
James : Ano ang gusto mong kainin?
Angel : Mahilig ako sa gulay, lalo na ‘pag sariwang-sariwa.
James : Ako rin. Pero samahan natin ng karne.
Angel : Sige. Ako naman, gusto ko ng isda, pritong tilapia.
James : Miss ko nang kumain ng sinigang na baboy.
Angel: Oo masarap ‘pag may sabaw. Subukan din natin yung nilagang baka nila.
James : Dagdagan na rin natin ng adobong manok.
Angel : ‘Wag din natin kalimutan magorder ng panghimagas.
James: Siyempre naman. May leche flan at halo-halo sila.
Angel: Anong drinks mo? Soft drinks or ice tea?
James: Tubig na lang siguro ako. Sayo?
Angel: Gusto ko mag-mango juice.
James : At siyempre, dapat may kanin. Mageextra rice ako.
Angel : Uy! Ano ba ito? Sa dami ng pinaplano nating orderin, baka hindi natin maubos.
James: Oo. Mukhang fiesta na ang kalalabasan nito.
Angel: Tara tawagin na natin ang waiter.
James: Waiter!

English Translation:
James : Angel, it seems like the food in this restauramt is really good.
Angel : You’re right, James. Thanks for bringing me here.
James : What do you want to eat?
Angel : I’m fond of veggies, especially if they’re really fresh.
James : Me too. But let’s have some meat too.
Angel : Sure. As for me, I want some fish – fried tilapia.
James : I miss eating pork tamarind soup.
Angel : Yeah, its great when there’s soup. Let’s try the beef soup as well.
James : And let’s add some chicken adobo.
Angel : Ang don’t forget to order dessert.
James : Of course we should. They have custard cake and halo-halo.
Angel : What are you having to drink? Soft drinks or iced tea?
James : I’ll just have water, perhaps. And you?
Angel : I want to have some mango juice.
James: And of course, we must have rice. I’m going to have an extra serving of rice.
Angel: Hey, what’s happening here. With everything we plan on ordering, I don’t think we’ll finish everything.
James : Yup. It looks like we’re going to have a fiesta.
Angel: Come on. Let’s call the waiter.
James: Waiter!

Talk Tagalog | James and Angel: Episode 3 – Pursuing Your Dreams

Listening Comprehension, Maharlika (Intermediate), Talk Tagalog Podcast

James and Angel unexpectedly bump into each other at the University. They talk about their future plans.

Tagalog Transcript:
Angel : James? Ikaw ‘yan?
James : Angel, ako nga. Dito ka rin pala naka-enrol?
Angel : Ay, oo. Pangalawang taon ko na dito. Nursing ang course ko.
James : Galing, ah! Ako naman Mechanical Engineering ang kinukuha ko. Halika, upo muna tayo.
Angel : Sige. Mamaya pa naman ang sunod kong klase.
James : Ako, tapos na ang huling klase ko sa araw na ‘to.
Angel : Anong year ka na?
James : Third year na ako. Pagiging nurse pala ang pangarap mo.
Angel : Nurse kasi mama ko. Kaya bata pa lang ako, yun din ang naging gusto ko.
James : Yung tatay ko naman nag-abroad para magtrabaho bilang mekaniko.
Angel : Mag aabroad ka rin?
James : Balak ko sana magtayo kami ng negosyo nila Papa dito sa Pilipinas.
Angel : Sana matupad ang mga pangarap natin, James.
James : Basta magtiyatiyaga tayo, sigurado ako malayo ang mararating natin.
Angel : Kaya kailangan natin pagbutihin ang pagaaral natin.
James : Tama ka, Angel.
Angel : O, paano? Kailangan ko na mauna. May klase pa ako.
James : Uwi na rin ako para magaral. Magkita-kita na lang tayo sa sunod.

