Tagalog Mastery: formal, professional and teaching

Formal Tagalog: po, opo and the respectful "you"

In simple words

You talk to your best friend one way and to your grandmother another way. Tagalog has special little words that show respect, like "po". Using them well is like bowing a little with your words.

Before this course: Tagalog Fluency: reading, writing and idiom (course 6.3.3). You already use object-focus verbs (-in, i-, -an), write ng and nang, rin and din correctly, read short news, write a formal letter with ay-sentences, and know common idioms and proverbs. We do not repeat them. This course is the expert level: formal and professional Tagalog, and teaching it to others.

Key facts

Filipino and Tagalog. The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines (Article XIV, Section 6) says: "The national language of the Philippines is Filipino." It adds that Filipino shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. Filipino is largely based on Tagalog, so what you learn in this track works in both.
Section 7 says that for communication and instruction the official languages are Filipino and, until a law says otherwise, English. Regional languages are auxiliary official languages in their regions.
Republic Act 7104 (approved 14 August 1991) created the Commission on the Filipino Language (Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, course 6.3.3). One of its jobs is to propose guidelines and standards for language in official communications.
po and opo show respect to older people, strangers, customers and officials. Opo = yes (respectful). Hindi po = no (respectful). You will also hear ho and oho, which are a little less formal.
Where po goes: near the start of the sentence, after the first word (and after small words like na).
Salamat po. (Thank you.)
Kumain na po ba kayo? (Have you eaten?)
Short one-syllable pronouns (ko, mo, ka) come before po; longer ones (ako, kayo, siya) come after it: Tinawagan ko po kayo kahapon. (I called you yesterday.)
The respectful "you": to one older person or someone you respect, use the plural forms.

Pronoun set	Casual (one friend)	Respectful (one person) or plural
ang-set	ikaw / ka	kayo
ng-set	mo	ninyo
sa-set	iyo	inyo

Examples: Ano ang pangalan mo? (casual) → Ano po ang pangalan ninyo? (respectful). Ito ay para sa iyo. → Ito po ay para sa inyo. (This is for you.)
Formal words (some from course 6.3.3): nais (want), upang (in order to), ngunit / subalit (but), maaari (may, can), kagalang-galang (honourable), Ginoong Tagapangulo (Mr. Chair).
Don't overdo it: with close friends of your age, po can sound cold or like a joke. Choose the level for the person.

Example (dialogue, at an office counter)

A: "Magandang umaga po. Ano po ang maitutulong ko?" (Good morning. How can I help you?)
B: "Magandang umaga rin po. Nais ko pong magtanong tungkol sa klase." (Good morning to you too. I would like to ask about the class.)
A: "Sige po. Ano po ang pangalan ninyo?" (Of course. What is your name?)
B: "Ana Cruz po. Tinawagan ko po kayo kahapon." (Ana Cruz. I called you yesterday.)
A: "Ah, opo. Naaalala ko po." (Ah, yes. I remember.)

Step by step

Read the dialogue aloud twice. Tap the table every time you say po.
Write five casual questions you would ask a friend (for example "Ano ang pangalan mo?").
Rewrite each one for a respected older person: add po after the first word and change mo to ninyo, ikaw to kayo, iyo to inyo.
Write two sentences with ko or mo and two with ako or kayo, and place po correctly in each.
Say "Opo", "Hindi po" and "Salamat po" in three different tones: warm, neutral and very formal.
Check: every respectful sentence has po near the start, and no respectful sentence still uses ikaw, mo or iyo.

Watch on YouTube

Po and opo: Tagalog polite words in Filipino cultureEasy Tagalog101 · YouTube · youtube.com

Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.

LESSON 01Formal Tagalog: po, opo and the respectful "you"

LESSON 01 / ANIMATED LESSON / AI VOICE00:00 / 01:00

Voice

Read the video script

[Host] "In Tagalog, a tiny word shows big respect: po."
[Text on screen: Salamat po. / Opo. / Hindi po.] "Salamat po, thank you. Opo, yes. Hindi po, no."
[Text on screen: Tinawagan ko po kayo.] "Po comes near the start. Ko and mo go before it; ako and kayo go after it."
[Text on screen: mo → ninyo, ikaw → kayo, iyo → inyo] "For respect, use the plural you: kayo, ninyo, inyo."
[Host] "Rewrite five questions today, from casual to respectful."

Try it now

Write a ten-line conversation between you and an older neighbour, all in respectful Tagalog. Then write the same conversation with a friend your age, in casual Tagalog. Read both aloud.

ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude

Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.

For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.

I'm learning "Tagalog Mastery: formal, professional and teaching" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "Formal Tagalog: po, opo and the respectful "you"".

What the lesson teaches:
- Filipino and Tagalog. The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines (Article XIV, Section 6) says: "The national language of the Philippines is Filipino." It adds that Filipino shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. Filipino is largely based on Tagalog, so what you learn in this track works in both.
- Section 7 says that for communication and instruction the official languages are Filipino and, until a law says otherwise, English. Regional languages are auxiliary official languages in their regions.
- Republic Act 7104 (approved 14 August 1991) created the Commission on the Filipino Language (Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, course 6.3.3). One of its jobs is to propose guidelines and standards for language in official communications.
- po and opo show respect to older people, strangers, customers and officials. Opo = yes (respectful). Hindi po = no (respectful). You will also hear ho and oho, which are a little less formal.
- Where po goes: near the start of the sentence, after the first word (and after small words like na).
- Salamat po. (Thank you.)
- Kumain na po ba kayo? (Have you eaten?)

The exercise I'm working on:
Write a ten-line conversation between you and an older neighbour, all in respectful Tagalog. Then write the same conversation with a friend your age, in casual Tagalog. Read both aloud.

I'm stuck. Please:
1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example.
2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step.
3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.

I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "Formal Tagalog: po, opo and the respectful "you"" from the course "Tagalog Mastery: formal, professional and teaching".

Here's what the lesson says:
You talk to your best friend one way and to your grandmother another way. Tagalog has special little words that show respect, like "po". Using them well is like bowing a little with your words.

The activity:
Write a ten-line conversation between you and an older neighbour, all in respectful Tagalog. Then write the same conversation with a friend your age, in casual Tagalog. Read both aloud.

Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words.
Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.

Open Claude

Sources

1987 Constitution of the Philippines, Article XIV, Sections 6 and 7 (LawPhil): lawphil.net/consti/cons1987.html
Republic Act No. 7104, Commission on the Filipino Language Act (LawPhil): lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1991/ra_7104_1991.html

My notes

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