sino
/ˈsino/
The Tagalog word for "who" is sino.
The word sino is an interrogative pronoun used specifically when asking about people. It is not used to ask about objects or animals.
Meaning: who? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, sino does not change its form to indicate whether you are asking about one person or multiple people. The distinction between singular and plural is instead indicated by the markers that follow the word, such as ang or sina.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word sino is used to interrogate people specifically.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsino/
Did you know?
- The word sino is a combination of si, which marks a personal name, and ano, which means 'what'. Literally, asking 'who' in Tagalog is like asking 'which person-what'.
- Tagalog has a specialized kinship system, so asking sino often leads to an answer that describes a relative's rank or age rather than just a name.
- While sino asks about people, Tagalog uses a completely different word, ano, to ask 'what' about objects. Using sino for a pet animal is generally considered incorrect since animals are not categorized as people.
Examples in context
- Sino ang titser mo?Who is your teacher?This sentence is useful for asking who a person's teacher is using sino.Tatoeba #2028787 by nonong, translation #17660 by CK
- Sino ang umupo dito?Who was sitting here?This sentence is useful for asking who was sitting in a specific place using sino.Tatoeba #8654269 by England, translation #3222954 by CK
- Sino ang kapatid mo?Who is your brother?This sentence is useful for asking who a person's sibling is using sino.Tatoeba #8658634 by artemio, translation #2647280 by CK
- Sinong tao ang nandito?Who is the person here?
- Kanino ito?To whom does this belong?
- Sino'ng kasama mo?Who are you with?
- Sino sa inyo ang magaling sa pagluluto?Who among you is good at cooking?
- Sino ang pangulo ng Pilipinas?Who is the president of the Philippines?
- 459 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Angela and Ricardo are talking about a new coworker.
- AngelaSino ang bagong empleyado?Who is the new employee?
- RicardoSi Mark ang pangalan niya.His name is Mark.
- AngelaSino ang nagpakilala sa kanya?Who introduced him?
- RicardoAng manager natin, Angela.Our manager, Angela.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “who” translations and entries sino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
