There are times in which you don’t agree with something or someone. But how do you express that? Easy, by using negative particles and creating negative sentences in Tagalog.
Negative sentences are inevitable when learning a language. After all, these are crucial for expressing what isn’t happening, what you don’t want, or what you can’t do.
To create a negative sentence, you need to know the Tagalog negative particles and how to use them. Let’s get to it!
Tagalog Negative Particles
First, let’s define what a negative particle is.
A negative particle is a word that is used to express denial, refusal, prohibition, and negation of a word or phrase within a sentence. English, for example, uses the word “not.”
Tagalog has three primary words used to form negative sentences: hindi, wala, and huwag. Here’s how they are used:
1. Hindi
- Hindi by itself means “no” in Tagalog. But when it is used as a negative particle in a sentence, it becomes “not.” Let’s dive into its multiple uses:
a. Possessive Pronoun in the Predicate
- When a possessive pronoun is a part of the predicate and it is used with hindi, the pronoun must come immediately after it.
- For example:
| PREDICATE | SUBJECT | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ADVERB | POSSESSIVE PRONOUN | COMMON NOUN | SUBJECT MARKER | PROPER NOUN | |
Hindi | nila | kilala | si | Aaron. | They do not know Aaron. |
Hindi | ko | alam | ang | nangyari. | I don’t know what happened. |
- An exception happens when a possessive pronoun is part of a noun phrase.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Hindi mainit ang kape ko. | My coffee is not hot. |
Hindi maganda ang pagtatanghal nila. | Their performance is not good. |
b. Nominative Pronouns as Subjects
- When nominative pronouns are being used with hindi, the subject comes first followed by the predicate.
- For example:
| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | |
|---|---|---|---|
NEGATIVE PARTICLE | NOMINATIVE PRONOUN | COMMON NOUN | |
Hindi | ka | guro. | You are not a teacher. |
Hindi | kami | abogado. | We are not lawyers. |
c. Adjectives in the Predicate
- To use an adjective with hindi, simply place the adjective in the predicate after the negative particle.
- For example:
| PREDICATE | SUBJECT | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ADVERB | ADJECTIVE | SUBJECT MARKER | COMMON NOUN | POSSESSIVE PRONOUN | |
Hindi | puno | ang | timba | nila. | Their bucket is not full. |
Hindi | matangkad | ang | puno | namin. | Our tree is not tall. |
d. Interjections
- When hindi is being used as an interjection, the meaning changes to “no” instead of “not”. Therefore the predicate comes first followed by the subject.
- For example:
| PREDICATE | SUBJECT | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
INTERJECTION | ADJECTIVE OR COMMON NOUN | SUBJECT MARKER | COMMON NOUN | PRONOUN | |
Hindi, | tama | si | Angelo. | No, Angelo is right. | |
Hindi, | guro | ako. | No, I am a teacher. | ||
2. Wala
- Wala means “none”, “nothing,” or “There is none.” It is often used to indicate the absence of something or someone. Here’s how it is used:
a. Nominative Pronouns as Subjects
- When nominative pronouns are being used with wala, the subject comes first followed by the predicate. Also, add a ligature to the pronoun.
- For example:
| SUBJECT | PREDICATE | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | |
|---|---|---|---|
NEGATIVE PARTICLE | NOMINATIVE PRONOUN | COMMON NOUN OR VERB | |
Wala | akong | pagkain. | I have no food. |
Wala | silang | magawa. | They have nothing to do. |
b. Nouns in the Predicate
- When using wala alongside a noun, add the ligature “ng” to wala and place it before the noun in the predicate.
- For example:
| PREDICATE | SUBJECT | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEGATIVE PARTICLE | COMMON NOUN | SUBJECT MARKER | COMMON NOUN | POSSESSIVE PRONOUN | |
Walang | laman | ang | baunan | niya. | His/Her lunchbox contains nothing. |
Walang | alimango | sa | probinsiya | namin. | There are no crabs in our province. |
c. Verbs in the Predicate
- When used alongside a verb, add the “ng” ligature to wala and place it before the verb.
- For example:
| PREDICATE | SUBJECT | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
NEGATIVE PARTICLE | VERB | SUBJECT MARKER | NOUN | |
Walang | sumayaw | sa | entablado. | Nobody danced on the stage. |
Walang | ginagawa | si | Alex. | Alex is doing nothing. Alex isn’t doing anything. |
3. Huwag
- Huwag translates as “don’t.” It is a command to not do something.
- It is usually used at the beginning of the sentence to negate a verb.
- For example:
| NEGATIVE PARTICLE | NOMINATIVE PRONOUN | VERB | SUBJECT MARKER | NOUN OR PRONOUN | ENGLISH TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Huwag | mong | galawin | ito. | Don’t touch this. | |
Huwag | ninyong | pabayaan | si | Leo. | Don’t abandon Leo. |
There’s Nothing Wrong With A Right Refusal
Creating negative sentences in Tagalog is a fundamental part of learning the language. Negation allows you to articulate a wide range of thoughts and emotions, from simple denials to expressing the absence of something.
By understanding their correct usage, you gain access to a whole new plethora of ways to express yourself. This then further improves your communication skills and helps you understand the deeper nuances of the language.
You may sound clunky at first, but that’s okay. It’s all part of the learning process. With consistent practice and exposure, the structures will start to feel more intuitive. Soon enough, constructing negative sentences in Tagalog will become second nature.
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Saying “no” is an important skill to have. Scan the code below to download the app now!
Saying “no” is an important skill to have. Click on the button below to download the app now!
