Easy Tagalog. Joi Barrios
bayan in his book, From Wilderness to Nation (University of the Philippines, 2011).
SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION
In the beginning of this chapter, you learned the following:
| Saan ka nakatira? | Where do you live? |
| Nakatira ako sa Quezon City. | I live in Quezon City. |
Now, let us learn another where question: Where is Quezon City? To answer this question we need to learn another equivalent of the word where: nasaan.
| nasaan | where |
| ng | of (can also mean by, from, and with; also used as an object marker) |
| lungsod ng Quezon | city + of + Quezoncity of Quezon or Quezon City |
| Nasaan ang lungsod ng Quezon? | Where + ang + city + of + Quezon?Where is the city of Quezon? |
| nasa | in (can also mean at and on) |
| nasa Metro Manila | in Metro Manila |
| Nasa Metro Manila ang lungsod ng Quezon. | In + Metro Manila + ang + city + of Quezon.The city of Quezon is in Metro Manila. |
Both saan and nasaan mean where, and both sa and nasa mean in, at and on. While these words have the same meaning, they differ in the usage:
1. Use saan only when there is a verb, for example, the verb nakatira (living) in Saan ka nakatira? (Where do you live?)
2. Use nasaan when it is followed by a noun, for example, Nasaan ang Quezon City? (Where is Quezon City?)
3. The prepositions sa and nasa have to match the question words. Saan questions should be answered by sentences with sa, and nasaan questions should be answered by sentences with nasa. Here are some examples:
Question: Saan ka nakatira? Where do you live?
Answer: Nakatira ako sa Quezon City. I live in Quezon City.
Question: Nasaan ang Quezon City? Where is Quezon City?
Answer: Nasa Metro Manila ang Quezon City. Quezon City is in Metro Manila.
Review the new words and sentence structures you have learned and study further how to ask and answer questions.
| Nasaan ang barangay Katipunan? | Where + ang + Barangay Katipunan?Where + Barangay Katipunan? |
| Nasa lungsod ng Quezon ang barangay Katipunan. | In + city + of + Quezon + ang + Barangay Katipunan. Barangay Katipunan is in Quezon City. |
| ano | what |
| anong | what (contraction of ano + na) |
| anong probinsiya | what province |
| nasa anong probinsiya | in what province |
| lungsod ng Calamba | city + of + Calamba. Calamba City |
| Nasa anong probinsiya ang lungsod ng Calamba? | In + what + province + ang + city + of + Calamba? In what province is Calamba City? |
| Nasa probinsiya ng Laguna ang lungsod ng Calamba. | In + province + of + Laguna + ang + city + of + Calamba. Calamba City is in the province of Laguna. |
| alin | which |
| aling | which (contraction of alin + na) |
| nasa aling isla | in which island |
| isla ng Luzon | island + of + Luzon. Luzon island |
| Nasa aling isla ang probinsiya ng Laguna? | In + which + island + ang + province + of + Laguna. In which island is the province of Laguna? |
| nasa isla ng Luzon | in + island + of + Luzon. In Luzon island |
| probinsiya ng Laguna | province + of + Laguna. Laguna province |
| Ano ang Luzon? | What is Luzon? |
| isa | literally, one (used for the English article a) |
| isang | one (contraction of isa + na) |
| isang isla | an island (literally, one island) |
| Isang isla ang Luzon. | An + island + ang + Luzon. Luzon is an island. |
| Saan sa… | Where in … |
| Saan sa Luzon… | Where in Luzon … |
| Saan sa Luzon ka nakatira? | Where + in + Luzon + you + live?Where in Luzon do you live? |
| Nakatira ako sa lungsod ng Calamba. | Live + I + in + city + of + Calamba.I live in Calamba City. |
Where is Cabanatuan?
Study the dialogue below. Note the placement of the honorific po immediately following the first word in the sentence.
RALPH : Taga-saan po kayo, Mr. Tolentino? Where are you from, Mr. Tolentino?
MR. TOLENTINO : Taga-Cabanatuan ako. I am from Cabanatuan.
RALPH : Nasaan po ang Cabanatuan? Where is Cabanatuan?
MR. TOLENTINO : Nasa Nueva Ecija ang Cabanatuan. Ikaw? Cabanatuan is in Nueva Ecija. And you?
RALPH : Taga-New York po ako. I am from New York.
MR. TOLENTINO : Saan sa New York? Where in New York?
RALPH : Sa Manhattan po. (In) Manhattan.
Practice the dialogue.
QUESTION AND ANSWER PRACTICE
Use the first few questions and answers as a guide. Then practice what you have just learned. For the answers, you may want to refer back to the sentences and dialogues you have learned in this chapter.
1. Question: Taga-saan ka? Where are you from?
Answer: Taga-Santa Barbara ako. I am from Santa Barbara.
2. Question: Nasaan ang Santa Barbara? Where is Santa Barbara?
Answer: Nasa California ang Santa Barbara.Santa Barbara is in California.
3. Question: Saan ka nakatira? Where do you live?
Answer: Nakatira ako sa Barangay San Jose.I live in Barangay San Jose.
4. Question: Nasa anong lungsod ang Barangay San Jose? In which city is Barangay San Jose?
Answer: ____________________________________________________.
5. Question: Taga-saan si Ralph?
Answer: ____________________________________________________.
6. Question: ____________________________________________________?
Answer: Taga-Cabanatuan City si Mr. Tolentino.
7. Question: ____________________________________________________?
Answer: Nakatira si Mr. Tolentino sa Makati.
8.