English Translation:
Angel : James? Is that you?
James : Yes it’s me, Angel. You’re enrolled her too?
Angel : Oh, yes. It’s my second year here. My course is nursing.
James : That’s great! As for me, I’m taking Mechanical Engineering. Come on, let’s sit down for a while.
Angel : Sure. My next class is still later.
James : As for me, my last class for today has ended.
Angel : What year are you in?
James : I’m on my third year already. I didn’t know you want to be a nurse.
Angel : My mom’s a nurse. That’s why even as a child, that’s what also what I’ve wanted to be.
James : As for my dad, he went abroad to work as a mechanic.
Angel : Will you be going abroad too?
James : I plan to put up a business with my dad here in the Philippines.
Angel : I hope our dreams will come true, James.
James : As long as we work hard, I’m sure we’re going to get somewhere.
Angel : That’s why we have to do well with our studies.
James : That’s right, Angel.
Angel : So, what do say? I’ve got to go. I’ve still got a class.
James : I’ll be going home to study. See you next time around.

Talk Tagalog | James and Angel: Episode 2 – Finding the Right Gift

Listening Comprehension, Maharlika (Intermediate), Talk Tagalog Podcast

James visited the gift shop owned by Angel’s family and asked for his female friend’s suggestion for a birthday gift for James’ mom

Tagalog Transcript:
James : Magandang umaga, Angel.
Angel : Uy! Magandang umaga din. Kumusta ka? Salamat sa pagbisita mo dito sa tindahan namin, ha.
James : Ayos lang ako. Salamat din. Mabigat ang trapik, pero nakarating na ako sa wakas.
Angel : Ano ang maitutulong ko sa iyo?
James : Birthday kasi ng nanay ko bukas. Baka meron kang mairerekomenda sa akin na pwedeng iregalo sa kanya.
Angel : Ah talaga? Saan ba mahilig ang Mama mo? Mga damit? Mga bag? Sapatos ba?
James : Hindi siya mahilig diyan.
Angel : Meron din kaming tinda na mga accessories – kwintas, hikaw, pulseras.
James : May iba pa ba? Ang hilig talaga ng Mama ko ay ang magbiyahe.
Angel : Ah, alam ko na. May mga bandana kami.
James : Ayun! Malamang magugustuhan niya ‘pag bandana. Sige, pakitulungan mo naman akong maghanap ng maganda para sa kanya.
Angel : Halika, nandito, nakasabit. Mamili na tayo.
English Translation:
James : Good morning, Angel.
Angel : Angel : Hey! Good morning too. How are you? Thanks for visiting us at our store.
James : I’m doing well. Thanks, also. The traffic was heavy, but I’ve finally gotten here.
Angel : How can I help you?
James : Tomorrow is my mother’s birthday. You might want to recommend something to me that I give to her as a gift.
Angel : Oh really? What are your mother’s interests? Clothes? Bags? Shoes?
James : No, she isn’t fond of those.
Angel : We also have some accessories for sale – necklaces, earrings, bracelets.
James : Is there anything else? What my mom really likes to do is travel.
Angel : Oh, I know We have bandanas.
James : There you go! I’m sure she’d like it if it’s a bandana. Okay, please help me find a nice one for her.
Angel : Come on, they’re here, hanging. Let’s choose one.

Talk Tagalog | James and Angel: Episode 1 – Looking for the Clubhouse

Listening Comprehension, Maharlika (Intermediate), Talk Tagalog Podcast

Angel went to meet a friend at the clubhouse of a subdivision. However, her phone ran out of battery so she couldn’t call her friend to ask for directions to get there. Angel sees a man and decides to ask for help.

Tagalog Transcript:
Angel : Hello. Pasensya na. Pwede ba kitang maabala?
James : Syempre naman. Ano ang maitutulong ko sayo?
Angel : Papunta sana ako sa clubhouse ng subdivision na ‘to, pero nawalan na ng baterya phone ko. Hindi ko tuloy matawagan ang kaibigan ko para magtanong ng direksyon papunta doon.
James : Ah. Lakad ka lang ng deretso tapos sa ika-apat na kanto, sa Bayani St., liko ka sa kaliwa. Derechuhin mo lang, tapos makikita mo sa kanan ang clubhouse.
Angel : Uy, maraming salamat ha.
James: Bakit ka nga pala pupunta doon?
Angel : Imi-meet ko kasi ang friend ko.
James : Ah, okay. Actually, papunta rin ako doon para maglaro ng basketbol. Gusto mo bang sabayan na kita?
Angel: Talaga? Sige, please.
James: Ako nga pala si James. Anong pangalan mo?
Angel: Ako si Angel.
James: Tara na, Angel. Baka naghihintay na ang friend mo .
Angel : Salamat ulit, James.

