Pronouns

There are three different sets of pronouns in Tagalog. However these can be categorised in the same way as the markers. We have pronouns we can call “ang pronouns” in which the pronoun is the focus of the sentence much like the way “ang” points to the sentence focus. We also have “ng” pronouns in which the focus is not on the pronoun but something else, however the pronoun is involved in the situation. The final set of pronouns are the “sa” pronouns which indicates some kind of movement towards the pronoun.

Direct (ang) Indirect (ng) Oblique (sa)
1st person singular ako ko akin
1st person plural inclusive tayo natin atin
1st person plural exclusive kami namin amin
2nd person singular ikaw (ka) mo iyo
2nd person plural kayo ninyo inyo
3rd person singular siya niya kaniya
3rd person plural sila nila kanila

ANG pronouns

Ako - I

Pilipino Ako / Ako ay Pilipino – I am Filipino


Ikaw - You

Pilipino ka / Ikaw ay Pilipino

You will notice that something has changed in the above example. Ikaw can only be used at the start of a sentence, if it appears anywhere else it must be shortened to ka.


Siya – He/She (Only one word for he and she in Tagalog!)

Pilipino siya / Siya ay Pilipino – He/She is Filipino


Kami – We (excluding listener)

Pilipino kami / Kami ay Pilipino – We are Filipino (excluding the listener)

There are 2 ways of saying “We” in Tagalog. We as in if you are telling the listener “we are” and it doesn't involve them. The other one is “we” as in everybody including the listener.


Tayo – We (including listener)

Pilipino tayo – We are Filipino (including the listener)

In this example we are telling the listener that we are filipino, and so are they!


Kayo – You (plural) / You all

Pilipino kayo – You (plural) are Filipino


Sila – They

Pilipino sila / Sila ay Pilipino – They are filipino


NG Pronouns

Ko – My

Ang bag ko – My bag


Mo – Your

Ang bag mo – Your bag


Niya – His/Her

Ang bag niya – His/Her bag


Namin – Our (excluding listener)

Ang bag namin – Our bag (not yours)


Natin – Our (Including listener)

Ang bag natin – Our bag (your bag too!)


Ninyo / niyo – Your (plural)

Ang bag niyo – The bag of you (all)


Nila – their

Ang bag nila – Their bag


SA Pronouns

(sa) akin – mine / to me

Para sa akin ba ito? – Is this for me

Ang aking bag – My bag


(sa) iyo – yours / to you

Para sa iyo ba ito? – Is this for you?

Ang iyong bag – Your bag


(sa) kanya – his or hers / to him or her

Para sa kanya ba ito? – Is this for him/her?

Ang kanyang Bag – His/Her bag


(sa) amin – ours / to us (excluding listener)

Para sa amin ba ito? – Is this for us? (excluding listener)

Ang aming bag – Our bag (excluding listener)


(sa) atin - ours / to us (including listener)

Para sa atin ba ito? – Is this for us (including listener)

Ang ating Bag – Our bag (Including listener)


(sa) inyo – yours (plural) / to you (plural)

Para sa inyo ba ito? – Is this for you (all)?

Ang ating Bag – Our bag (Including listener)


(sa) kanila – theirs / to them

Para sa kanila ba ito? – Is this for them?

Ang kanilang bag – Their bag


Kay - ___ ’s / to ___

There is a final “sa” pronoun that should be noted here, and that is for names. When a name is used in this context “sa” is actually replaced with the word “kay” as below:

Para kay Tony ba ito? – Is this for Tony?

Bigyan mo itong pera kay Tony – Give this money to Tony