Part 4
Building Sentences (Grammar Core)
Chapters 4.1 – 4.8 · Markers, pronouns, verbs, aspect, and focus
- 4.1
Tagalog Markers (Ang, Ng, Sa)
Focus markers for proper noun & general noun linkages
- 4.2
Pronouns & Groupings
Ako/Ikaw (Ang) vs. Akin/Iyo (Sa) vs. Ko/Mo (Ng)
- 4.3
Common Verbs & Infinitive Forms
High-frequency verb roots and their base forms
- 4.4
Verb Aspects (Completed, Uncompleted, Contemplated)
Replacing traditional tense with aspect-based conjugation
- 4.5
Actor Focus vs. Object Focus System
Mastering mag-/um- (Actor) vs. -in- / -i- (Object) focus
- 4.6
Negatives (Hindi, Wala, Huwag)
Choosing the correct negator for existence, action, and command
- 4.7
Questions (Ano, Sino, Saan, Kailan, Bakit, Paano)
Question words and interrogative sentence patterns
- 4.8
Essential Enclitic Particles (Po, Ba, Na, Pa, Naman, Din/Rin)
Placement rules and the nuance each particle adds
Chapter 4.1
Tagalog Markers: Ang, Ng, Sa
Markers tell the listener how a noun phrase functions in the sentence. They are not simply direct translations of English articles. Learn the marker together with the phrase it introduces.
| Marker | Common Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ang | Marks the focused/topic noun phrase. | Ang bata ay kumakain. — The child is eating. |
| ng | Marks a non-focused noun phrase, including many objects and possessors. | Kumakain ng mangga ang bata. — The child is eating mango. |
| sa | Marks many locations, destinations, recipients, and other oblique relations. | Pumunta siya sa paaralan. — He/she went to school. |
| si / ni / kay | Personal-name counterparts of ang / ng / sa. | Kumakain si Ana. — Ana is eating. Ibinigay ko ang libro kay Ana. — I gave the book to Ana. |
A Useful Habit
Do not memorize ang = the, ng = of, and sa = to as fixed equations. Instead, notice what role the noun phrase plays and which marker the sentence pattern requires.
Chapter 4.2
Pronouns & Groupings
| Role | Singular | Plural / Polite |
|---|---|---|
| Ang-form | ako / ikaw / siya | kami, tayo, kayo, sila |
| Ng-form | ko / mo / niya | namin, natin, ninyo, nila |
| Sa-form | akin / iyo / kaniya (also kanya) | amin, atin, inyo, kanila |
One important distinction is kami versus tayo. Both mean “we,” but kami excludes the listener while tayo includes the listener.
| Meaning | Ang-form | Ng-form | Sa-form (place) |
|---|---|---|---|
| this (near me) | ito | nito | dito (here) |
| that (near you) | iyan | niyan | diyan |
| that (far from both) | iyon | niyon | doon (over there) |
Examples: Ano ito? (What is this?) · Nasaan iyon? (Where is that?) · Kunin mo iyan. (Take that.)
Chapter 4.3
Common Verbs & Infinitive Forms
Tagalog verbs are built from roots plus affixes. Start with a small set of productive roots rather than trying to memorize every conjugated form at once.
| Root | Useful Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kain | kumain | eat |
| inom | uminom | drink |
| punta | pumunta | go |
| tulog | matulog | sleep |
| luto | magluto | cook |
| basa | bumasa | read |
Chapter 4.4
Verb Aspects
Tagalog commonly describes an action as completed, uncompleted, or contemplated. This is more useful for beginners than forcing every verb into English-style past, present, and future labels.
| Aspect | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Completed | Kumain ako. | I ate / I have eaten. |
| Uncompleted | Kumakain ako. | I am eating / I eat. |
| Contemplated | Kakain ako. | I will eat / I am going to eat. |
Chapter 4.5
Actor Focus vs. Object Focus
Focus is one of the central ideas in Tagalog grammar. In an actor-focused clause, the actor is the grammatical pivot; in an object-focused clause, the affected object is foregrounded. Affixes and sentence markers work together to show the pattern.
Actor Focus
- Example
- Magluluto si Ana ng adobo.
- Meaning
- Ana will cook adobo.
- Pattern
- mag- / um- families are common actor-focus patterns.
Object Focus
- Example
- Iluluto ni Ana ang adobo.
- Meaning
- Ana will cook the adobo.
- Pattern
- -in- / -i- families occur in object-focused patterns.
Chapter 4.6
Negatives
| Negator | Main Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hindi | Negates statements, actions, or identification. | Hindi ako pagod. — I am not tired. |
| wala | Expresses absence or non-existence. | Walang tubig. — There is no water. |
| huwag | Negative command. | Huwag kang tumakbo. — Don’t run. |
Chapter 4.7
Questions
| Tagalog | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ano | what | Ano ito? |
| sino | who | Sino siya? |
| saan | where | Saan ka pupunta? |
| kailan | when | Kailan ka aalis? |
| bakit | why | Bakit ka malungkot? |
| paano | how | Paano ito gawin? |
The yes/no question particle ba usually follows the first constituent: Kumain ka ba? — “Did you eat?”
Chapter 4.8
Essential Enclitic Particles
| Particle | Typical Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| po | Respect / politeness | Salamat po. |
| ba | Yes/no question | Okay ka ba? |
| na | Already / now | Kumain na ako. |
| pa | Still / yet | Kumakain pa ako. |
| naman | Softens, contrasts, or redirects | Ikaw naman. |
| din/rin | Also / too | Ako rin. |
Extra Practice · Part 4
Marker & Aspect Mini-Drills
Work these without looking at the tables. Then check the Reference answer key.
Drill A — Choose the marker
1. ___ aso ay tumatakbo. (The dog is running.)
2. Bumili ako ___ tinapay. (I bought bread.)
3. Pupunta kami ___ Cebu. (We will go to Cebu.)
4. ___ pangalan niya ay Marco. (His name is Marco.)
Drill B — Aspect: completed / uncompleted / contemplated
Give all three forms for each root (actor-focus patterns you know):
5. kain (eat)
6. inom (drink)
7. punta (go)
8. luto with mag- (cook)
Drill C — Focus contrast
9. Rewrite with object focus if possible: Magluluto si Ana ng adobo.
10. Who is the focused participant in: Kinain ng bata ang mangga.?
Study tip
When a sentence feels “backwards” compared with English, check the marker on the topic phrase first. Tagalog often puts the focused noun after the verb, marked with ang (or si for personal names).
Part 4 Exercise
Grammar Core
Try each item aloud before revealing the answer.
| # | Task | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choose the marker: Bumili siya ___ isda. | ng |
| 2 | Choose the marker: Pupunta ako ___ palengke. | sa |
| 3 | Completed form of inom; contemplated form of basa. | uminom / babasa |
| 4 | Negate: Pagod ako. | Hindi ako pagod. |
| 5 | Say “There is no rice.” | Walang kanin. |
| 6 | Ask “Have you eaten yet?” | Kumain ka na ba? |