Demonstrative Pronouns in Tagalog

In Brief

Tagalog has a three-way distance contrast: ito means “this” near the speaker, iyan means “that” near the listener, and iyon means “that over there,” away from both. They can stand alone, as in Ano ito? (“What is this?”), or describe a noun through forms such as itong libro (“this book”).

Overview

Demonstrative pronouns are pointing words: they let you identify a person, object, or idea without repeatedly naming it. English mainly contrasts this/these with that/those. Tagalog asks you to make a more precise choice. Is the referent close to the person speaking, close to the person being addressed, or far from both?

This three-way system is introduced at A1 because it appears constantly in everyday exchanges: choosing food, asking about an unfamiliar object, identifying someone, or pointing out a place. The basic forms are ito, iyan, and iyon. Unlike English, these forms do not change for singular and plural. Context—or an explicit plural marker—shows whether one or several things are meant.

The term pronoun means a word that can stand in place of a noun (a word naming a person, place, thing, or idea). In Mahal ito (“This is expensive”), ito stands alone. The same family can also occur with a noun: itong bag (“this bag”) or ang bag na ito (“this bag”).

How It Works

The basic three-way contrast

Form	Usual English meaning	Point of reference	Simple example
ito	this; these	near the speaker	Ano ito? — What is this?
iyan	that; those	near the listener	Sa iyo ba iyan? — Is that yours?
iyon	that; those over there	far from both speaker and listener	Iyon ang bundok. — That over there is the mountain.

Imagine two people standing on opposite sides of a table. A cup in your hand is ito. A cup beside the other person is iyan. A cup on a distant shelf is iyon.

English that can correspond to either iyan or iyon. Distance is not always literal, however. Speakers can choose a form according to how they mentally locate something in the conversation. The physical-distance rule is the best beginner rule; conversational subtleties come later.

Using the forms on their own

The basic forms can fill the role of a whole noun phrase (a noun and any words attached to it):

• Ito ang susi. — This is the key.
• Iyan ba ang order mo? — Is that your order?
• Hindi iyon ang bus natin. — That over there is not our bus.

A common identification pattern is:

demonstrative + ang + identified person or thing

In this pattern, ang marks the phrase that identifies what is being pointed at:

• Ito ang kaibigan ko. — This is my friend.
• Iyan ang aking bahay. — That is my house.
• Iyon ang bundok. — That over there is the mountain.

Tagalog does not need a separate equivalent of English “is” in these simple present-time identification sentences. Do not insert ay between ito and ang.

Asking questions

These forms commonly occur with ano (“what”) and sino (“who”):

• Ano ito? — What is this?
• Ano iyan? — What is that near you?
• Sino iyon? — Who is that person over there?

The question particle ba is useful when the answer is yes or no:

• Bago ba ito? — Is this new?
• Iyo ba iyan? — Is that yours?

Using a demonstrative with a noun

Tagalog does not normally place a bare basic form directly before a noun. A linker is needed—a small connecting element that joins a describing word to the noun. When the demonstrative comes first, it takes a linked form:

Basic form	Before a noun	Meaning
ito	itong	this/these …
iyan	iyang	that/those … near you
iyon	iyong	that/those … over there

Examples:

• itong libro — this book
• iyang sapatos — those shoes by you
• iyong puno — that tree over there

The forms come from adding the linker -ng: ito + -ng → itong, iyan + -ng → iyang, and iyon + -g → iyong. In ordinary speech and writing, treat itong, iyang, iyong as the forms to use before a noun.

A full noun phrase often includes ang:

• Bago ang itong libro is not the usual structure.
• Bago itong libro. — This book is new.
• Bago ang librong ito. — This book is new.

The second natural pattern puts the noun first and the demonstrative after it:

ang + noun with linker + demonstrative

• ang librong ito — this book
• ang bahay na iyan — that house near you
• ang punong iyon — that tree over there

The linker attached to the noun is -ng after a vowel or na after most consonants: libro → librong ito, but bahay → bahay na iyan. Both itong libro and ang librong ito point to the same kind of referent; the surrounding sentence determines which structure fits best.

Singular and plural

The demonstrative itself does not distinguish one from more than one:

• Mura ito. — This is cheap. / These are cheap.
• Mura ang mga ito. — These are cheap.

To make plurality explicit, use mga (the usual plural marker):

• ang mga ito — these
• ang mga iyan — those near you
• ang mga iyon — those over there
• itong mga libro — these books
• iyang mga kahon — those boxes near you
• iyong mga bahay — those houses over there

Notice the order in the last group: linked demonstrative + mga + noun.

A compact beginner rule

1. Choose ito, iyan, or iyon according to whose space the referent occupies.
2. Use the basic form when it stands alone: Gusto ko ito (“I like this”).
3. Use itong, iyang, iyong before a noun: itong pagkain (“this food”).
4. Add mga when you need to make the plural explicit.

