Three negators — hindi, wala, huwag
| Negator | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hindi | negating statements — not | Hindi ako estudyante. — I'm not a student. |
| wala | absence / non-existence — there is no... | Wala akong pera. — I have no money. |
| huwag | don't — negative commands | Huwag kang umalis. — Don't leave. |
| ayaw | don't want / refuse | Ayaw kong kumain. — I don't want to eat. |
ayaw isn't strictly a fourth negator — it's 'don't want' — but you need it just as often.
Negation in action
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
| Hindi siya pupunta. | She won't go. |
| Hindi ito masarap. | This isn't tasty. |
| Hindi ko alam. | I don't know. |
| Wala akong trabaho. | I have no job. |
| Walang tubig. | There's no water. |
| Huwag kang mag-alala. | Don't worry. |
| Ayaw ko. | I don't want to. |
The question words
| Tagalog | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ano | what | Ano ito? — What is this? |
| sino | who | Sino siya? — Who is she? |
| saan | where | Saan ka pupunta? — Where are you going? |
| kailan | when | Kailan ang party? — When is the party? |
| bakit | why | Bakit ka umalis? — Why did you leave? |
| paano | how | Paano ito gamitin? — How do you use this? |
| magkano | how much (price) | Magkano ito? — How much is this? |
| ilan | how many | Ilan kayo? — How many are you? |
| alin | which | Alin ang sa iyo? — Which is yours? |
Yes/no questions still use ba (previous article): Sino ba siya? adds emphasis. Question words lead the sentence just like English — Ano ang pangalan mo? 'What is your name?'
Mini practice
Q1. 'I don't know' is:
- Wala ko alam
- Hindi ko alam
- Huwag ko alam
- Ayaw ko alam
Answer: Hindi ko alam
Q2. Use ___ for 'don't' commands:
- hindi
- wala
- huwag
- ayaw
Answer: huwag
Q3. 'There's no water' uses which negator?
- hindi
- wala
- huwag
- ayaw
Answer: wala
Q4. magkano asks:
- how many
- how much (price)
- when
- which
Answer: how much (price)
Q5. saan asks:
- who
- what
- where
- why
Answer: where
