Mga Pananong - Question Words

The ten little words that let you ask about anything

You've been meeting question words one at a time — ano in Lesson 1, magkano at the market, saan for directions. This lesson gathers them all in one place so you can ask about who, what, where, when, why, how, which, and how much/many with confidence. Master these ten and you can keep almost any conversation moving.

1. The Ten Question Words

TagalogEnglishExample
anowhatAno ito? (What is this?)
sinowhoSino ka? (Who are you?)
saanwhereSaan ka pupunta? (Where are you going?)
kailanwhenKailan ang klase? (When is the class?)
bakitwhyBakit ka umiyak? (Why did you cry?)
paanohow (in what way)Paano ito gawin? (How is this done?)
alinwhichAlin ang gusto mo? (Which do you want?)
ilanhow manyIlan kayo? (How many are you?)
magkanohow much (price)Magkano ito? (How much is this?)
kaninowhose / to whomKanino ito? (Whose is this?)
Two "hows": use paano for in what way ("How do I get there?") and kumusta for how are you / how is it ("Kumusta ka?"). Don't mix them up.

2. The Golden Rule: Question Word First

Unlike English, which sometimes buries the question word, Tagalog almost always puts it right at the front, usually followed by the linker ang or a pronoun:

Notice the short pronouns ka, mo slide in right after the question word — a rhythm you'll quickly feel.

3. Answering the Questions

Answers usually mirror the question. Here's each word with a natural reply:

QuestionAnswer
Ano ang trabaho mo? (What's your job?)Guro ako. (I'm a teacher.)
Sino siya? (Who is she?)Kapatid ko siya. (She's my sibling.)
Saan ang banyo? (Where's the bathroom?)Nasa kanan. (On the right.)
Kailan ang kaarawan mo? (When's your birthday?)Sa Enero. (In January.)
Bakit? (Why?)Kasi pagod ako. (Because I'm tired.)
Ilan ang gusto mo? (How many do you want?)Tatlo, salamat. (Three, thanks.)
Magkano? (How much?)Singkwenta pesos. (Fifty pesos.)
Reason answers: reply to bakit with kasi or dahil (both mean "because"). Kasi is the everyday, conversational choice.

4. ano vs. alin, ilan vs. magkano

A few pairs trip people up. Keep these straight:

5. Softening & Politeness

Add po (Lesson 1) to be respectful, and ba (Lesson 10) is optional with question words since the word already signals a question:

Choosing the Right Question Word

graph TD Q{I want to ask about...} --> A[a thing/idea] --> A1[ano] Q --> B[a person] --> B1[sino] Q --> C[a place] --> C1[saan] Q --> D[a time] --> D1[kailan] Q --> E[a reason] --> E1[bakit] Q --> F[a manner/method] --> F1[paano] Q --> G[a choice] --> G1[alin] Q --> H[a count] --> H1[ilan] Q --> I[a price] --> I1[magkano] Q --> J[an owner] --> J1[kanino] style A1 fill:#6c5ce7,color:#fff style B1 fill:#6c5ce7,color:#fff style C1 fill:#0984e3,color:#fff style D1 fill:#0984e3,color:#fff style E1 fill:#00b894,color:#fff style F1 fill:#00b894,color:#fff style G1 fill:#e17055,color:#fff style H1 fill:#e17055,color:#fff style I1 fill:#d63031,color:#fff style J1 fill:#d63031,color:#fff

Practice — Ask Away

Exercise 1: Choose the question word

Fill the blank with the right word (ano, sino, saan, kailan, bakit):

Exercise 2: how many, how much, or which?

Fill with ilan, magkano, or alin:

Exercise 3: Match the answer

Which question word does this answer fit? (write ano, sino, saan, magkano, or bakit)

Why This Lesson Matters

Questions are how a conversation keeps going and how a beginner learns fastest — every question you ask invites new language back. With these ten words you can find your way, shop, meet people, and clear up anything you don't understand. Next: Requests & Commands, so you can not only ask about things but ask people to do them — politely.