Ito, iyan, and iyon are the entity or ang-form demonstratives. They can stand as complete noun phrases—“this,” “that by you,” and “that over there”—or combine with a noun. Because they already encode ang-form status, they can be the pivot selected by a predicate without an added ang.
Their three-way distance contrast has no exact match in English. Ito is centered on the speaker, iyan on the addressee, and iyon on a referent away from both. The choice can reflect physical position, current conversational ownership, or a more abstract association, but the grammatical form still identifies an entity rather than a place or manner.
The complete set is mapped on the three-way demonstrative system overview.
Forms, distance, and noun patterns
| Form | Center | Before a noun | After a noun |
|---|---|---|---|
| ito | near the speaker | itong libro | ang librong ito |
| iyan | near or associated with the addressee | iyang bag | ang bag na iyan |
| iyon | away from both | iyong gusali | ang gusaling iyon |
The pre-noun forms contain a linker: ito + -ng → itong, while iyan and iyon end in n and therefore take linker -g, producing iyang and iyong. Post-noun forms also need the appropriate link: librong ito, bag na iyan, gusaling iyon.
Written iyong can also be the long second-person possessive iyo + -ng “your.” Context separates iyong gusali “that building over there” from iyong gusali “your building.” Rephrasing as ang gusaling iyon or ang gusali mo removes ambiguity when it matters.
Standalone entity demonstratives
An ang-form demonstrative can serve as a pivot or as the identifier in a nonverbal clause.
Ito ang kopyang ipapasa mo sa tanggapan.
This is the copy you will submit to the office.
Iyan ang bagong telepono mo, hindi ba?
That by you is your new phone, isn't it?
Iyon ang huling bus na dadaan ngayong gabi.
That over there is the last bus that will pass tonight.
Predicate-first order is also natural:
Mas mabigat ito kaysa sa lumang modelo.
This is heavier than the old model.
None of these clauses needs an overt form of English be. The demonstrative is already a complete referential expression.
Voice selects ito, not English object position
Patient voice can select the demonstrated entity as pivot, even when English translates it as an object.
Isama mo ito sa mga dokumentong ipapadala bukas.
Include this with the documents that will be sent tomorrow.
Hindi ko bubuksan iyan hangga't wala ang may-ari.
I will not open that by you until the owner is here.
In both clauses, ito/iyan is the patient pivot. The actor is ng-form mo/ko. English calls “this/that” an object, but replacing these forms with nito/niyan would break the patient-voice alignment.
Actor voice creates a different pattern: Kumuha ako nito “I took one of these/some of this.” The ng-form page develops that contrast.
Demonstratives with nouns
Filipino allows a linked demonstrative before the noun or a marked noun followed by the demonstrative. Both are standard.
Itong tasa sa harap ko ang para sa kape; iyang tasa sa tabi mo ang para sa tsaa.
This cup in front of me is for coffee; that cup beside you is for tea.
This controlled comparison keeps the noun and clause structure constant. Only the deictic center changes: itong places the cup with the speaker, while iyang places the other cup with the addressee.
Kita mula sa bintana ang punong iyon sa kabilang bakuran.
That tree in the yard across the way is visible from the window.
Here ang punong iyon is a distal pivot phrase. The linker -ng on puno connects the noun to the following demonstrative. The demonstrative does not mark plurality: use ang mga punong iyon for “those trees.”
Questions, contrast, and a short exchange
Questions often use alin “which” and then contrast the three demonstrative zones.
—Alin ang payong mo, ito ba o iyang nasa tabi mo? —Ito ang akin; iyan ang sa iyo.
—Which umbrella is yours, this one by me or that one beside you? —This one by me is mine; that one by you is yours.
In the question, standalone ito contrasts with elliptical iyang nasa tabi mo, where the noun payong is recoverable. When the addressee replies, the same physical arrangement is described from the new speaker's perspective: the nearby umbrella is now ito, while the one by the original questioner is iyan. Deictic choice follows the live speech roles, not a permanent label attached to an object.
A negative correction can explicitly redirect attention:
Hindi ito ang nakalaan sa iyo; iyon ang para sa iyo.
This is not the one reserved for you; that one over there is for you.
Inanimate reference and people
For ordinary objects, ito/iyan/iyon are natural where English uses “it” or “this/that.” A personal pronoun such as siya normally signals a person or individuated animate being.
