The TAGALOG alphabet - 28 letters
based on the Latin script
consists of 28 letters
20 consonants and 8 vowels.
Tagalog Alphabet
Vowels Consonants
- a b
- e k
- i d
- o l
- u m
- n
- p
- r
- s
- t
- w
- y
- ng
The modern alphabet is used in educational and formal contexts,
while an older version may appear in some traditional contexts.
Pronunciation Guide
Vowels:
a: pronounced as in "father"
e: pronounced as in "met"
i: pronounced as in "machine"
o: pronounced as in "more"
u: pronounced as in "food"
Consonants:
b: as in "bat"
k: as in "kite"
d: as in "dog"
l: as in "line"
m: as in "man"
n: as in "net"
p: as in "pat"
r: rolled, similar to the Spanish "r"
s: as in "sip"
t: as in "top"
w: as in "we"
y: as in "yes"
ng: as in "sing"
Special Letters
The letters "c," "f," "j," "q," "v," "x," and "z" are
not traditionally part of the Tagalog alphabet but
are used in loanwords and foreign terms.
Overview of Tagalog Grammar
Tagalog, one of the major languages of the Philippines,
has a unique grammatical structure and features that set it apart
from many Indo-European languages.
It is an inflecting language, it uses affixes to modify
word meanings and grammatical functions.
Sentence Structure
Basic Word Order:
Sentence structure is verb-subject-object (VSO),
although other structures are also common:
Kumain ang bata ng saging (The child ate a banana).
Mayroon akong libro (I have a book).
Nouns
Types of Nouns:
Common Nouns: General names (e.g., pusa - cat).
Proper Nouns: Specific names (e.g., Manila).
Pluralization:
pluralization is indicated through the use of the prefix "mga":
mga tao (people), mga libro (books).
Verbs
Roots and Affixes:
Verbs are formed from root words combined with various affixes
that indicate tense, aspect, and focus.
Aspects:
Completed (Perfect):
Indicates a completed action
(e.g., kumain - ate).
Incompleted (Imperfect):
Indicates an ongoing action
(e.g., kumakain - is eating).
Contemplated (Future):
Indicates an action that will happen
(e.g., kakain - will eat).
Focus System:
Tagalog verbs also change form based on focus
(actor, object, etc.),
affecting the verb prefix or infix used.
Pronouns
Personal Pronouns:
First Person:
Singular: ako (I)
Plural: tayo (we, inclusive) / kami (we, exclusive)
Second Person:
Singular: ikaw / ka (you)
Plural: kayo (you all)
Third Person:
Singular: siya (he/she)
Plural: sila (they)
Articles
Tagalog uses two types of articles:
Definite Article: ang for singular nouns
(e.g., ang aso - the dog).
Indefinite Article: isang for singular
(e.g., isang pusa - a cat).
Adjectives
Adjectives usually precede the noun they modify,
and they can be intensified by adding "napaka-" (very):
magandang bahay (beautiful house).
napakaganda (very beautiful).
Questions in Tagalog typically use
"ano" (what), "sino" (who),
"saan" (where), and "bakit" (why).
The structure remains generally VSO:
Saan ka pupunta? (Where are you going?)
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ENGLISH ALPHABET - 26 letters
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Uppercase Lowercase - based on the Latin script.
Script Direction: Left to right, similar to most Latin scripts.
- A a
- B b
- C c
- D d
- E e
- F f
- G g
- H h
- I i
- J j
- K k
- L l
- M m
- N n
- O o
- P p
- Q q
- R r
- S s
- T t
- U u
- V v
- W w
- X x
- Y y
- Z z
Basic English Grammar Rules
Part of Speech | Description | Examples
- Nouns: Names of people, places, or things cat, Jack, Africa
- Verbs: Action words that indicate what is happening run, eat, think
- Adjectives: Words that describe nouns happy, blue, tall
- Adverbs: Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs quickly, very, well
- Pronouns: Replace nouns to avoid repetition he, she, it, they
- Prepositions: Show relationships between nouns and other words in, on, at, to
- Conjunctions: Connect words, phrases, or clauses and, but, or
- Interjections: Express emotions or sudden exclamations wow, ouch, hey
Sentence Structure
- Complete Sentences: Must have a subject and a verb.
Example: "She runs."
- Subject-Verb Agreement: The subject and verb must match in number.
Example: "He runs" (singular) vs. "They run" (plural).
- Use of Articles:
"A" before consonant sounds,
"an" before vowel sounds,
and "the" for specific items.
Example: "a book," "an apple," "the car."
- Consistent Verb Tenses: Maintain the same tense throughout a sentence.
Example: "I went to the store and bought milk."
- Avoid Double Negatives: Two negatives create a positive.
Example: "I don’t know anything" instead of "I don’t know nothing."
- Active vs. Passive Voice: Use active voice for clarity.
Example: "Ravi wrote the report" is clearer than "The report was written by Ravi."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Incorrect Question Formation: Invert the subject and auxiliary verb.
Example of proper form: "Are you coming?"
rather than improper: "You are coming?"
- Fragmented Sentences: Ensure sentences are complete.
Example of proper form: "I left early because I was tired"
rather than improper: "Because I was tired."
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