Filipino (Tagalog) Grammar ON HOLD

Basics 1: Lesson 3

Vocabulary to know for this lesson.

- mansana (apple)

- pula (red)

- bata (child)

- kumakain (eats/(is/are) eating) (present tense)

- ng (object-focus marker)

- ka (you)

_Kumakain_

We won't talk about how to conjugate verbs in this skill, instead we will just learn them like a word.

As I said on Lesson 1, the word order follows a verb-initial, or, synonymous to it, verb-subject-object. Using this rule, the verb must come first, then, the subject, finally, the object. We will only tackle subject pronouns as the subject. Nouns will be discussed as subjects in the next lesson.

How do you say "He is eating"?

- Kumakain siya.

Unlike French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English, Tagalog does not have a different form of a verb by subject. The verb is common to every subject pronoun.

To add an object, you need to put an object-focus marker, ng. Its purpose is to know which is the object of the sentence. The noun that represents the object is preceded by ng. However, the marker is primarily used for nouns only, not for object pronouns.

How do you say "I eat an apple"?

- Kumakain ako ng mansana.

The verb itself is translated either present progressive or simple present, "I am eating" or "I eat". That will note also to all verbs of Tagalog that it is translated either the present progressive or the simple present.

One question that I may be bombarded with is that if I were to say "I eat the apple," I have to change the verb and the object into their opposites where the object is focused and the verb is "not focused". We will talk about them more when we get to Basics 2.

_Ikaw vs. Ka_

Ikaw is only used at the beginning of the sentence or an expression whereas ka is only used to other parts of the sentence or expression.

Consider this conversation where ikaw is used:

- Kumusta Roy? (How are you Roy?)

- Mabuti. Ikaw? (Good. You?)

Here, ikaw is used at the beginning of the expression. Ka is never used in that particular case.

Consider this sentence where ka is used:

- Kumakain ka ng mansana? (Are you eating an apple?)

Here, ka is placed second of the sentence. Ikaw, if used here, is strange for a Filipino speaker to hear it.

---

If you have any questions, please post them. Salamat!