Ang, ng, and sa, besides being three of the most commonly used Tagalog particles, are also called marking particles. While using marking particles in Tagalog is almost instinctual to native speakers, the same cannot be said for first-time learners.
If you’re in the latter group, this article is for you.
First, let’s get to defining marking particles in Tagalog.
What Are Marking Particles?
Marking particles are essential building blocks in Tagalog sentence construction. They indicate the relationship of nouns and pronouns to other elements in a sentence. These particles mark whether the noun is the subject, object, or indirect object of the sentence.
The three primary marking particles in Tagalog are “ang”, “ng”, and “sa”.
Although these particles might seem simple, their proper usage can be tricky for language learners, especially when you’re trying to string together more complex sentences. Misplacing or confusing these markers can completely alter the meaning of your sentence, leading to misunderstandings.
Let’s break down the difference between ang, ng, and sa.
Tagalog Marking Particles
1. Ang
- Ang is used to mark the focus or subject of a sentence.
- It’s similar to saying “the” in English but with a specific role of identifying the subject. Think of it as pointing to the person, place, or thing that the sentence is mainly about.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Tumatahol nang malakas ang aso. | The dog is barking loudly. |
- It is used before a noun, except for pronouns and proper nouns of people and animals.
- For example:
| Tagalog Example | Correct | Wrong | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
ang sila | ✘ | the them | |
ang Angela | ✘ | the Angela | |
ang kapatid | ✔ | the sibling | |
ang lawa | ✔ | the lake |
- Mga is added after ang to indicate that a noun is plural.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
ang mga pinsan | the cousins |
ang mga ibon | the birds |
ang mga lapis | the pencils |
ang mga silya | the chairs |
- Ng (pronounced as “nang“) is used to mark the object of a sentence or the thing that is being acted upon.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Binigyan nila ako ng manika. | They gave me a doll. |
Kumakain si Ben ng guyabano. | Ben is eating a guyabano. |
Si Ken ay humihiram ng pera. | Ken is borrowing money. |
Sila ay nakikinig ng kanta. | They are listening to music. |
- It serves as a possessive marker of nouns except pronouns and proper nouns of people. It denotes the possession of something.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Makapal ang libro ng guro. | The teacher’s book is thick. |
Malapad ang sanga ng puno namin. | Our tree’s branches are wide. |
Napakalakas ang pito ng pulis. | The cop’s whistle is very loud. |
Malalaki ang tinapay ng panaderya. | The bakery’s breads are big. |
3. Sa
- Sa is a preposition particle used to mark the location, direction, or possession in a sentence.
- Depending on the context, it can be translated to prepositions like “to,” “in,” “on,” or “at” in English, except Tagalog only has “sa”.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Si Glen ay pupunta sa simbahan. | Glen is going to church. |
May keyk na nakatago sa ref. | There’s a cake hidden in the fridge. |
Napakagaling ng aktres sa entablado. | The actress on the stage is very good. |
Ang sikat na bibingka ay matatagpuan sa Ilocos Sur. | The famous bibingka is found at Ilocos Sur. |
- It is used with all nouns except some pronouns and proper nouns of people.
- Sa is also used to show possession when followed by sa pronouns such as akin, iyo, kanya, amin, atin, inyo, and kanila.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Sa kanya ang bahay na ito. | This house is hers/his. |
Ang pagkain na ito ay para sa kanila. | This food is for them. |
Para sa akin ang lapis na ito. | This pencil is mine/for me. |
Sa amin galing ang litratong ito. | This picture came from us. |
Things To Note
- Depending on the context, ng and sa can be interchangeable.
- For example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Kami ay galing ng Cebu. | We came from Cebu. |
Kami ay galing sa Cebu. | We came from Cebu. |
- According to a study by Maira Matsushita, Veronica Almeida, and Mattley Ilagan, despite being semantically the same, sa and ng show a difference pragmatically. Using sa can sound more detached while ng shows more familiarity.
Application and Combination
These markers often work together to build more complex sentences.
Let’s take a look at this example:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Bumili ang kasama ko ng siomai sa tindahan. | My companion went to buy siomai at the store. |
- ang kasama → this indicates the subject or the focus of the sentence
- ng siomai → this indicates that siomai is the one being bought
- sa tindahan → shows the location where the action is happening
Other examples:
| Tagalog | English |
|---|---|
Kumikislap ang mga bituin sa langit. | The stars in the sky are shining. |
Sinundan namin ang aleng papunta sa parada. | We followed the woman who’s on the way to the parade. |
Namingwit ng isda ang kapatid ko sa ilog. | My sibling fished at the river. |
Dissecting The Details
Mastering “ang,” “ng,” and “sa” in Tagalog is crucial for constructing sentences that flow naturally. These particles are fundamental in identifying the subject, object, and location in a sentence.
If you’re still having difficulties using ang, ng, and sa, Turong Wika can help.
Turong Wika is a language-learning app that offers easy-to-follow lessons focused on conversational Tagalog. You can practice sentence construction with real-life examples, ensuring you fully grasp the proper usage of these fundamental particles.
The app’s other features such as the Cheat Sheet and Practice will guide you in building sentences and mastering the nuances of the language, one lesson at a time.
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