Language/Tagalog/Grammar/Basic-Pronouns

Tagalog → Grammar → Basic Pronouns

As a Tagalog language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that mastering the use of pronouns is crucial to becoming proficient in Tagalog. Pronouns are words that replace nouns and are used to avoid repetition in sentences. In this lesson, we will learn the basic Tagalog pronouns and their proper usage in sentence construction.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Modal Verbs & Questions.

Basic Tagalog Pronouns

In Tagalog, the basic pronouns are "ako," "ikaw," "siya," "tayo," and "sila." Each of these pronouns can be singular or plural, depending on the number of people or objects they refer to. Let's take a look at each of them:

• "Ako" means "I" in English. It is the first person singular pronoun and is used to refer to oneself.

• "Ikaw" means "you" in English. It is the second person singular pronoun and is used to refer to the person being spoken to.

• "Siya" means "he," "she," or "it" in English. It is the third person singular pronoun which is used to refer to a singular person, animal, or thing.

• "Tayo" means "we" in English. It is the first person plural pronoun and is used to refer to oneself and others.

• "Sila" means "they" in English. It is the third person plural pronoun and is used to refer to a group of people or objects.

It is essential to understand the difference between singular and plural forms. Singular forms refer to a single person or object, while plural forms refer to multiple persons or objects. Additionally, Tagalog pronouns do not have gender markers.

Let us look at a few examples of how to use these basic pronouns.

Tagalog	Pronunciation	English
Ako	[a.ko]	I
Ikaw	[i.kaw]	You
Siya	[si.ya]	He / She / It
Tayo	[ta.yo]	We
Sila	[si.la]	They

• Ako ay nagtuturo sa unibersidad. (I am a teacher in the university.)

• Pakiabot mo ito sa akin, ikaw. (Please hand this to me, you.)

• Siya ay magaling na singer. (He/She is a great singer.)

• Tayo ay pupunta sa sinehan mamaya. (We will go to the cinema later.)

• Sila ay nag-aaral ng Tagalog ngayon. (They are studying Tagalog now.)

Now that you've seen some examples of how to use these basic pronouns, try making your sentences using them. Practice is the key to mastering these pronouns.

Additional Uses of Basic Pronouns

Aside from being subject pronouns that can be used at the beginning of a sentence, basic Tagalog pronouns also have additional uses. For instance, they can also be used as object pronouns, possessive pronouns, and reflexive pronouns.

• Object Pronouns: Object pronouns refer to the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. In Tagalog, object pronouns are placed after the verb. Here are the object pronouns based on each of the basic pronouns:

       - Ako - ako (me)
       - Ikaw - ka (you)
       - Siya - siya (him/her/it)
       - Tayo - tayo (us)
       - Sila - sila (them)

       Examples:
       - Tinulungan ako niya. (He/She helped me.)
       - Nabasa mo ba ang libro na binigay ko sa iyo? (Did you read the book that I gave you?)
       - Iniwan niya ang kanyang bag sa bahay. Kinuha ko siya. (He/She left his/her bag at home. I took it.)

• Possessive Pronouns: Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership or possession of something. In Tagalog, possessive pronouns are formed by adding "-ko," "-mo," or "-nya" to the end of basic pronouns. Here are some examples:

       - Ako - akin (mine)
       - Ikaw - iyo (yours)
       - Siya - kanya (his/hers/its)
       - Tayo - atin (ours)
       - Sila - kanila (theirs)

       Examples:
       - Anong gamit ko ang nasa loob ng bag mo? (What of mine is inside your bag?)
       - Bumili siya ng kotse. Iyon ang kanya. (He/She bought a car. That's his/hers.)
       - Nasaan ang libro natin? (Where is our book?)

• Reflexive Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject of the sentence acts upon itself. In Tagalog, reflexive pronouns are formed by adding the particle "mag-" to the basic pronoun. Here are some examples:

       - Ako - mag-ako (myself)
       - Ikaw - mag-ikaw (yourself)
       - Siya - mag-siya (himself/herself/itself)
       - Tayo - mag-tayo (ourselves)
       - Sila - mag-sila (themselves)

       Examples:
       - Nagbigay ako ng regalo sa sarili ko. (I gave myself a gift.)
       - Magpahinga ka muna at mag-ikot ka mamaya. (Rest for a while and take a walk later.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we've learned the basic Tagalog pronouns and their proper usage in sentence construction. We've seen how basic pronouns can be used as subject pronouns, object pronouns, possessive pronouns, and reflexive pronouns. The best way to master these basics is to practice. So, go ahead, use these pronouns in your daily conversation with a Tagalog-speaking friend or colleague. It's a fun and effective way to learn!

Great work on completing this lesson! Take a moment to investigate these connected pages: Complex Sentence Structures & Adjectives.

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Give your Opinion
• Irregular Verbs
• Modal Verbs
• How to Use Be
• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Regular Verbs
• Past and Present Tenses

Sources

• Tagalog grammar - Wikipedia
• Tagalog Sa Personal Pronouns
• Tagalog Pronouns: SA Pronouns - Tagalog Language SEASite