Reported Speech (Daw/Raw) in Tagalog

Overview

Tagalog has an elegant way to report what others have said: the hearsay particle daw/raw. Instead of complex reported speech constructions, you can simply insert this particle into any statement to signal "they say" or "it is said." This B1 topic is essential for sharing news, relaying information, and navigating the highly social nature of Filipino communication.

Daw follows words ending in consonants, and raw follows words ending in vowels — they mean exactly the same thing. These particles are enclitic, following the same positioning rules as other particles like na, pa, and ba.

Beyond daw/raw, Tagalog also uses sabi (said) constructions for more explicit attribution: Sabi niya, pupunta siya. (He/She said he/she will go.) The daw/raw particle is more common in casual speech because it is shorter and more flexible.

How It Works

Daw/Raw as hearsay marker:

Statement + daw/raw (positioned as enclitic)

Uulan daw bukas. — They say it will rain tomorrow. Maganda raw ang pelikula. — The movie is said to be good.

Daw vs. Raw selection:

Previous sound	Use	Example
Consonant	daw	Uulan daw.
Vowel	raw	Maganda raw.

Sabi construction (explicit attribution):

Sabi + ni/niya/nila, + reported content

Sabi niya, pupunta siya. — He/She said he/she will go. Sabi ni Maria, mahal ang pagkain doon. — Maria said food is expensive there.

Ayon (according to):

Ayon kay/kina + name, + content

Ayon kay Maria, mahal daw. — According to Maria, it's expensive.

Examples in Context

Tagalog	English	Note
Uulan daw bukas.	They say it will rain tomorrow.	Hearsay about weather
Maganda raw ang pelikula.	The movie is said to be good.	Raw after vowel
Sabi niya, pupunta siya.	He/She said he/she will go.	Direct attribution
Ayon kay Maria, mahal daw.	According to Maria, it's expensive.	Named source
Masarap daw ang adobo nila.	Their adobo is said to be delicious.	Food recommendation
Sabi ng balita, may bagyo daw.	The news says there's a typhoon.	News relay
Hindi daw siya pupunta.	They say he/she won't go.	Negative hearsay
Sabi ng guro, mahirap daw ang eksamen.	The teacher said the exam is hard.	School context
Galing daw siya sa Cebu.	They say he/she is from Cebu.	Origin hearsay
Sabi nila, maganda raw ang lugar.	They said the place is beautiful.	Multiple sources

Common Mistakes

Using Daw After Vowels

• Wrong: Maganda daw.
• Right: Maganda raw.
• Why: After vowels, use raw. After consonants, use daw.

Placing Daw/Raw at the End of the Sentence

• Wrong: Uulan bukas daw.
• Right: Uulan daw bukas.
• Why: Daw/raw is an enclitic — it follows the first major word in the clause, not the end.

Overusing Daw for Personal Opinions

• Wrong: Masarap daw ang pagkain. (when you tasted it yourself)
• Right: Masarap ang pagkain. (if you know firsthand)
• Why: Daw/raw specifically marks secondhand information. Using it for your own experience sounds strange.

Usage Notes

The daw/raw particle is culturally significant. Filipino communication often involves indirect attribution — sharing information while signaling that you are not the original source. This serves multiple social purposes: it avoids taking personal responsibility for uncertain claims, it maintains social harmony by attributing potentially controversial opinions to others, and it connects to the Filipino tradition of tsismis (gossip) where information flows through social networks.

In formal writing, ayon sa (according to) and sabi ng (said by) are preferred over daw/raw. In journalism, ayon sa is the standard attribution marker.

Practice Tips

1. News relay: Read a news headline and relay it using daw: May bagyo daw bukas. Tataas daw ang presyo ng gasolina.

2. Gossip practice: Share information about fictional characters: Sabi ni Maria, aalis daw si Juan. Maganda raw ang bagong bahay nila.

3. Source attribution: Practice both daw/raw and sabi/ayon for the same information: Masarap daw ang restawran. → Sabi ni Ana, masarap ang restawran. → Ayon kay Ana, masarap ang restawran.

Related Concepts

• Basic Conjunctions — prerequisite for sentence connectors
• Discourse Particles (Nga, Naman, Kasi, Pala, Daw) — daw in the broader context of discourse particles