ako ay
/ʔaˈko ʔaj/word by word
In Tagalog, "I am" is expressed as ako ay.
A phrase used to state who the speaker is or to describe themselves.
What does it mean word for word?
ako is the first-person singular pronoun meaning "I", and ay is a marker used in formal or written sentence structures to link the subject to the predicate, functioning as "is", "are" or "am".
Which one should you use?
The ako ay structure follows a subject-predicate order (Subject + ay + Predicate). This contrasts with the more common natural Tagalog word order (Predicate + Subject).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ako ay is a formal expression frequently used in writing, speeches or formal presentations. For an even higher level of respect, you can use Ako po ay by adding the word po.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural spoken Tagalog, when introducing oneself by name, it is more common to use the structure Ako si [Name] instead of Ako ay [Name].
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔaˈko ʔaj/
Did you know?
- The word ako descends from the Proto-Austronesian root *aku, making it a linguistic relative to similar words used across the vast Pacific and Southeast Asian regions.
- In spoken Tagalog, the word ay is often dropped entirely, leaving the sentence to rely on word order to convey the meaning of 'am'.
- The word ay is part of a linguistic family that includes many other Philippine languages, such as Cebuano, which uses kay in a similar way.
Examples in context
- Ako ay Lin Feng.I am called Lin Feng.This sentence is useful for learning how to introduce yourself using ako ay.Tatoeba #12710051 by thegalogue, translation #7782966 by sharris123
- Ako ay taga Norway.I am from Norway.This sentence shows how to use ako ay to state your place of origin.Tatoeba #5361360 by kanlaon, translation #371916 by saeb
- Ako ay nasa panganib.I am in danger.This sentence demonstrates using ako ay to describe a state of being.Tatoeba #8749079 by fishda, translation #8749076 by fishda
- Ako ay isang doktor.I am a doctor.
- Ako ay taga-Amerika.I am from America.
- Ako ay nag-aaral ng Tagalog.I am studying Tagalog.
- Ako po ay lubos na nagagalak na makilala kayo.I am delighted to meet you, sir/ma'am.
- Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa inyong tulong.I am grateful for your help.
- Ako ang kapatid mo.I am your sibling.
- Ako ang kasama niya.I am with him/her.
- Ako ang nanalo.I am the winner.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Christina and Ricardo meet for the first time at a party.
- ChristinaKumusta! Ako ay si Christina.Hello! I am Christina.
- RicardoIkinagagalak kitang makilala. Ako si Ricardo.Nice to meet you. I am Ricardo.
- ChristinaAko ay isang guro sa paaralan.I am a teacher at the school.
- RicardoTalaga? Ako naman ay isang doktor.Really? I am a doctor.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ako, ay) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ako, ay, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