English Translation:
Angel : Hello. I am sorry. May I disturb you?
James : Of course. How can I help you?
Angel : : I was supposed to go the clubhouse of this subdivision, but my phone’s battery died. So I can’t call my friend to ask her for directions to get there.
James : Ah. Just walk straight ahead then on the fourth street corner, at Bayani St., turn left. Go straight ahead then you’ll see the clubhouse on your right.
Angel : Oh, thank you very much.
James: By the way, why are you going there?
Angel : Because I’ll meet my friend.
James : Oh okay. Actually, I am about to go there too to play basketball. Would you want me to go with you?
Angel: Really? Yes, please.
James: By the way, I’m James. What’s your name?
Angel: I’m Angel.
James: Let’s go, Angel. Your friend might be waiting there already .
Angel : Thanks again, James.

Cracking open Tagalog Nouns

All You Have to Know About Tagalog Nouns

Articles, Grammar, Maralita (Absolute Beginner),

Tagalog nouns – learning a language would not be complete without knowing nouns. Tagalog is no exception to this. But with Tagalog nouns, there is more than meets the eye.

Okay, just to set your expectations, this article is for the layman and is explained in layman’s terms meant for the Tagalog language learner. If you want something textbookish with all those fancy college linguistics terms like “ergative-absolutive”, this article isn’t for you. I’m not saying that studying these advanced linguistics grammar stuff isn’t important, since it they are for language scholars with thick glasses who study thicker books on grammar.

(Ergative-absolutive languages are languages, such as Tagalog where the single argument or “subject” of an intransitive verb behaves like the object of a transitive verb, and differently from the agent of a transitive verb. Uhmm… yeah, I didn’t just look that up right now.)

So here it is folks. Here are the stuff you have to know about Tagalog nouns…

Pangalan the Word for Name, and Pangngalan the type of word

First of all, let’s get things straight. The word noun in Tagalog is “pangngalan“. But the word “pangalan” is the word for name, as in “Ano ang pangalan mo?” (What is your name? ) or “Ang pangalan ko ay si Datu.” (My name is Datu.)

“Pang” meaning it for something + “ngalan” a root word connoting a name. It’s a word for naming something.

Pangalan = Name

Pangngalan = Noun

They are pronounced alike but don’t confuse the word “pangalan” with “pangangalan”. The shorter one means “noun” or the longer one means “name”. Okay, just wanted to get that out of the way.

Tagalog Nouns can be Root Words

Of course some nouns can be turned into a verbs or adjectives. But don’t worry, learning about nouns won’t even be half as crazy as learning about Tagalog verbs, (see article: Tagalog Prefixes, Infixes and Suffixes: Why Tagalog Verbs Drive Language Learners Crazy), which is absolute madness to non-native speakers. Tagalog nouns aren’t half as crazy as Tagalog pronouns either (see article: The Beginner’s Guide to Tagalog Pronouns). So no worries, hombre!

In fact many, Tagalog nouns however are often the root words themselves. Let’s take the word Tagalog noun “kamay” meaning “hand”. You can make it a verb “kinamay” which will make it mean to have “used one hands”, such as “Kinamay niya ang pagkain” meaning “He used his hands on the food (such as to eat).” or “Kamayin mo na.” meaning “(Go ahead and) Use your hands”.

Writing Tagalog Nouns

So before we go too far. let’s het this out of the way and talk about writing Tagalog nouns. The convention for writing Tagalog nouns, at least what they teach in school, is that just like English, Tagalog proper nouns are capitalized, and common nouns are written in small caps. So that means you will write some thing like:

“Siya ay isang presidente. Siya ay si Presidente Duterte.”

