Common Uses of Tagalog Sa Pronouns

1. Only for personal pronouns and some demonstrative pronouns: Showing possession or belonging.

Sa kanya ang bag.

Kanya ang bag.

The bag is his/hers.

Akin ang bag.

The bag is mine.

Sa asong ito ang kumot.

The blanket belongs to this dog.

Lit. The blanket is this dog’s.

“Sa pronoun + -ng“ can be used as a formal alternative to a Ng pronoun showing possession (p. 52).

bag niya

kanyang bag

his/her bag (formal)

bag ko

aking bag

my bag (formal)

2. Indicating location or direction.

*Kumain doon* ang babae.**	The woman ate there.
*Pumunta doon* ang babae.**	The woman went there.
*Pumunta sa kanya* ang babae.**	The woman went to him/her.
Pumunta sa asong iyon ang babae.	The woman went to that dog (far from you and me).

3. Marking the non-POD direction of an action. The direction of an action is the person or thing, for which or in whose direction the action is performed. A non-POD direction is a direction that is part of the News (p. 30) instead of the POD (p. 30).

*Sumulat sa kanya* ang babae.**	The woman wrote (to) him/her.
*Nagtanong sa kanya* ang babae.**	The woman asked him/her.
*Nagtanong sa mga iyon* ang babae.**	The woman asked those (people) / them.