Tagalog grammar, step by step
A guided tour through Tagalog grammar with glossed examples that show how each piece of a sentence fits together.
Grammar Walkthrough
Discover how the language works through examples
Tagalog grammar revolves around a voice system — verb morphology signals which argument is the topic of the sentence — and aspect rather than tense, with reduplication marking whether an action is ongoing or yet to begin.
The actor takes focus
actor focusEach verb below has -um- inside it. Compare the verb to its root: kain → kumain, sulat → sumulat. Where exactly does -um- land?
The infix -um- is placed after the first consonant of the verb root. It signals that the doer of the action is the topic of the sentence — the one marked with "ang."
The verb comes first
VSO word orderIn both sentences, what comes before the subject? What comes after the subject? The order is always the same.
The verb opens the sentence, followed by the topic (ang phrase) and other arguments. This verb-first order is the natural pattern in Tagalog.
Three markers organize everything
case markers| Marker | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ang | topic (focused argument) | ang bata (the child — topic) |
| ng | non-topic / genitive | ng mangga (a mango — non-topic) |
| sa | oblique / location | sa kusina (in the kitchen) |
Three small words appear again and again: ang, ng, and sa. Each one comes before a different kind of noun. What role does each marker assign?
Three case markers organize the sentence: "ang" marks the topic (the focused argument), "ng" (pronounced "nang") marks non-topic agents or objects, and "sa" marks locations and oblique phrases.
Focus shifts to the patient
patient focusCompare "Kumain ang bata ng mangga" with "Kinain ng bata ang mangga." The mango is now marked with ang. What changed in the verb?
When the infix -in- (or suffix -in) marks the verb, the patient — the thing acted upon — becomes the topic (ang phrase). The doer shifts to a "ng" phrase. This voice alternation is the heart of Tagalog grammar.
Aspect, not tense
aspect| Voice | Completed | Incompleted | Contemplated |
|---|---|---|---|
| -um- (kain) | kumain | kumakain | kakain |
| mag- (luto) | nagluto | nagluluto | magluluto |
Look at the three forms of "kain" with -um-: kumain, kumakain, kakain. What changes between them? Notice the repeated syllable in two of the forms.
Tagalog verbs mark aspect, not tense. The completed aspect means the action is finished, the incompleted means it is ongoing, and the contemplated means it has not yet started. Reduplication of the first syllable is the key signal.
Copying syllables marks time
reduplicationCompare "sumulat" with "sumusulat" and "susulat." A piece of the root appears twice. Which syllable is copied, and what does each form mean?
Reduplication of the first syllable (or first consonant + vowel) of the root is the key mechanism for forming the incompleted and contemplated aspects. The completed form has no reduplication.
Pronouns come in three sets
pronoun sets| Person | ang-set | ng-set | sa-set |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1SG | ako | ko | sa akin |
| 2SG | ikaw (ka) | mo | sa iyo |
| 3SG | siya | niya | sa kanya |
| 1PL.EXCL | kami | namin | sa amin |
| 1PL.INCL | tayo | natin | sa atin |
| 2PL | kayo | ninyo | sa inyo |
| 3PL | sila | nila | sa kanila |
The word for "I" appears as ako, ko, and sa akin in different sentences. Why three forms?
Each pronoun has three forms matching the three case markers. The ang-form is used when the person is the topic, the ng-form when non-topic, and the sa-form for oblique roles.
Two words say no
negationOne sentence uses "hindi" and another uses "wala." Both negate, but they negate different kinds of things. What is the difference?
"Hindi" negates verbs and adjectives and is placed before the word it negates. "Wala" negates existence and possession, functioning as the opposite of "may" and "mayroon."
Asking with ba
questionsThe particle "ba" turns a statement into a question. Where is it placed in the sentence? And what happens when you use "sino" or "ano" instead?
The particle "ba" turns a statement into a yes/no question, placed after the first complete word or pronoun cluster. Information questions use words like "sino" (who), "ano" (what), "saan" (where), and "kailan" (when).
The little link between words
linkerBetween the adjective and the noun, a small connector appears: -ng after a vowel, na after a consonant. What is its job?
The linker -ng (after vowels) or "na" (after consonants) connects a modifier to the word it modifies — adjective to noun, number to noun, or even clause to noun.
Saying something exists
existentialsThree words express "there is" or "to have": may, mayroon, and wala. How do they differ from each other?
"May" and "mayroon" both mean "there is" or "to have." "May" is a particle that must be followed immediately by its complement; "mayroon" is a full word that can stand alone or take a pronoun with linker. "Wala" is the negation of both.
Focus shifts to the place
locative focusThe suffix -an appears on the verb, and now the location or surface is marked with ang. What does -an do to the sentence?
Adding -an to the verb root shifts the focus to the location or direction of the action. The place becomes the topic (ang phrase), while the actor moves to a "ng" phrase.
Focus shifts to the beneficiary
benefactive focusThe prefix i- appears on the verb. Now a different argument is marked with ang — the beneficiary or the instrument. What role did i- give it?
The prefix i- shifts the focus to the beneficiary or the thing transferred. That argument becomes the topic (ang phrase). (For true instrument focus — "write with X" — Tagalog uses the separate prefix ipang-/ipam-/ipan-.)
Another way to mark the actor
mag- verbs| Aspect | mag- form | Example (salita = speak) |
|---|---|---|
| Completed | nag- | nagsalita |
| Incompleted | nag- + redup | nagsasalita |
| Contemplated | mag- + redup | magsasalita |
Some verbs use the prefix mag- instead of the infix -um-. Both mark actor focus, but mag- has its own aspect pattern. Compare nag-, nag-+reduplication, and mag-+reduplication.
Many verbs use the prefix "mag-" instead of the infix "-um-" for actor focus. Mag- verbs are often used for volitional or deliberate actions and follow their own aspect pattern: nag- (completed), nag- + reduplication (incompleted), mag- + reduplication (contemplated).
Making nouns plural
pluralityThe word "mga" appears before the noun in each example. What does it do? Does the noun itself change form?
The word "mga" (pronounced "manga") is placed before a noun to mark it as plural. The noun itself does not change. It works with any case marker — ang mga, ng mga, sa mga.
Showing who owns what
possessivePossession uses the ng-form pronouns after the noun, or "ni" before a personal name. How does Tagalog say "my house" vs. "Maria's book"?
Possession uses the genitive form: ng-pronouns after the possessed noun (bahay ko "my house"), "ni" before personal names, or "ng" before common nouns.
The full picture
synthesisHow many grammar patterns from earlier steps can you identify in these sentences? Try naming each one before reading the gloss.
Tagalog grammar is a voice system — verb morphology (-um-, -in, -an, i-) determines which argument is the topic, while aspect (completed, incompleted, contemplated) is built through reduplication. Case markers (ang, ng, sa), the linker (-ng/na), mga for plurality, and pronoun sets complete the picture. Every sentence is organized around which argument the speaker chooses to put in focus.