The focus (ang-like) set
| Tagalog | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ako | I · me | Estudyante ako. — I'm a student. |
| ikaw · ka | you (sing.) | Estudyante ka. — You are a student. |
| siya | he · she (one form!) | Guro siya. — She/he is a teacher. |
| kami | we — NOT including you | Masaya kami. — We are happy. |
| tayo | we — INCLUDING you | Kain tayo. — Let's eat. |
| kayo | you (plural / polite singular) | Kumusta kayo? — How are you? |
| sila | they | Kumain sila. — They ate. |
siya is gender-neutral — Tagalog doesn't split 'he' and 'she'. ka is the enclitic form of ikaw and appears after the first word of the sentence.
The ng set — possession AND the non-focus actor
| Tagalog | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ko | my | ang bahay ko — my house |
| mo | your (sing.) | ang kaibigan mo — your friend |
| niya | his · her | ang nanay niya — his/her mother |
| namin | our — not yours | ang pamilya namin — our family |
| natin | our — yours too | ang bahay natin — our house (yours+mine) |
| ninyo | your (plural) | ang guro ninyo — your teacher |
| nila | their | ang aso nila — their dog |
These forms do more than 'my/your'. In a non-actor-focus clause they mark the actor: 'Kinain ko ang isda' — 'I ate the fish' (kinain = object-focus form; ko = the actor 'I'). Same word, different job: bahay ko = possession; Kinain ko = actor.
| Tagalog | English | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| sa akin | to me · my (direction) | direction/recipient — 'Ibigay mo sa akin.' Give it to me. |
| sa iyo | to you (sing.) | direction/recipient — 'Para sa iyo ito.' This is for you. |
| sa kaniya | to him · her | direction/recipient — 'Sa kaniya ko binigay.' I gave it to her/him. |
| sa amin · sa atin | to us — excl. · incl. | direction/recipient |
| sa inyo | to you (plural / polite) | direction/recipient |
| sa kanila | to them | direction/recipient |
The third set mirrors the sa marker — for direction and recipients. Pairs: ako→sa akin, ikaw→sa iyo, siya→sa kaniya.
kita — I ... you, one word
When I act on you, Tagalog fuses it into one pronoun: kita. It is hugely common.
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
| Mahal kita. | I love you. |
| Tutulungan kita. | I will help you. |
| Nakikita kita. | I see you. |
| Salamat sa tulong mo. | Thank you for your help. |
Polite you — kayo + po
To an elder, stranger, or anyone meriting respect, use kayo (plural form) for 'you' and add po. ninyo is the matching possessive, sa inyo 'to you'.
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
| Kumusta po kayo? | How are you? (polite) |
| Eto po ang regalo ninyo. | Here is your gift. |
| Tulungan ko po kayo. | Let me help you. |
Mini practice
Q1. tayo means:
- we, excluding the listener
- we, including the listener
- they
- you plural
Answer: we, including the listener
Q2. siya covers:
- he only
- she only
- he and she — gender-neutral
- it only
Answer: he and she — gender-neutral
Q3. kita means:
- we two
- I acting on you
- you plural
- they see
Answer: I acting on you
Q4. For a polite 'you' to a stranger, use:
- ka
- ikaw
- kayo (+ po)
- sila
Answer: kayo (+ po)
Q5. 'our' including the person you talk to is:
- namin
- natin
- nila
- ninyo
Answer: natin
