Predicate first — the comment leads
In English we say 'The child ate'. Tagalog says 'Ate the child': the verb or description comes first, then the noun marked with ang. This predicate-first order is the default for everyday speech.
| Tagalog | Literal order | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kumain ang bata. | ate + the child | The child ate. |
| Pula ang rosas. | red + the rose | The rose is red. |
| Masaya ka. | happy + you | You are happy. |
| Estudyante ako. | student + I | I am a student. |
| Mainit ngayon. | hot + today | It's hot today. |
Equational sentences — X is Y
'A is B' sentences put B in front as the predicate: Guro siya 'teacher + he/she' = 'She is a teacher'. For a name or specific thing, add the marker si before names and ang before common nouns.
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
| Guro siya. | She is a teacher. |
| Doktor ang kaibigan ko. | My friend is a doctor. |
| Si Maria ang guro. | Maria is the teacher. |
| Ito ang bahay ko. | This is my house. |
The ay inversion — topic-first order
Speakers can also put the topic first — but then they must insert ay between topic and predicate: Ang bata ay kumain = 'The child ate' with the same content, more formal or deliberate in tone. You'll see ay constantly in written and careful speech — it only appears in this topic-first order.
| Tagalog | Order | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kumain ang bata. | predicate-first (default) | The child ate. |
| Ang bata ay kumain. | topic-first + ay | The child ate. |
| Siya ay estudyante. | topic-first + ay | He is a student. |
Build your first sentences
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
| Gutom ako. | I am hungry. |
| Pagod siya. | She is tired. |
| Masaya kami. | We are happy. |
| Bago ang kotse. | The car is new. |
| Maliit ang bahay. | The house is small. |
Mini practice
Q1. Default Tagalog word order is:
- Subject-Verb-Object
- Predicate first, then the ang-marked topic
- Always topic first
- Free order with no pattern
Answer: Predicate first, then the ang-marked topic
Q2. Estudyante ako means:
- I study
- I am a student
- The student is me
- A student went
Answer: I am a student
Q3. What does ay do in 'Ang bata ay kumain'?
- It means 'is'
- It marks the topic-first (inverted) order
- It makes the sentence past tense
- It's a politeness word
Answer: It marks the topic-first (inverted) order
Q4. Which is correct Tagalog?
- Ako estudyante ay
- Estudyante ako
- Ang estudyante ako ay
- Ako ay estudyante ako
Answer: Estudyante ako
Q5. Tagalog equivalents of 'is/are/am':
- ay only
- don't exist — noun/adjective can be the predicate directly
- mga
- po
Answer: don't exist — noun/adjective can be the predicate directly
