Filipino (Continuers) cheat sheet

Filipino has 5 vowel phonemes (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/); vowel length is not phonemic, so minimal pairs based on length do not occur.

Stress (diin) is phonemic and usually falls on the penultimate or final syllable: e.g., /ˈba.ha/ 'flood' vs /ba.ˈha/ 'part of a house'.

The glottal stop (impit) is phonemic word-finally and between vowels; it is often unmarked in writing but heard in speech: /ˈba.taʔ/ 'child' vs /ba.ˈta/ 'robe'.

Question particles are clause-initial or clause-final: 'ba' marks yes/no questions; 'ano', 'sino', 'saan', 'kailan', 'bakit', 'paano' are WH-words.

Common discourse markers that signal turn-taking: 'eh', 'kasi', 'naman', 'nga', 'pala', 'daw/raw', 'ba', 'lang/lamang'.

Reduplication of the first syllable (CV-) marks future/contemplated aspect in verbs: 'basa' → 'babasa' 'will read'; 'kain' → 'kakain' 'will eat'.

Listen for the focus affix on the verb to identify which constituent is the topic: -in (object focus), i- (object focus), -an (location/directional focus), mag- (actor focus), ma- (actor/state).

Numbers and time expressions are often code-switched to English or Spanish in informal speech: 'alas-dos' (2 o'clock), 'diyes' (ten), 'kuwarenta' (forty).

Filipino orthography is phonemic: 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 16 consonants (b, k, d, g, h, l, m, n, ng, p, r, s, t, w, y, and glottal).

The digraph 'ng' represents a single velar nasal phoneme /ŋ/; it is distinct from the sequence 'n' + 'g' across syllable boundaries.

The particle 'ng' (marker of non-topic/indirect case) is written separately from the ligature '-ng' (linker), which attaches to the preceding word: 'bahay na bato' vs 'batang lalaki'.

The ligature '-ng' links modifiers to heads: after a vowel or 'n', use '-ng' (mabuting bata); after a consonant, use 'na' (magandang babae → maganda + ng).

Pronoun sets: nominative (ako, ikaw/ka, siya, kami, tayo, kayo, sila), genitive (ko, mo, niya, namin, natin, ninyo, nila), oblique (akin, iyo, kanya, amin, atin, inyo, kanila).

The particle 'ang' marks the topic (subject) of a sentence; 'ng' marks non-topic core arguments; 'sa' marks oblique/location arguments.

Verbal focus is signaled by affixes: actor focus (mag-, -um-, ma-), object focus (-in, i-, -an), locative focus (-an, pag-...-an), instrumental focus (ipang-, gamit).

Aspect is marked by reduplication and affixation: completed (perfective) often uses 'nag-' or '-um-'; contemplated (future) uses CV-reduplication; imperfective uses CV-reduplication plus the completed form.

Sentence order is predicate-initial by default: 'Kumain ng mangga ang bata.' (Ate a mango the child) = 'The child ate a mango.'

The topic marker 'ang' precedes the focused constituent; 'ang' + noun phrase is the subject/topic.

Use 'ay' to invert to topic-initial order for emphasis: 'Ang bata ay kumain ng mangga.'

Verb affixes agree with focus: actor focus 'mag-/ -um-' requires the actor to be marked by 'ang'; object focus '-in/i-' requires the object to be marked by 'ang'.

Aspect formation: completed (nag-/ -um-), imperfective (nag-CV- / CV- -um-), contemplated (CV- + base for mag- verbs; CV- + -in for -in verbs).

The ligature '-ng' is attached to the preceding word when it ends in a vowel or 'n'; otherwise use 'na' as a separate word.

Punctuation follows English norms; however, 'ng' and 'nang' are distinct: 'ng' marks genitive/object case, 'nang' is an adverb marker meaning 'when' or 'so that'.

Formal written Filipino prefers 'ng' over 'nang' in genitive contexts and avoids heavy English code-switching; use 'at' for 'and', 'ngunit' for 'but', 'sapagkat' for 'because'.

Filipino has 5 vowel phonemes and 16 consonant phonemes; the glottal stop is phonemic and must be articulated in words like 'bataʔ' (child).

Stress placement is phonemic: 'ba.ˈha' (part of house) vs 'ˈba.ha' (flood); 'ˈpa.la' (shovel) vs 'pa.ˈla' (pardon).

Polite markers: 'po' and 'opo' are used when addressing elders or superiors; 'ho' and 'oho' are less formal variants.

Kinship terms are used as address forms: 'Kuya' (older brother), 'Ate' (older sister), 'Tito' (uncle), 'Tita' (aunt), 'Lolo' (grandfather), 'Lola' (grandmother).

Turn-taking cues: 'Oo nga' (agreement), 'Ano ba' (what), 'Teka' (wait), 'Sige' (go ahead), 'Ayaw ko' (I don't want).

Second-person pronouns: 'ikaw/ka' (singular), 'kayo' (plural/polite); using 'kayo' to one person shows respect.

Common greetings: 'Magandang umaga/hapon/gabi' (good morning/afternoon/evening); 'Kumusta ka?' (How are you?); 'Salamat' (thank you).

Deictic verbs: 'pumunta' (to go), 'pumunta dito' (come here), 'umalis' (to leave); directionals 'dito' (here), 'diyan' (there near hearer), 'doon' (there far).

Filipino is an Austronesian language with a focus (voice) system: the affix on the verb determines which argument is the topic marked by 'ang'.

Actor focus affixes: 'mag-', '-um-', 'ma-'; object focus: '-in', 'i-', '-an' (locative), 'ipang-' (instrumental).

Aspect system: completed (perfective), imperfective (progressive), contemplated (future). Reduplication of the first CV syllable marks contemplated/imperfective.

Pronoun sets: nominative (ako, ka, siya, kami, tayo, kayo, sila), genitive (ko, mo, niya, namin, natin, ninyo, nila), oblique (akin, iyo, kanya, amin, atin, inyo, kanila).

Case markers: 'ang' (topic), 'ng' (non-topic/genitive), 'sa' (oblique/locative). Plural marker 'mga' precedes the noun.

The ligature '-ng' links modifiers: after vowel or 'n' use '-ng', otherwise 'na' (e.g., 'mabuting tao', 'magandang umaga').

Verbal derivations: 'mag-' (actor focus, intentional), 'ma-' (actor focus, stative/ability), '-um-' (actor focus, punctual), '-in' (object focus), '-an' (locative focus).

Common prefixes: 'ka-' (relationship), 'pa-' (causative), 'pag-' (nominalizer), 'pang-' (instrumental), 'taga-' (origin/agent).