Of course, the first time the word presidente is used it’s written in small caps since presidente here is a common noun. It refers to any president. in the second one, Presidente is capitalized since it’s a proper noun refering to a specific person. Just the same as English, m’kay?

Tagalog Nouns Have No Gender

There are Tagalog words have no gender will be. Don’t be confused, about what I mean by this. What I mean is Tagalog nouns don’t have any grammatical gender, like they do in Spanish, French, German or Russian.

Some Tagalog words, especially those of Spanish origin, might give you the impression that they have grammatical gender, but they don’t. For example, a male doctor would be “doktor” and a female doctor would be a “doktora“. But in Tagalog they grammatically would have no gender.

You heard that right. Don’t get confused. Tagalog nouns have no grammatical gender. You might even hear the word “lamesa” used interchangeably with the word “mesa” which means table in Spanish and Tagalog (“la” is the feminine form of “the” in Spanish). But that doesn’t mean the noun has gender. Speaking of Spanish, let talk about loan words.

Lots of Nouns are Loan Words

Lots of Tagalog nouns are loan words, particularly in English and Spanish. Yup, loan words are everywhere in Tagalog. However, this is especially pronounced when learning Tagalog nouns. In fact, once you start learning nouns the loan words are just going to jump out at you.

Let’s have a look at some examples.

Tagalog – Spanish
kabayo – caballo
tinidor – tenedor
plato – plato

Tagalog – English
kompyuter – computer
karot – carrot
nars – nurse

There are just too many examples of loan words in English and Spanish so I’m going to leave it at that. It’s good noting though that even though English and Spanish make the majority of loan words in Tagalog, there are lots of loan words in other languages too such as Malay, Sanskrit, Tamil, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, and Nahuatl (languages of the native Mexicans).

Use the English nouns if you don’t know the Tagalog noun

Don’t mind what your Tagalog text book or your Tagalog teacher says. If you don’t know what a noun is in Tagalog, just use the English equivalent. It will be 100% okay in everyday natural speech. Filipinos do it all the time.

For example: Masakit ang stomach ko kasi ang dami kong kinain. (My stomach hurts because I ate so much)

So obviously the seemingly offending word here is the English word “stomach”. Of course, in Tagalog, the word stomach is “tiyan” but swapping it with the word stomach is perfectly okay, and a very natural way to talk in Tagalog  Trust me on this, m’kay.

Use “Mga” to make Tagalog nouns plural

Ah! That weirdly spelled word  “mga“. Stick it in front of Tagalog words to make them plural. Yup, that all there is to it.

For example:

Kumain ako ng saging. (“I ate a banana.” or “I ate banana”).
Kumain ako ng mga saging. (I ate (more than one) bananas).

Grammatically, mga refers to more than one, but usually you’ll use it for more than two.

Try add the letter S to pluralize, when using Tagalog nouns, even when using loan words. It just sounds funny to native speaker.

For example:

“May nakita akong jaguars mga jaguar sa zoo.” (I saw some jaguars at the zoo.)

All cool, huh?

Conclusion

There’s a lot more I would love to add, but I’d rather not lump on all that textbookish grammar on Tagalog nouns. Just learning this you’ve got most of your bases covered. Nouns aren’t particularly the hardest part of learning Tagalog. Quite unlike Tagalog verbs which can really be a challenge. After all, when in doubt, just swap in the Tagalog noun with the English noun and it’s going to be understandable. Just don’t forget to slap on “mga” if you’re referring to more than one.

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Further Reading:

Did you like this article on Tagalog nouns? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Check out our article on Tagalog verbs. Tagalog verbs are absolutely nuts.

We also have a number of Tagalog lessons and tests to test your mettle. Just scroll down on our home page to see them.

We also have an absolutely free no email required e-book called Your First 100 Tagalog Sentences. This link links to the page.