Mahina na ang baterya ng ilaw na ito, kaya palitan mo ito bago bumiyahe.
The battery of this light is weak, so replace it before traveling.
The second ito refers back to the physical light. Filipino could omit it if the patient were fully recoverable, but siya would not be the neutral inanimate choice.
When pointing out an unidentified person, a demonstrative is possible:
Sino iyon sa may tarangkahan? —Iyon ang bagong tagapangasiwa.
Who is that over there by the gate? —That is the new administrator.
After identification, refer to the administrator with the name, role, or siya. Continued use of iyon for a known person can create emotional distance, unless that distancing effect is intended.
Physical and discourse anchoring
Ito often frames the speaker's current statement, while iyan can refer to an idea just offered by the addressee. Iyon commonly recalls something more remote in the conversation. These uses are extensions of deictic distance, not fixed translations of English “this” and “that.”
Magandang mungkahi iyan, pero kailangan pa nating tingnan ang gastos.
That suggestion of yours is good, but we still need to examine the cost.
The speaker assigns the suggestion to the addressee's conversational sphere. A later page covers broad discourse deixis; at this level, remember that distance can be conversational as well as physical.
The shortened forms 'to, 'yan, and 'yon are common (informal) in speech and messages. Careful writing normally keeps ito, iyan, and iyon.
Common Mistakes
Adding ang before an ang-form demonstrative
❌ Inilagay ko ang iyan sa ibabaw ng estante.
Incorrect — iyan already functions as the selected ang-form entity.
✅ Inilagay ko iyan sa ibabaw ng estante.
I put that one by you on top of the shelf.
Omitting the linker before a noun
❌ Ito libro ang gagamitin natin sa klase.
Incorrect — a pre-noun demonstrative requires the linker.
✅ Itong libro ang gagamitin natin sa klase.
This is the book we will use in class.
Using an ang-form item in an actor-voice ng slot
❌ Kumuha ako ito para sa halimbawa.
Incorrect — actor-voice kumuha requires the selected item in the ng-form series.
✅ Kumuha ako nito para sa halimbawa.
I took one of these for the example.
Using an entity demonstrative for a location
❌ Nag-aral kami ito buong hapon.
Incorrect for ‘We studied here’ — ito refers to an entity, not a place.
✅ Dito kami nag-aral buong hapon.
We studied here all afternoon.
Ignoring the addressee-centered distance
❌ Pakiabot sa akin ang lapis na iyon sa tabi ng kamay mo.
Wrong distance for the described scene — iyon points away from both participants.
✅ Pakiabot sa akin ang lapis na iyan sa tabi ng kamay mo.
Please hand me that pencil beside your hand.
The corrected iyan is addressee-proximal because the pencil is beside the listener.
Key Takeaways
- Ito, iyan, and iyon identify entities and belong to the ang-form series.
- Iyan is centered on the addressee; iyon is away from both speaker and addressee.
- Patient voice can require ito/iyan/iyon even when English treats the referent as an object.
- Link demonstratives to nouns: itong libro, iyang bag, iyong gusali.
- Use demonstratives, a repeated noun, or omission for inanimate reference rather than automatic siya.
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Start learning Filipino →Related Topics
- Three-Way Demonstrative SystemA1 — Choose Filipino demonstratives by distance from speaker and addressee, then select the entity, ng-form, locative, or manner series required by the construction.
- nito, niyan, and niyon as Ng-FormsA1 — Use nito, niyan, and niyon for non-pivot themes, possessors, actors, and other ng-form relations across Filipino's three deictic distances.
- dito, diyan, and doon as LocativesA1 — Use dito, diyan, and doon for places and destinations near the speaker, near the addressee, or away from both, with established r-initial variants.
- Demonstratives with NounsA2 — Build noun phrases with ito, iyan, and iyon using the correct linker, outer phrase marker, plural marker, and three-way distance contrast.
- Demonstratives as PredicatesA2 — Use nominal, locative, and manner demonstratives as predicate-initial expressions without inserting an English-style copula.
- Using siya for Inanimate English 'It'B1 — Replace English inanimate and dummy it with the Filipino demonstrative, noun, omission, or impersonal frame the construction requires.