Go Filipino - 19. Let's Talk About Reasons (Pronouns, Part 5)

A pseudo breakdown transcript of the podcast Go Filipino Lesson 19 by Kris Andres. For more information about Kris and his podcast check out his Patreon!

This episode brought to you today by the Tagalog word Banyuhay.

Banyuhay - It is the Tagalog word for metamorphosis. A change in physical form, structure or substance. The word is a combination of the phrase Bagong anyo ng buhay which means a new form of life.

Demonstrative Locative Pronouns

There are three of these demonstrative locative pronouns, dito, diyan, and doon. This batch of pronouns replaces non human nouns that are replaced by the sa marker. Unlike the previous pronouns, these pronouns have alternate words, rito, riyan and roon.

Dito

dito - Here, pointing to a place the where the speaker is situated. demonstrative locative pronouns like dito have three functions. First to indicate the location that is near the speaker:

Kumakain si Kris dito - Kris eats here

• Kumakain - Eat, the act of eating is happening or has been happening. Either way the act of eating hasn't finished yet.
• si - Focus name marker
• dito - Here, where the speaker stands, or near the speaker.

Second form is to indicate direction. Explaining movement either towards the speaker or away from the speaker.

Dumating siya dito kanina - He/she arrived here awhile ago

• Dumating - Arrived or the act of arrive has already happened
• siya - He/she
• dito - Here, near where the speaker stands
• kanina - Awhile ago

Third function, to indicate the beneficiary or the reason behind the action. Explaining the act of doing something for something, or because of something.

Napatakbo siya dahil dito - He/she ran because of this, or more specifically, he/she ran as a reaction to this.

• Napatakbo - The focus of this sentence ran as the reaction to something
  • takbo - Root word - To run
  • napa - suffix - As a reaction
• siya - he/she
• dahil - because
• dito - This, near where the speaker stands. In this context dahil dito means because of this.

Diyan

diyan - There, but near the recipient of the sentence. In other words diyan is far from me, but near you. As a location indicator we can say:

Maglalaba ako diyan - I'll do the laundry there (near you).

• Maglalaba - Will wash the clothes, or the act of washing clothes is being contemplated on.
• ako - I
• diyan - There (far from me, but near you)

As a direction indicator:

Umakyat sila mula diyan - They climbed from there

• Umakyat - Climbed, or the act of climbing has happened
• sila - They
• mula - From
• diyan - There (far from me but near you)

As a beneficiary or reason indicator:

Nakatulog siya dahil diyan - He/she was able to sleep because of that.

• Nakatulog - The ability to sleep has happened, not the act of sleeping.
• siya - He/she
• dahil - Because of
• diyan - That

Doon

Doon - Over there, a place or direction that is far from both of us. As a location indicator we can say:

Iinom tayo doon - We're going to drink over there, or we're about to drink over there.

• Iinom - Will drink, or the act of drinking is being contemplated on.
• tayo - We (including you)
• doon - Over there (far from both of us)

As a direction indicator:

Umalis na sila doon - They have already left from there, or they have already left the place, depending on the context.

• Umalis - Left, or the act of leaving has happened.
• na - If na comes after a verb, it indicated that action has already completed.
• sila - They
• doon - Over there (far from both of us)

As a beneficiary or reason indicator:

Nag-aral kami para doon - We studied for that

• Nag-aral - Studied, or the act of studying has happened.
• kami - We (not including you)
• para - For
• doon - That.

Alternate versions

Dito, Diyan, Doon, are the only pronouns in the Tagalog language that have alternate versions. Namely Rito, Riyan, Roon. The D's are repalced with R's. Theres are reminants of an ancients Tagalog spelling rule where D's and R's were interchangable. The alternate versions can be applied if and only if the word before the D words ends in a vowel. For example:

Halika rito - Come here

• Halika - A command that calls you to come near
  • Halika used to be two words. Hali which means come near and ka which means you.
• rito - Here

Bahala ka rian - Do what you want with that.

• Bahala - Person in charge, it is a noun acting as a predicate
• ka - You, the person designated to take charge
• rian - That, but near you

Tumugtug na ako roon - I've already performed there. Or more specifically, I already played my musical instrument there.

• Tumugtog - Played a musical instrument, or the act of playing a musical instrument has already happened
• na - If na comes after a verb, it indicated completion of an action.
• ako - I
• roon - Over there, far from me and you

Outro

Tagalog Proverb

Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din - Even if you should've done something in the past, there is value in completing it today. Better late than never.