Personal Pronouns: The 'ang' Set

01

The Forms

• ako — I
• ka / ikaw — you (one person)
• siya — he, she, it
• kami — we (not including you)
• tayo — we (including you)
• kayo — you (more than one, or polite)
• sila — they

• Nanonood ako ng pelikula.

  I am watching a movie.

• Kumakain kami ng pananghalian.

  We are eating lunch.

• Natutulog ka ba?

  Are you sleeping?

• Sila ay magkaibigan.

  They are friends.

02

No Gender

Siya covers "he", "she", and often "it". Tagalog simply does not encode gender in its pronouns, so the same word serves for a man, a woman, or a child. Only context tells you which is meant — which is why Filipinos speaking English sometimes mix up "he" and "she".

• Siya ay natutulog din.

  He is also sleeping. / She is also sleeping.

03

'ka' and 'ikaw' — Same Word, Two Shapes

Both mean "you", but they cannot be swapped freely.

• ka is the everyday form. It leans on the word before it and can never begin a sentence.
• ikaw is the form used at the start of a sentence, or standing alone as a one-word reply.

• Kamusta ka?

  How are you? (ka after the first word)

• Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka.

  Nice to meet you.

• Ikaw ba ang guro?

  Are you the teacher? (sentence-initial, so ikaw)

Saying Ka ba ang guro? is impossible. If the pronoun needs to come first, it must be ikaw.

04

They Move to Second Position

Except for ikaw, these pronouns are enclitic: they attach right after the first word of the predicate rather than waiting at the end where a full noun phrase would sit.

• Kumakain ang lalaki.

  The man is eating. (noun at the end)

• Kumakain siya.

  He is eating. (pronoun in second position)

• Isa siyang estudyante.

  She is a student.

05

Politeness Through Plurality

Kayo is literally the plural "you", but like French vous, it is also used for one person you wish to treat with respect — an elder, a customer, a stranger.

• Kumain kayo ng mabuti.

  Enjoy your meal. (to several people, or politely to one)