Capitalization in Filipino

Filipino uses capital letters to mark sentence beginnings and names, not to signal grammatical importance. Proper names are capitalized; ordinary common nouns, pronouns, occupations, and titles used generically remain lowercase. Multiword names require more judgment because their grammatical connectors often remain lowercase even when the content words are capitalized.

The broad system resembles English, but copying English capitalization mechanically causes real errors. English always capitalizes the pronoun I; Filipino does not capitalize ako in the middle of a sentence. English title case also encourages learners to capitalize every visible word, while Filipino titles normally leave short grammatical words such as ang, at, ng, sa, and mula lowercase unless one begins the title. The grammatical distinction behind many choices is developed on the page about common and proper nouns.

Core capitalization patterns

Capitalization does not change ang, ng, or sa into articles or cases, and it does not alter voice or aspect. It identifies names and textual boundaries; grammar still determines the rest of the clause.

The plural marker mga likewise remains lowercase inside a sentence unless it begins one.

Sentence beginnings and ordinary words

Capitalize the first word of a sentence, including the first word after a full stop. Inside the sentence, ordinary nouns and pronouns remain lowercase unless another rule makes them proper names.

Here kapatid, guro, siya, and paaralan are common words. Their importance to the message does not license capital letters. Similarly, mid-sentence ako remains lowercase.

Biyernes is a day name and Maynila is a place name, so both are capitalized. Ako is only a pronoun, unlike English I.

People, places, languages, and groups

Capitalize personal names, surnames, geographic names, nationalities, languages, and ethnolinguistic group names. The category word may remain lowercase when it is not itself part of an official name: wikang Filipino, kulturang Ivatan, mga Cebuano.

In KWF-oriented geographic naming, forms such as Lungsod Quezon, Ilog Pasig, and Bundok Apo capitalize both the generic geographic term and the specific name when they function together as the official designation. Established legal and local forms may differ, so preserve the official spelling of the place being named.

The hyphen in taga-Iloilo separates a native prefix from a proper name. Writing taga Iloilo copies English spacing and hides the word boundary required by Filipino orthography.

Titles and offices: specific versus generic

A title attached to a particular person's name is capitalized. The same word remains lowercase when it refers to an office or occupation generically.

The contrast is not about respect versus disrespect. The second phrase behaves as a specific title-plus-name expression; the first is an ordinary noun phrase. Formal documents may capitalize an office name according to an institutional style sheet, especially in headings or a formally defined office, but indiscriminate capitalization makes ordinary prose harder to read.

Kinship terms can become name-like

Kinship words are usually common nouns: ang nanay ko, mga tita, kaniyang lolo. They are capitalized when used as a direct form of address or as a name-like title with a specific person.

The first Tita belongs to the identifying expression Tita Rosa. The second refers to members of a family category and remains lowercase. Family preference and social context can make a kinship term highly name-like, but the generic-versus-specific distinction remains useful in edited prose.

Institutions, events, and creative titles

Capitalize the principal words in official institution names, historical events, holidays, and named celebrations. Keep grammatical linkers, markers, and short connectors lowercase unless they begin the name.

Creative titles follow the same general logic: capitalize the first word and the principal content words, but leave internal function words lowercase. Quotation marks or italics depend on the type of work and the publication's style.

Headings and book covers sometimes use all capitals, sentence case, or a designer's chosen style. That typographic variation does not change the capitalization of the same name in ordinary running prose.

Surnames and registered styling

Particles such as de, de la, dela, and de las are traditionally lowercase inside a full personal name: Ana de la Cruz. At the beginning of a sentence or when the surname is used alone, the initial may be capitalized: De la Cruz. Actual legal and personal spelling takes priority; if a person writes Dela Cruz as one capitalized surname, preserve that form.

Likewise, do not “correct” registered or chosen forms such as eBay merely because they begin with a lowercase letter. Avoid putting such a name first when possible, or recast the sentence. Editorial practice varies, but faithful naming is more important than forcing a general rule.

Common Mistakes

1. Capitalizing every important-looking common word

2. Copying English capitalization of I onto ako

3. Capitalizing a generic office title

4. Lowercasing and separating an affixed place name

Key Takeaways

Capitalize sentence beginnings and verified proper names, not every socially important word. Distinguish a generic title from a title attached to a name, and a generic kinship term from a name-like form of address. In multiword names and titles, capitalize principal words while keeping internal grammatical words lowercase, subject to the official styling of the person, place, institution, or publication.