ano iyan?
/ʔaˈno ʔiˈan/word by word
In Tagalog, the English phrase "what is that?" is translated as ano iyan?
This phrase is a question used to ask for the identity of an object that is located near the listener.
What does it mean word for word?
The word ano means "what" and iyan means "that" (referring to something near the listener).
Which one should you use?
Use ano iyan? when the object is near the listener, but use ano iyon? if the object is far from both the speaker and the listener.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a polite or respectful way to ask the question, especially when addressing elders or individuals in positions of authority, use Ano po iyan? or Ano po iyon? In casual speech, you may use the informal contractions Ano 'yun? or Anong 'yan?
How does it change in a sentence?
In Tagalog, the question word ano typically comes before the demonstrative pronoun iyan in this specific phrase. You may also see the contraction anong, which is a combination of ano ang (meaning "what is").
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔaˈno ʔiˈan/
Did you know?
- While ano is a question word, it is often used as a filler word like 'what-do-you-call-it' or 'uh' when a speaker forgets a specific noun.
- In some contexts, Ano? can be shouted as a challenge or a provocation, similar to the English 'What did you say?' or 'What's your problem?', rather than a request for information.
- The word ano descends from the Proto-Austronesian root *(na-)nu, making it a linguistic relative of the word unu used in the Tausug language.
Examples in context
- Ano 'yan?What is that?
Example conversation
Christina is holding a strange piece of fruit.
- RicardoChristina, ano iyan?Christina, what is that?
- ChristinaPrutas ito mula sa probinsya.This is a fruit from the province.
- RicardoMasarap ba iyan?Is that delicious?
- ChristinaOo, gusto mo bang tikman?Yes, do you want to taste it?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ano, iyan) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ano, iyan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
