Tagalog ANG Markers | Basic Filipino Grammar

When learning Tagalog grammar, one of the first things you’ll encounter are markers—words that tell you the role of a noun in a sentence. Among these, the ANG group of markers is the most important because it shows the subject or topic of the sentence.

Think of the ANG markers as spotlights: they highlight the person, thing, or group that the sentence is mainly talking about. They are sometimes referred to as the “focus markers” because they indicate which element of the sentence is in focus. They are short but powerful words that tell you who or what the sentence is really about.

The Four ANG Markers

ang	+singular common noun
ang mga	+ plural common noun
si	+ singular personal name
sina	+ plural people’s names

Functions of ANG Markers

ANG is used for one thing, animal, place, or general noun. While it often translates to the English definite article ‘the,’ its deeper role in Tagalog is to mark which noun is the topic or focus of the sentence.

– ang aso (the dog)

– ang bahay (the house)

– ang babae (the girl)

– ang pating (the shark)

– ang palaruan (the playground)

Note: In everyday spoken Tagalog, the word iyong is sometimes used as an alternative to ang — often shortened to ’yong or ’yung in casual conversations. For example: ’Yung bahay ay malaki. means The house is big. Learners should know that while ang is the standard form taught in grammar, ’yong and ’yung are very common in natural Tagalog speech.

ANG MGA is used for two or more things, animals, or general nouns. The word mga (pronounced ma-nga) makes a noun plural, similar to adding -s in English.

– ang mga palaka (the frogs)

– ang mga halaman (the plants)

– ang mga bata (the children)

– ang mga bansa (the countries)

– ang mga bote (the bottles)

Si is used only for one person’s name and mark the topic or main focus of a sentence. It has no equivalent in English.

– si Katherine (Katherine)

– si Angela (Angela)

– si Leslie (Leslie)

Sina is used when talking about two or more people’s names. It has no English translation either.

– sina Alice at Leigh (Alice and Leigh)

– sina Girlie at Julia (Girlie and Julia)

– sina Eleazar at Agnes (Eleazar and Agnes)

Key Grammar Points

– They always mark the subject/topic (the one being talked about).

– Ang and Ang mga are for things, animals, or general nouns.

– Ang is never used for people’s names but can be used for common nouns that refer to people like friend, father, president, etc. when they are used as the topic or focus of the sentence.

e.g. ang pinsan ko (my cousin)

ang mga kaibigan namin (our friends)

– ‘Yung or ‘yong often replace ang in spoken Tagalog.

– Si and Sina are specifically for people’s names.

– These markers always come before the noun they mark.