Filipino demonstratives divide the speech situation into three zones: near the speaker, near the addressee, and away from both. English that covers the last two zones, but Filipino usually distinguishes iyan “that near you” from iyon “that over there.” The addressee is therefore part of the basic map, not an optional extra detail.
Distance alone is only half the system. Each zone has aligned forms for an entity, a non-pivot or possessive relation, a location, and a manner. Choosing ito versus dito, for example, is not choosing between two spellings of “this”; it is choosing between “this thing” and “here.”
The four aligned series
| Deictic center | Entity / ang-form | Ng-form | Locative / oblique | Manner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| near the speaker | ito “this” | nito “of/by/this” | dito “here” | ganito “like this” |
| near the addressee | iyan “that by you” | niyan “of/by/that by you” | diyan “there by you” | ganiyan “like that” |
| away from both | iyon “that over there” | niyon “of/by/that over there” | doon “over there” | ganoon “like that” |
The labels “ang-form” and “ng-form” describe constructional alignment; they are not claims that the forms are simple English cases. The locative forms primarily express place or destination, but they also occur in broader oblique expressions such as tungkol dito “about this” and dahil dito “because of this.”
The careful standard forms appear in the table. Short 'to, 'yan, and 'yon and reduced ganyan and ganun are widespread (informal). They are treated separately in the guide rather than substituted silently into standard written examples.
Three centers, not just “near” and “far”
Use the speaker-proximal series for something in the speaker's space or currently being presented by the speaker.
Hawakan mo muna ito habang binubuksan ko ang pinto.
Hold this for a moment while I open the door.
Use the addressee-proximal series for something by the listener, in the listener's possession, or closely associated with what the listener is doing.
Pakibuksan mo iyan at tingnan kung kumpleto ang mga pahina.
Please open that by you and check whether all the pages are there.
Use the distal series for something away from both participants.
Iyon ang paradahan sa kabila ng tulay.
That over there is the parking area across the bridge.
A controlled contrast shows that ito and iyan can refer to equally close objects measured from different people:
Ito ang tiket na hawak ko; iyan ang tiket na nasa harap mo.
This is the ticket I am holding; that is the ticket in front of you.
The distinction is relational, not a fixed number of meters. If the speaker walks over and picks up the listener's ticket, the natural demonstrative may change because the conversational center has changed.
Select a series after selecting a distance
Once the distance is clear, choose the form that matches the phrase's job.
Kukunin ko ito pagkatapos ng pulong.
I will take this after the meeting.
Patient-voice kukunin selects the item as pivot, so the speaker-proximal entity form is ito.
Kukuha ako nito para sa bagong empleyado.
I will take one of these/some of this for the new employee.
Actor-voice kukuha selects ako as pivot and places the selected item in the ng-form series, so the corresponding form is nito. The two clauses do not differ merely in word order; their verb voice and participant alignment differ.
Location requires the locative series:
Dito ka maghintay habang kinukuha ko ang sasakyan.
Wait here while I get the vehicle.
Manner requires the manner series:
Ganito mo tiklupin ang mapa para magkasya sa bulsa.
Fold the map like this so it fits in the pocket.
Ito identifies an entity, dito a location, and ganito a manner. English can use “this” in all three ideas—“this,” “at this place,” “like this”—but Filipino does not.
Number and animacy
Demonstratives do not inflect for number. Put mga before an entity demonstrative when explicit plurality is needed.
Mas mura ang mga ito, pero mas matibay ang mga iyon.
These are cheaper, but those over there are sturdier.
Without mga, context can still establish a mass or collective reading, especially with ng-forms such as nito “some of this.” Do not attach an English plural ending to the demonstrative.
The entity forms normally point to things, situations, and propositions. They can identify a person who is being pointed out—Sino iyon? “Who is that over there?”—but repeatedly referring to a known person as ito/iyan/iyon can sound distancing or objectifying. Once the person is identified, use the person's name, role, or a personal pronoun such as siya.
Physical, textual, and emotional distance
The same three-way map extends beyond visible space. Ito can introduce the speaker's present point, iyan can pick up the addressee's proposal or behavior, and iyon can recall a more remote event or earlier topic. These extensions are real but context-sensitive; they do not erase the physical system.
Mahalaga ang puntong ito: kailangan nating suriin muna ang datos.
This point is important: we need to examine the data first.
Hindi tama iyang paraan ng pakikipag-usap sa kliyente.
That way of speaking to the client is not appropriate.
The second sentence associates the manner with the addressee and can sound corrective. Choosing iyon instead would detach the criticism from the immediate addressee and point to a more remote example. The dedicated discourse uses of iyon page treats these abstract uses in depth.
A question and a short exchange
—Alin ang dadalhin natin, ito ba o iyon? —Ito na lang; mas magaan.
—Which one will we bring, this one or that one over there? —Let's take this one; it is lighter.
The reply omits the repeated noun because both choices are visible. Inclusive natin includes the addressee in the plan. The particle ba marks the alternatives as a question without changing either demonstrative's distance value.
Common Mistakes
Treating every English “that” as iyan
❌ Iyan ang bundok sa malayong dulo ng lambak.
Wrong distance in the described scene — iyan points toward the addressee's sphere.
✅ Iyon ang bundok sa malayong dulo ng lambak.
That over there is the mountain at the far end of the valley.
The first sentence is grammatical in another physical arrangement, but it gives the wrong spatial instruction here.
Using an entity form for a location
❌ Maghintay ka ito hanggang matapos ang pagpupulong.
Incorrect — ito identifies a thing, not the place where someone waits.
✅ Maghintay ka rito hanggang matapos ang pagpupulong.
Wait here until the meeting ends.
Rito is the standard r-initial variant of dito after vowel-final ka.
Using a locative form for an entity
❌ Gusto ko dito dahil mas magaan.
Wrong for ‘I like this one’ — dito means ‘here’ and changes the sentence toward liking the place.
✅ Gusto ko ito dahil mas magaan.
I like this one because it is lighter.
Adding ang before an ang-form demonstrative
❌ Kukunin ko ang ito pagkatapos ng klase.
Incorrect — ito already belongs to the ang-form demonstrative series.
✅ Kukunin ko ito pagkatapos ng klase.
I will take this after class.
Using an entity form to express manner
❌ Ito mo hawakan ang sipit para hindi madulas.
Incorrect for ‘Hold the tongs like this’ — ito identifies an entity.
✅ Ganito mo hawakan ang sipit para hindi madulas.
Hold the tongs like this so they do not slip.
Key Takeaways
- The three centers are near the speaker, near the addressee, and away from both.
- Each center has aligned entity, ng-form, locative, and manner forms.
- Choose distance first, then choose the form series required by voice and phrase function.
- Physical distance extends metaphorically to the current text, another person's behavior, and emotional stance.
- Demonstratives do not pluralize themselves; use mga ito, mga iyan, or mga iyon when explicit plurality is needed.
Related Topics
- ito, iyan, and iyon as Ang-FormsA1 — Use ito, iyan, and iyon as entity demonstratives and pivots, with distance anchored to the speaker, addressee, or both.
- 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.
- ganito, ganiyan, and ganoon as Manner FormsA1 — Use ganito, ganiyan, and ganoon to point to manners, qualities, and situations associated with the speaker, addressee, or a remote context.
- 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.
- Discourse-Deictic Uses of iyonB1 — Use iyon, niyon, and doon to resume earlier statements, events, proposals, and stretches of discourse rather than only distant objects.