Vocabulary
ilán
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how many
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taón
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year
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na
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enclitic particle that means already or now
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magkano
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how much (money)
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beses
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times
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*bawat
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each; per
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*Bawat is an indefinite pronoun that can mean “each” or “per” depending on context. Place it before the noun that you want to modify.
Grammar
If you do not have Tagalog numbers memorized, or need a refresher, please go to Appendix D and make a first pass at memorizing pure Tagalog numbers, ordinal numbers and fractions before attempting this lesson. You are shown how to form them in Appendix D, and the numbers are listed out there too. This lesson is meant to show you how to put them to use.
Cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.)
Cardinal numbers are very flexible. Here are a few examples. You can use them with age:
Q : Ilang + taon + na + subject? (Tag.) = How old is subject? (Eng.)
Note: Subject takes ang form.
Ex: Ilang taon ka na?
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= How old are you?
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Ex: Ilang taon na siya?
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= How old is he/she?
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Ex: Ilang taon na po ang lalaki?
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= How old is the man? (resp.)
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Notice that ilan takes a linker, changing it to ilang, before nouns. There is a na in the sentence too, but it is not the linker. It is an enclitic particle that adds the meaning “already” or “now”. When you ask someone their age, remember to use it because it sounds unnatural not to.
Note: Na is an enclitic particle. Enclitic particles appear in a fixed order. You have learned three so far, and they appear in this order: na, po, ba.
Remember that short personal pronouns like ka come before enclitic particles like na. Here is how to answer “how old” questions:
A: Number + taon + na + subject. (Tag.) = Subject is number years old now. (Eng.)
Note: Subject takes ang form.
Ans: Dalawampu’t isang taon na ako.
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= I am twenty-one years old.
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Shorter Ans: Dalawampu’t isa. = Twenty-one.
Ans: Labinlimang taon na siya.
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= He is fifteen years old.
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Ans: Apatnapu't tatlong taon na po ang lalaki.
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= The man is forty-three years old. (resp.)
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Notice that the numbers take linkers before the noun taon. That is because they are merely adjectives modifying the noun, as seen previously.
Note: Numbers are adjectives, and should be treated as such, but they do not require the plural marker mga.
Mga is normally dropped with numbers, and so that is what we will do in this book.
You can count with cardinal numbers:
Ex: Maganda ang dalawang sasakyan ko.
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= My two cars are beautiful.
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Ex: Sino ang pitong babae?
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= Who are the seven women?
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Ex: Ito ang sampung manok ko.
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= These are my ten chickens.
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Cardinal numbers are also handy for buying stuff:
Ex: Magkano ang mga manok?
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= How much are the chickens?
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Ans: Limampung piso bawat kilo.
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= Fifty pesos per kilo.
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Ex: Magkano ang sasakyan?
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= How much is the car?
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Ans: Animnapung libong piso.
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= Sixty thousand pesos.
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Ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.)
Tagalog ordinal numbers are not used very often, but you will hear them from time to time:
Ex: Ikatlong anak siya.
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= She is the third child.
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Ex: Ito ang unang beses.
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= This is the first time.
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Ex: Ano ang pangatlong gusali?
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= What is the third building?
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Fractions
As noted in Appendix D, the only Tagalog fraction that is often used in colloquial speech is kalahati, which means “half”:
Ex: Isa’t kalahating taon.
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= One and a half years.
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Ex: Kalahating tsokolate at kalahating tubig ang inumin.
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= The drink is half chocolate and half water.
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Ex: Kalahating puti ang anak niya.
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= Her child is half white.
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Sample sentences
Q1
How old is that tired woman?
Ilang taon na ang pagod na babaeng yun?
Q2
She is eighty-nine years old and has no money.
Walumpu't siyam na taon na siya at walang pera.
Q3
How much are your two chocolate houses?
Magkano ang dalawa mong tsokolateng bahay?
Q4
This is the sixth time.
Ito ang ikaanim na beses.
Q5
Do you have half a chicken?
May kalahating manok ka ba?
Q6
How old are you? (resp.)
Ilang taong na po kayo?
Q7
How much are your hot drinks?
Magkano ang mga mainit ninyong inumin?
Q8
Each of our drinks is forty-seven pesos. (resp.)
Apatnapu't pitong piso po ang bawat inumin namin.
Q9
This is my second, cheap car.
Ito ang ikalawa kong murang sasakyan.
Q10
Our (incl.) food is not half adobo and half water!
Hindi kalahating adobo at kalahating tubig ang pagkain natin!
Drills - Lesson 10