Tagalog pronouns used in place of persons can be grouped as follows: |
| Number/Person | subject pronouns | object pronouns | possessive pronouns |
|---|---|---|---|
| One/singular First Second third | ako-I ikaw-you,ka-you siya-he/she | ko-me mo-you niya-her/his | akin-mine iyo-yours kanya-his/hers |
| Double/Two First Second Third | Kita-we/you and I, tayo - we [inclusive-the two of us] kayo-you [exclusive-the two of you] sila - them | natin-we ninyo-you [exclusive] nila-them | atin-ours inyo-your kanila-theirs |
| Plural First Second Third | kami-we kayo-you sila-they | namin-us ninyo-you nila-them | amin-our inyo-your kanila - their |
Tagalog pronouns must have unity with nouns in number and gender.
| Singular Pronouns | Plural Pronouns |
|---|---|
| Nanalo si Pacquiao. (Pacquio won.) Nanalo siya. | Nanalo sina Pacquiao. (Pacquiao and company won.[or Pacquiao and those with Pacquiao won.]) Nanalo sila. (They won.) | Disenyo ng modista (Dressmaker' design) Disenyo niya or Kanyang disenyo (Her design) | Disenyo ng mga modista (Dressmakers' design) Disenyo nila or Kanilang disenyo (Their design) |
| Pelikula ni Brilliantes (Film of Brilliantes or Film by Brilliantes) Pelikula niya or Kanyang pelikula (His film) | Pelikula nina Brilliantes at Meily (Film of/by Brilliantes and Meily) Pelikula nila or Kanilang pelikula (Their film) |
| Bibisita si Marina sa bayan. (Marina will visit the town.) Bibisita siya sa bayan. (She will visit the town.) | Bibisita sina Marina sa mga bayan-bayan. (Marina and company will visit towns.) Bibisita sila sa mga bayan-bayan. (They will visit the towns.) |
| Isusumbong ka ni Mario kay Tulfo. (Mario will report you to Tulfo.) Isusumbong ka niya kay Tulfo. (He will report you to Tulfo.) | Isusumbong ka nina Ka Obet kina Tulfo at Sanchez. (Ka Obet and company will report you to Tulfo and Sanchez.) Isusumbong ka nila kina Tulfo at Sanchez. (They will report you to Tulfo and Sanchez.) |
Pronoun Confusion
Q:Which pronouns to use?
Before Noun: mo (mong), akin (aking), amin (aming), kaniya (kaniyang), kanila (kanilang)
Example: aking Nanay (my mother), aking anak (my child), iyong relo (your watch), Kanyang kapatid (his brother), kanilang bahay (their house), aming kapitbahay (our neighbor)
After Noun: ko, niya, ninyo, mo, nila
Example: Nanay ko (my mother), anak ko (my child), relo mo (your watch), kapatid niya (his sister), bahay nila (their house),kapitbahay namin (our neighbor)
A: (Sometimes this can be done)
Either consistently use the "after noun" set or the “before noun" set. Otherwise, let natural speech dictate the best pronoun to use in a sentence.
