ano ito?
/ʔaˈno ʔiˈto/word by word
The English phrase "what is this?" is translated into Tagalog as ano ito?
ano ito? is a question used to ask for the identity or name of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ano, meaning "what" and ito, meaning "this".
Which one should you use?
While ano ito? asks about something close to the speaker, you should use ano iyan? to ask about something close to the listener and ano iyon? when 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 and respectful way to ask this question, especially when speaking to elders or superiors, use ano po ito? by adding the particle po. In informal settings, you may say Ano 'to?
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ito is specifically used for objects that are near the speaker.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔaˈno ʔiˈto/
Did you know?
- While ano ito? asks about an object, if you are asking 'What is this?' regarding a situation or a person's behavior, Filipinos might use the word ano as a placeholder or filler word when they cannot remember the exact term.
- In some contexts, Ano? is used as a sharp retort meaning 'What do you want?' or 'What is your problem?', depending on the tone.
- The word ano is a direct descendant of the Proto-Austronesian root *(na-)nu, making it a linguistic relative to the Tausug word unu.
Examples in context
- Magandang umaga po. Ano ito?Good morning. What is this?
- Ano 'to?What is this?
Example conversation
Ricardo and Angela are looking at a strange object on the table.
- RicardoAngela, ano ito?Angela, what is this?
- AngelaIsang lumang relo iyan, Ricardo.That is an old watch, Ricardo.
- RicardoSaan ito nanggaling?Where did it come from?
- AngelaNasa cabinet lang ito kanina.It was just in the cabinet earlier.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ano, ito) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ano, ito, CC BY-SA 4.0.