Talk Tagalog | Pilot Episode B – Limang Katangian ng Pilipinas Bago Dumating ang mga Kastila

Talk Tagalog – Learn Tagalog the Natural Way
Lesson Type: Listening Comprehension
Difficulty Level: Bayani (Upper Intermediate)
Topic: Limang Katangian ng Pilipinas Bago Dumating and mga Kastila (Five Characteristics of the Philippines Before the Arrival of the Spaniards)

Philippine history is a colorful rice cake, baked with multiple layers of migrations and colonists. The farther back into the past you go the more layers you have to peel back. Before the arrival of the Colonial Spaniards, the islands had vibrant cultures and societies. Find out the more about what makes Filipinos Filipinos by taking a mental journey in the archipelago’s deep past before the first Europeans set foot on Philippine shores.

Other Recommended Tagalog Lessons:

Did you find this a bit difficult? No worries. Let’s go one notch down to the intermediate level with another listening comprehension episode Ang Dyipni about the Philippine passenger jeep. There’s also a little neat quiz after each article you can take to test your learning.

You don’t want to practice listening comprehension anymore? You can read something more technical like this article on Tagalog grammar that discusses Tagalog prefixes, infixes and suffixes?

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Answer Key
Question 1: B
Question 2: E
Question 3: A
Question 4: D
Question 5: D

Talk Tagalog | Pilot Episode A – Ang Dyipni

Talk Tagalog – Learn Tagalog the Natural Way
Lesson Type: Listening Comprehension
Difficulty Level: Maharlika (Intermediate)
Topic: Ang Dyipni (The Philippine passenger jeep)

Philippine passenger jeeps are the most common form of transportation in the Philippines. It is impossible to spend even a day in the country without noticing these brightly-colored, garish kings of the streets. In this episode, find out where the Philippine jeepney came from, and why they are so close to the hearts of Filipinos.

Other Recommended Tagalog Lessons:

All this listening make you hungry? How about practicing your listening skills with this transcript of these news reports about food glorious food the Maginhawa Food Street or Filipino Cold Streets. There is a little neat quiz after each article you can take to test your learning.

Did you like this? There’s another pilot episode like this, which is a bit longer but up one difficulty level: Limang Katangian ng Pilipinas Bago Dumating ang mga Kastila (Five Characteristics of the Philippines before the Arrival of the Spanish).

You don’t want to practice listening comprehension anymore? You can read something on the broader level like, Why Should You Learn Tagalog?.

 

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Answer Key
Question 1: C
Question 2: A
Question 3: D
Question 4: D

tagalog verbs like a jeepney

Tagalog Prefixes, Infixes, Suffixes: Why Tagalog Verbs Drive Language Learners Crazy

Articles, Bayani (Advanced), Grammar, , , , , , , ,

What’s up with Tagalog verbs? To the language learner, Tagalog verbs can be plain crazy. It’s just all those crazy prefixes, infixes and suffixes which turn Tagalog verbs into a massive and messy mental exercise.

Here’s the deal. Tagalog, like most Austronesian languages, is what you call an “agglutinative language”, which in layman’s terms mean you can slap on certain sounds, which we shall call affixes (such as repeated syllables, prefixes, infixes and suffixes) to root words to change their meaning.

Think of a Tagalog verb as a sticky ball of rice on to which you can keep slapping on more rice, meat and vegetables making something new, but it’s still basically a ball of rice. If you’ve already started studying Tagalog you are probably familiar with what I mean… for example tawa (to laugh) + (repeat first syllable) = tatawa (will laugh).

Scared yet? Don’t worry at the end of the article, I’m also going to give you five tips to help you start your journey to mastering Tagalog verbs at the end of the article.

By the way, if you are a grammar hound, this article will go with our other guides on Tagalog pronouns (see article: The Beginner’s Guide to Tagalog Pronouns), and Tagalog nouns (see article: All You Have to Know About Tagalog Nouns). As I was saying…

These affixes – the repeated syllables, prefixes, infixes and suffixes which you slap on to your root word – seem reasonably simple at first glace. Sounds like nag-, -um-, -in which seem straightforward in their use. However, as soon as one starts digging deeper their complexity can baffle the unprepared. You can get one verb and slap on all sorts of prefixes, infixes and suffixes and that will change the tense, usage, and conotation of the word (there are more technical terms for this but let’s leave these out for now).