Examples in Context

Tagalog	English	Note
Ano ito?	What is this?	Ito is near the speaker.
Iyan ang aking bahay.	That is my house.	Iyan points toward the listener’s area.
Iyon ang bundok.	That over there is the mountain.	Iyon marks distance from both people.
Itong libro ay bago.	This book is new.	Linked itong comes before the noun.
Masarap ito.	This is delicious.	The demonstrative stands alone.
Sa iyo ba iyan?	Is that yours?	A natural question about something near the listener.
Hindi iyon ang tren natin.	That over there is not our train.	Hindi negates the identification.
Sino iyong lalaking iyon?	Who is that man over there?	Iyong introduces the noun phrase; iyon closes it.
Pakiabot nga iyang baso.	Please pass that glass.	The glass is by the listener.
Gusto ko ang bag na ito.	I like this bag.	Noun-first pattern with na.
Mahal ang librong iyan.	That book is expensive.	Noun-first pattern with attached -ng.
Malayo ang bahay na iyon.	That house over there is far away.	Iyon reinforces physical distance.
Akin ang mga ito.	These are mine.	Mga explicitly marks plural.
Iyong mga upuan ay para sa mga bisita.	Those chairs over there are for the guests.	Linked demonstrative comes before mga.
Ito ba o iyan?	This one or that one?	Contrasts the speaker’s item with the listener’s.

Common Mistakes

Treating iyan and iyon as interchangeable

• Wrong: Iyon ba ang hawak mo? when the object is in the listener’s hand.
• Right: Iyan ba ang hawak mo?
• Why: Something held by or immediately beside the listener normally belongs to the iyan zone. Use iyon for something away from both participants.

Putting the basic form directly before a noun

• Wrong: ito libro
• Right: itong libro or ang librong ito
• Why: Tagalog requires a linker between the demonstrative and the noun. Before a noun, ito becomes itong.

Copying the English two-way system

• Wrong habit: translating every English “that” as iyan.
• Right choice: use iyan for the listener’s area and iyon for something remote from both people.
• Why: English often leaves this distinction unstated, but Tagalog regularly encodes it.

Adding an unnecessary present-tense “is”

• Wrong: Ito ay ang susi. as a neutral translation of “This is the key.”
• Right: Ito ang susi.
• Why: A simple Tagalog identification does not require a separate linking verb. Ay has legitimate uses, but it is not a word-for-word replacement for every English “is.”

Using English plural logic on the demonstrative

• Wrong assumption: ito can only mean one object.
• Right: Mura ang mga ito. — These are cheap.
• Why: Ito, iyan, iyon do not have separate plural forms. Use mga or context to indicate plurality.

Usage Notes

The textbook spellings are ito, iyan, iyon. In conversation, iyan and iyon are often pronounced more compactly, and you may see informal spellings such as ’yan and ’yon in messages, dialogue, and social media. Learn the full forms for careful writing while training your ear to recognize the shorter spoken forms.

Pointing is not only a grammar choice; it can also be a social gesture. When referring to a person, a speaker may use a name, title, or a fuller phrase instead of physically pointing. The demonstratives themselves are normal and frequent, but considerate body language still depends on the situation.

The pre-noun forms itong, iyang, iyong are extremely common in speech. The noun-first phrases—ang librong ito, ang bahay na iyan—are equally important because they show clearly how the noun and demonstrative are linked. Learn both rather than treating one as the only “correct” translation of English “this book.”

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master this whole section at A1, but you will encounter related forms early.

Tagalog demonstratives belong to a larger set shaped by sentence function. The basic ang-series forms identify the topic or focused referent. Other sentence roles use related forms:

Function	Near speaker	Near listener	Far from both
Identifying/focused form	ito	iyan	iyon
Non-focused or possessive-related form	nito	niyan	niyon
Location form	dito	diyan	doon

For example, Gusto ko ito means “I like this,” while Kulay nito means “the color of this.” The n-forms are not freely interchangeable with ito, iyan, iyon; their choice depends on the grammatical role created by the rest of the sentence. Study them as part of Tagalog’s marker system rather than as simple alternative spellings.

The location words dito, diyan, doon answer “where?” rather than “which thing?” Compare:

• Ito ang tindahan. — This is the store.
• Dito ang pasukan. — The entrance is here.
• Iyon ang paaralan. — That over there is the school.
• Doon ang paaralan. — The school is over there.

Distance can also be conversational or emotional. A speaker may use iyan for an idea just mentioned by the other person, as though the idea belongs in the listener’s conversational space. Iyon can refer back to something more distant in time or discourse. These choices are context-sensitive; first make the physical three-way contrast automatic, then notice how native speakers extend it.

Finally, ay can appear in formal or inverted sentence patterns, including Ang librong ito ay bago. This does not mean every English “is” needs ay. Compare the natural predicate-first Bago ang librong ito with the topic-first Ang librong ito ay bago. Both mean “This book is new,” but they package the information differently.

Practice Tips

1. Build a three-zone drill. Put one object beside you, one beside a study partner, and one across the room. Point and say ito, iyan, or iyon, then add a noun: itong tasa, iyang tasa, iyong tasa.
2. Practice both noun patterns. For five everyday nouns, alternate between itong libro and ang librong ito, then repeat with iyan and iyon. This prevents the common mistake ito libro.
3. Listen for shortened speech. When watching Tagalog dialogue, note every ’yan and ’yon, then rewrite it as iyan or iyon and identify the implied distance. Also watch for mga to decide whether the referent is plural.

Related Concepts

• Next step: Location Words (Dito/Diyan/Doon) — extends the same three-way distance contrast to “here,” “there by you,” and “over there.”