Language/Tagalog/Grammar/Pronouns

Tagalog Grammar - Pronouns

Hi Tagalog learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be discussing one of the most important parts of Tagalog grammar - Pronouns. As you may know, pronouns are a type of word that take the place of a noun in a sentence. Using pronouns correctly is essential for clear and effective communication in any language.

To navigate through this lesson, please use the table of contents below:

What are pronouns?

Pronouns are words that replace nouns in sentences. They are often used to avoid repeating the same noun multiple times, making sentences shorter and more concise. In Tagalog, there are several different types of pronouns, including personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, and demonstrative pronouns.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are used to refer to people or things. In Tagalog, these pronouns have a corresponding form depending on whether the noun being referred to is singular or plural. For example:

Tagalog	Pronunciation	English
Ako	ah-KOH	I/me
Ikaw	ee-KAW	You
Siya	see-YAH	He/She
Kami	KAH-mee	We/us
Kayo	KAH-yoh	You (plural)
Sila	SEE-lah	They/them (plural)

Here is an example dialogue using personal pronouns:

• Person 1: Ako ay nagugutom. (I am hungry.)
• Person 2: Ako rin. Gusto mo ba magkain na tayo? (Me too. Do you want to eat now?)
• Person 1: Oo, kain na tayo. (Yes, let's eat.)

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns show ownership or possession of something. They are used to replace nouns and to indicate who or what something belongs to. In Tagalog, possessive pronouns also have different forms depending on whether the noun they are replacing is singular or plural. For example:

Tagalog	Pronunciation	English
Akin	ah-KIN	Mine
Iyo/Ninyo	ee-YOH/nee-NYOH	Yours (singular/plural)
Kanya	KAH-nyah	His/hers/its/Theirs (singular)
Amin	ah-MIN	Ours
Inyo	ee-NYOH	Yours (plural)
Kanila	kah-NEE-lah	Theirs (plural)

Here is an example dialogue using possessive pronouns:

• Person 1: Akin ang libro na iyan. (That book is mine.)
• Person 2: Hindi, iyo iyan. (No, that book is yours.)
• Person 1: Talaga? Salamat! (Really? Thank you!)

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate or point to specific nouns in a sentence. In Tagalog, these pronouns also have different forms for singular and plural nouns. For example:

Tagalog	Pronunciation	English
Ito	ee-TOH	This (singular)
Iyan	ee-YAHN	That (singular)
Iyon	ee-YOHN	That (far from both speaker and listener) (singular)
Nito	NEE-toh	This (near the speaker) (plural)
Niyan	NEE-yahn	That (near the listener) (plural)
Niyon	NEE-yohn	That (far from both speaker and listener) (plural)

Here is an example dialogue using demonstrative pronouns:

• Person 1: Ito ang bahay ko. (This is my house.)
• Person 2: Maganda ito. (This is beautiful.)
• Person 1: Salamat. At iyan, ano iyon? (Thank you. And that, what is that?)
• Person 2: Iyon ay isang puno. (That is a tree.)

Comparison to English Pronouns

It's worth noting the differences between Tagalog and English Pronouns. For example, English has gender-neutral pronouns such as "they" and "them", while Tagalog uses "sila". However, Tagalog makes it easier to indicate possession with the use of the possessive pronoun, which typically requires the use of "of" in English.

To improve your Tagalog Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Tagalog grammar page on Wikipedia
• Tagalog language page on Wikipedia
• Pronoun page on Wikipedia

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