For example, the verb takbo (meaning to run) + the infix um can be made into the word tumakbo, which equates to the simple past tense past tense ran. However you can also make that same verb takbo into a monster: nakikipagtakbuhan. Nakikipagtakbuhan means to “run at the same time with someone or something else, at a period of time in the past or the present, with the connotatation that the subject of the verb is running together or racing with the original runner”. A word like nakikipagtakbuhan is the kind of word that makes you want to run away from grammar doesn’t it?

What worsens your despair is hearing how native Tagalog speakers use these “mutated” verbs in rapid succession without giving them a split second’s thought. It’s hard to give a definitive list with all the possible prefixes, infixes, and suffixes which you can slap on a verb, nor will I attempt such a mind-bending exercise. I’ll leave that job to linguists with thick glasses who have devoted much of their lives studying and writing thick grammar books.

While studying the grammar of a foreign language has its own essential role, this site is more about learning Tagalog the natural way. Instead, what I’ll do is I’ll take a verb and just start shooting as many possible variations off the top of my head and see how far I can go.

I’ll choose the Tagalog verb kain or to eat and see how many permutations of this verb I can make by slapping of prefixes, infixes and suffixes.

KAIN (TO EAT) 
kain (to eat, used as an invitation), tiga-kain / taga-kain (one designated to eat), kumakain (present progressive is/are eating or ability to eat something), kakain (will eat), kumain (imperative, simple past), kainan (a place or event where you eat), pakain-kain (to eat sporadically), pakain (an event where you can eat, asking permission to eat), ipakain (make someone eat something), pinapakain (feed regularly), kinain (past), papakainin (will feed), pagkain (infinitive, noun for food), pagpapakain (gerund), kakainin (something to eat in the future), papakainin (to allow to eat), magpapakain (to serve food or feed in the future), papakain (shortened informal form of magpapakain, used to connote it will be done in the near future), kinakain-kain (something has been eaten sporadically in the past), kinainan (eating happened at a location), kinakainan (a place where people habitually eat), kinakain (it can be eaten, currently eating), Nakakain (has experienced eating something), Nagsikain (they began to eat, connotes, they weren’t eating before than suddenly they started eating), Magsikain (imperative, to a group of people asking them to eat), Pagkakain (having recently completed eating), kakainan (a place where eating will happen), kinakainkainan (eating sporadically happens at the location), nagpakain (past tense of pakain, to feed), nagpapakain (someone who habitually feeds something or someone else), magkainan (imperative, asking two or more people to have an eating event), nagkakainan (two or more were eating something or each other), nangangain (someone or something that eats something being referred to), nagsisikain (were in the process of eating, connoting they started eating at the time), magkakainan (two or more will eat each other, oh… sounds sexy, if stress is on the second syllable, if stress is on the penultimate syllable an eating event will happen), magkakainkainan (will pretend to eat, or mock eating), and kainin (will eat, a direct imperative).

All this talk about food making you hungry? There isn’t any dish on the planet that’s more Tagalog than chicken adobo on rice.

TAGALOG VERB KAIN USED IN SAMPLE SENTENCES

Just to put things into context, let me throw up a chart with a few of the variations I just made. You can also download the PDF of the chart of these samples sentences with some color coding here: PDF of Kain (To Eat) with Tagalog Prefixes, Infixes, Suffixes and Sample Sentences (1467 downloads ) . The sample sentences will be a lot easier to view on the PDF.

KAIN – to eat
kain used as an invitation, or an instruction. Tara, kain tayo.

Come one. Let’s eat.

‘Wag kayo mahiya, kain lang kayo diyan.

Don’t be shy, have something to eat.
tiga-kain / taga-kain

(used interchangeably)

 Noun – one designated to eat May baboy kami sa bukaran ang tiga-kain namin ng panis na pagkain.

