Existence and Possession: 'may', 'mayroon', and 'wala'

01

The Rule: What Follows?

• may must be followed immediately by the thing possessed. Nothing may come between.
• mayroon is used when something else — usually a pronoun — needs to sit in between.

• May kotse ako.

  I have a car. (may + noun straight away)

• Mayroon akong kotse.

  I have a car. (pronoun intervenes, so mayroon)

Both sentences mean exactly the same thing. Only the word order differs, and the word order is what forces the choice.

• Mayroon akong kotse, bisikleta, at motorsiklo.

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

• Mayroon akong dalawang anak, isang lalaki at isang babae.

  I have two children, a son and a daughter.

• May kailangan ka ba?

  Do you need anything?

02

Don't Forget the Linker

The linker is easy to drop, and where it lands moves. When a pronoun sits between mayroon and the noun, the linker attaches to the pronoun: ako becomes akong.

• Mayroon akong dalawang anak.

  I have two children.

When nothing comes between them, it attaches to mayroon itself.

• Ako ay mayroong aso at pusa.

  I have a dog and a cat.

Leaving it out either way is a very common slip.

03

"There Is" — the Same Words

Used without a possessor, these words simply state that something exists.

• Mayroong isang mansanas, isang saging, at isang dalandan.

  There is an apple, a banana, and an orange.

• May tao sa labas.

  There is someone outside.

English keeps "have" and "there is" apart; Tagalog does not distinguish them at all.

04

'meron' — the Spoken Form

In conversation you will hear and see meron far more than mayroon. It is the same word, spelled the way it is actually pronounced. Use mayroon in writing, and expect meron everywhere else.

05

'wala' — the Negative of Both

There is no negated may. To say "have no" or "there isn't", you switch to a different word entirely: wala. It behaves like mayroon, taking the linker.

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

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

• Wala akong oras. Nagmamadali ako.

  I have no time. I'm in a hurry.

• Siya ay walang trabaho.

  She is unemployed. (lit. she has no work)

• Ang aming anak na lalaki ay walang trabaho.

  Our son doesn't have a job.

Never say hindi may. The negative of may is always wala.

06

A Set Phrase Worth Knowing

• Salamat. Walang anuman.

  Thank you. You're welcome. (lit. there is nothing)