Conjunctions: Linking Ideas

01

Joining and Contrasting

• at — and
• tsaka — and, plus (casual, tacking on an afterthought)
• pero — but (everyday)
• ngunit — but (formal, written)
• o — or

• Mayroon akong kotse, bisikleta, at motorsiklo.

  I have a car, a bicycle, and a motorbike.

• Gusto kong mag-bake ng cake, pero wala akong itlog.

  I want to bake a cake, but I don't have any eggs.

• Hindi nila ito nakikita, pero naririnig nila ito.

  They don't see it, but they hear it.

• Bibilhin ko ba ang kotse na ito o iyon?

  Should I buy this car or that one?

02

Giving Reasons

• dahil — because
• kasi — because (casual, very common in speech)
• kaya — so, therefore

• Malusog ka dahil kumakain ka ng gulay.

  You are healthy because you eat vegetables.

• Masyadong mahaba ang pelikula kaya nakakainip ito.

  The movie is too long, so it is boring.

• Nasunog ang kanin dahil nakalimutan kong bantayan ito.

  The rice got burned because I forgot to watch it.

03

Conditions: 'kung' and 'kapag'

Both translate as "if" or "when", but they are not identical.

• kung — if, for something uncertain or hypothetical
• kapag — when, for something expected to happen, or a general rule

• Tataba ka kung puro hindi masustansyang pagkain ang kinakain mo.

  You will get fat if you only eat unhealthy food.

• Kung sinabi mo sa akin, binigyan sana kita ng pera.

  If you had told me, I would have given you money.

• Naiinitan ako kapag nasa labas ako sa hapon.

  I feel hot when I am outside in the afternoon.

Kung also introduces indirect questions:

• Sabihin mo sa akin kung anong problema.

  Tell me what the problem is.

04

Time Relations

• bago — before
• pagkatapos / tapos — after, then
• habang — while
• hanggang — until
• hangga't — as long as, for as long as (before a whole clause)
• nang — when (of a single past event)

• Dapat nating linisin ang bahay bago sumapit ang gabi.

  We should clean the house before evening comes.

• Nainitan siya habang naglalakad sa palengke.

  He felt hot while walking in the market.

• Hanggang sa muli.

  See you again. (lit. until next time)

05

Concession

• kahit — even if, even though, although

• Kahit mahal, bibilhin ko.

  Even though it is expensive, I will buy it.

06

A Note on 'tapos'

In relaxed speech tapos is used constantly to string events together, much like English "and then". It is one of the clearest markers of natural conversational Tagalog.

• Kumain kami, tapos umuwi na kami.

  We ate, and then we went home.