We have a pig out back (beside or behind the house) that (is designated to) eats our spoiled food.

Allegic ako sa hipon, kaya paglumalabas kami at may hipon yung hinain, ang asawa ko ang taga-kain.

I’m allergic to shrimp so when I’m out of the house and there’s shrimp in the food served, my husband/wife eats it for me.
kumakain Present or

Present progressive, an ongoing action

 Hindi ako Muslim, kumakain ako ng baboy.

I’m not a Muslim, I eat pork.

Kumakakain si Mark sa ilalim ng puno.

Mark is eating under the tree.
Kakain Future tense Pagdating ko sa bahay, kakain ako.

When I get home, I’m going to eat.

Kakain ako ng lechon pagdating ng Pasko.

I will eat roast pig on Christmas.
Kumain imperative when combined with a pronoun, simple past Kumain ka, kailangan mo magpalakas.

Eat, you need to build up your strength.

Kumain ako kaninang umaga.

I ate this morning.
kainan Noun – a place or event where you eat

Connotes an event where the main activity is to eat

 Nagbukas yung tatay ko ng maliit na kainan sa kanto.

My father opened a small eatery at the street corner.

May kainan bukas sa munisipyo kasi bertday ng mayor.

There will meals served at city hall tomorrow since it will be the mayor’s birthday.
pakain-kain to eat sporadically, connotes there is no strong intent, or it was done without much effort Wala siyang ginawa sa opisina ngayon, pakain-kain lang buong araw.

He didn’t do anything in the office today, he just munched on snacks the whole day.

Madalas ‘pag Linggo sa bahay lang ako, pakain-kain at patulog-tulog lang.

Usually on Sundays I just say at home, and eat and sleep (sporadically) the whole day.
pakain Noun – event where you can eat usually connoting it will be done for free, or used when asking permission to eat, or asking someone to do something as short for ‘ipakain’ Kapag pista dito, lahat ng bahay may pakain, kahit sino pwedeng makisalo.

When it’s fiesta time here, all houses serve food for guests, anyone can come and eat.

Pakain ka naman sa bagong bukas mong restawran.

You should treat us to some food at your newly-opened restaurant.

Pakain mo sa mga baboy ang natirang kanin.

Feed the leftover rice to to the pigs.
ipakain makes someone or something eat something Ipakain mo sa mga baboy ang natirang kanin.

Feed the leftover rice to to the pigs.

Ipakain mo sa kasintahan mo ang mahiwagan isda na ito, iibigin ka niya habang buhay.

Feed your sweetheart this magic fish, she will love you as long as she lives.
pinapakain feed regularly, or was in the act of feeding

 Pinapakain ko ang mga alagang ibon ng nanay ko araw-araw.

I feed my mother’s pet birds every day.

Nakita ko si Anna kahapon sa kalsada, pinapakain niya anak niya ng kendi.

I saw Anna on the street yesterday feeding her child candy.
kinain past Kinain mo ba ang manok ng kuya mo?

Did you eat your older brother’s chicken?

Kinain ko ang masanas kahapon.

I ate the apple yesterday.
papakainin will feed Papakainin kita ng totoong pagkaing pinoy kung sasama ka sa akin sa Pilipinas.

I’ll give you a taste of real Filipino food if you come with me to the Philippines.

Papakainin ko ang aso pagdating ko sa bahay.

I’ll feed the dog when I get home.
pagkain Infinitive, present

Not to be confused with the noun for food

 Ang pagkain ng prutas at gulay araw at mabuti.

Eating fruits and vegetables is good.

Ang pagkain (verb) ng masasarap na pagkain (noun) ay isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit nabubuhay ang tao.

To eat delicious food is one of the reasons man lives.

(noun) Pahingi naman ng pagkain.

Please give me some food.

Just incase you missed the download link here’s the chart in PDF format: PDF of Kain (To Eat) with Tagalog Prefixes, Infixes, Suffixes and Sample Sentences (1467 downloads ) . They’ll be a lot easier to read and appreciate on PDF.

