Page 216 - Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines

SAGOT : Bumili ako ng blusa.
I bought the blouse. (literally, Bought I marker blouse.)

TANONG : Saan ka bumili ng blusa?
Where did you buy the blouse? (literally, Where you bought marker
blouse?)

II. The Pronouns Ako and Ko, and Ka and Mo

We have also earlier studied the pronouns ako and ko (both meaning I), and ka
and mo (both meaning you. At this point, many learners still get confused. When
do we use ako, and when do we use ko ? When do we use ka, and when do we
use mo.
We know that ko and mo are possessive pronouns. Thus we say, blusa ko (my
blouse) and blusa mo (your blouse).
However, why do we have sentences such as:
TANONG : Ano ang binili mo?

What did you buy?
SAGOT : Blusa ang binili ko.

I bought a blouse.

Why are the following sentences wrong?
TANONG : Ano ang binili ka?
(Because this means that the person was the one bought.)

SAGOT : Blusa ang binili ako.
(Because this means that the blouse bought the person.)

How do we avoid these mistakes?

By “matching” the pronoun with the “focus” of the sentence.
Remember that when the focus is on the object, use “mo” and “ko.” When the
focus is on the subject, use “ka” and “ako.” Also, we use “ikaw” instead of ka,
when we use the second person pronoun at the beginning of the sentence. We use
“ka” when we use the second person pronoun elsewher.
Thus, to repeat:
Ako ang bumili ng blusa.

Blusa ang binili ko.
Ikaw ang bumili ng blusa.

Blusa ang binili mo.
Sa Liberty Mall ako bumili ng blusa.