The Three Markers: 'ang', 'ng', and 'sa' — Filipino Grammar

Tagalog does not use word order to show who did what to whom. It uses three little markers placed before a noun. Learning these three is the single most useful thing you can do early on, because almost every sentence contains at least one.

'ang' — The Phrase in Focus

marks the one noun the sentence is centred on. English often translates it as "the", but it is not really an article: it announces "this is the item the verb is pointing at".

Kumakain ang lalaki.
The man is eating.
Huli na ang bus.
The bus is late.
Ito ang computer ko.
This is my computer.

'ng' — The Doer or the Undergoer Not in Focus

(pronounced nang) marks a noun that is involved in the action but is not the one in focus. It does double duty. It marks the object when the verb points at the doer:

Umiinom ako ng tubig.
I am drinking water.
Nagbabasa kami ng libro.
We are reading a book.
Bibili ako ng isang saging.
I am buying one banana.

...and it marks the doer when the verb points at the object instead:

Kinain ng bata ang mansanas.
The child ate the apple.

also links two nouns, showing possession or a type:

Ang drayber ng bus ay nagmamaneho ng bus.
The bus driver is driving the bus.
Kailangan ko ng isang litro ng gatas.
I need a liter of milk.

'sa' — Place, Direction, and Recipient

covers everything English splits between in, on, at, and to. It marks where something is, where it is going, or who receives it.

Pupunta ako sa supermarket.
I am going to the supermarket.
Dumarating ang mga bus sa hintuan ng bus.
The busses are arriving at the bus stop.
Mangyaring pumunta ka sa tindahan.
Please go to the store.

Making Them Plural

Add (pronounced manga) after the marker to show plurality. The marker itself never changes.

Ang mga tao ay bumababa mula sa bus.
The people are getting off the bus.
Mamimili ako ng mga grocery.
I am shopping for groceries.

The Pattern to Memorise

— the item in focus
— the other participant: object, or the doer when the object is in focus
— location, direction, recipient

Each marker has a matching set of pronouns and a matching set for people's names, so this three-way split repeats throughout the language.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Filipino course

374 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “The Three Markers: 'ang', 'ng', and 'sa'” is about in bold:

Ito ang kaibigan ko, si Anna. Isa siyang estudyante.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
Bibili ako ng isang saging at anim na itlog.
I am buying one banana and six eggs.
Lesson 43
Bumili ako ng isang dosenang itlog at isa ring candy bar para sa iyo.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47

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