FIVE TIPS TO HELP YOU MASTER TAGALOG VERBS

The road to tagalog verb mastery looks tough, but fear not, here are five tips to help you swing through the learning curve with flying colors!

  1. Learn by listening to native speakers

There is no substitute to listening to native Tagalog speakers in a “natural environment” using these verbs. At first it may sound that you might as well be listening to a non-stop barrage of incomprehensible utterance, but you can start by focusing on just picking out one word at the time. Eventually, you’ll start picking out phrases. Then, entire sentences. You Tagalog will only progress the more you listen,.

I have to caution you that while it’s tempting to think we can pick up a foreign language totally from just from exposure or interaction with native speakers, doing some “book learning” or learning the rules behind language and looking at the language in a written form can greatly help you shorten the learning curve. I have a lot of transcribed excerpts in Tagalog just for the purpose of practicing to listen.

  1. Start with a few set phrases, then learn the rules later on

Learning a few examples of Tagalog verbs in the form of set phrases will help you get the ball rolling. I believe that a profound change happens in the mind once you take a language concept off the pages of a book, and throw it into a real live interaction or conversation. It helps you get the “feel” of the grammar point.

I am a big believer in phrase books and memorizing a few pre-formulated sentences. Confidence in a language is also something you develop over time, and is one of the most overlooked features of language learning.

  1. Even if you can’t speak them yet, you can learn to recognize them first

Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing. These are four overlapping but different skills. The same goes with Tagalog verbs. As you start your progression in learning Tagalog, you’ll probably learn to understand what you hear and read, more than what you can say speak and write. This is perfectly normal. Go with the flow.

  1. Don’t try learning everything at once

It’s a big pot of rice you have to eat, and you can’t humanly eat it all at once. Learn a few tenses at the time. Start with the tenses or affixes which come most natural to you. It’s not cheating. It’s leveraging what you already know or can easily understand.

  1. Practice, practice, practice

Like any life skill, getting a grasp of Tagalog verbs and indeed the language itself takes time. You are only getting better at something the more you practice. And the great thing is native speakers will nine out of ten times (or more like ninety nine out of a hundred times) appreciate you for the effort, even if they will try to answer back in English. Just keep at it, tiger!

BONUS TIP – I love you guys so much I have to throw in a bonus tip. Didn’t I say I was cool guy?

BONUS: Make mistakes, many of them

I’ll throw in a bonus tip for you, and perhaps on a deeper level this may be the most important tip of them all. Make mistakes. Probably they’ll understand you, maybe a few times they won’t, but you have to try and keep applying what you know.

The fear of looking stupid has kept many of us from achieving greater heights. We all want to have that perfect, witty Tagalog conversation with a native speaker, but believe me, it’s not just going to happen straight from a book to reality, no matter how much you practice alone in your room. You have to make mistakes. Many mistakes. In fact I believe in speaking Tagalog from day one.

So here’s my conclusion…

So there it is folks. Tagalog verbs can be a scary, but a language is a beautiful thing, it’s a product of a people and a culture. You just have to get over our initial fear and jump in the deep end. While the road is long, there are many flowers along the way. Imagine all the sense of achievement and fun you can have it gems like nagkakainan or nangangain.

Feel free to leave a comment or question below if there’s something you’d like to add or ask. If there are any learners or native speakers out there who would like to add to my list of the different permutations of the Tagalog verb kain, please feel free to add those in the comments.

Booyah! Till next time TTT (Talk Tagalog Tribe)!

Recommended Further Reading

We just talked a lot about food. Now how about practicing your listening skills with this transcript of this news report about the Maginhawa Food Street or Filipino Cold Streets. There is a little neat quiz after each article you can take to test your learning.

Or you can something on the broader level like, Why Should You Learn Tagalog?

To see our other stuff and lessons, just visit our Home Page.

If you liked this article about Tagalog verbs, you might to check out this one on Tagalog nouns.

Cracking open Tagalog Nouns
Cracking open Tagalog Nouns

Or maybe, since you liked this article on Tagalog grammar, you might like this one on Tagalog pronouns:

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