An instrumental or conveyance command selects something other than the actor as pivot. With common i- conveyance verbs, that pivot is often the item to transfer, place, apply, or encode. With an established ipang- instrumental verb, it is the tool or means to use. The addressee is therefore a non-pivot actor expressed by mo, ninyo, or another ng-form pronoun.
English imperatives normally omit you and do not show this alignment. Filipino commands require the verb, pronoun, and phrase markers to agree as a complete role frame. The lexical inventory is introduced on instrumental and conveyance voice.
Core Command Patterns
| Command type | Basic pattern | Selected pivot |
|---|---|---|
| transfer | ibigay/ipadala/iabot + mo/ninyo + sa/kay endpoint + ang theme | item conveyed |
| placement | ilagay + mo/ninyo + sa destination + ang theme | item placed |
| encoded content | isulat + mo/ninyo + sa surface + ang content | content encoded |
| instrumental use | ipang- verb + mo/ninyo + ng affected item + ang instrument | tool or means |
The table gives frequent frames, not a license to attach i- or ipang- to any root. Commands use established basic forms.
Conveyance Commands
Iabot mo kay Mang Lito ang talaan bago magsimula ang pagpupulong.
Hand the list to Mang Lito before the meeting begins. (one addressee)
Mo is the actor, kay Mang Lito the personal recipient, and ang talaan the conveyed pivot. The recipient does not become pivot just because English can place it directly after hand.
Ilagay ninyo sa may pintuan ang mga payong na basa.
Put the wet umbrellas by the doorway. (plural or respectful addressee)
The umbrellas are the placed-theme pivot. Sa may pintuan is a destination phrase. Ninyo can address several people or one respected person; po can be added according to relationship.
Isulat mo sa unang pahina ang pangalan at numero ng telepono mo.
Write your name and telephone number on the first page.
The written content is pivot; sa unang pahina is the surface. Locative sulatan would select the surface or addressee instead, so the forms are not interchangeable.
Actor Voice and Conveyance Voice for the Same Task
Magpadala ka ng kopya kay Attorney Reyes ngayong hapon.
Send a copy to Attorney Reyes this afternoon. (actor voice: directs the addressee's activity)
Ipadala mo kay Attorney Reyes ang pirmadong kopya ngayong hapon.
Send the signed copy to Attorney Reyes this afternoon. (conveyance voice: selects the copy)
Actor voice uses ka and leaves ng kopya non-pivot. Conveyance voice uses mo, selects ang pirmadong kopya, and retains kay Attorney Reyes as recipient. The second often fits a context where the exact document is already under discussion, but specificity is a tendency rather than an article rule.
The commands are not active and passive versions of each other. Both directly instruct the addressee to act; their pivots differ.
Instrumental Commands
Ipanghiwa mo ng tinapay ang kutsilyong bagong hasa.
Use the newly sharpened knife to slice bread. (instrument pivot)
The knife is the ang-marked means. Mo is actor and ng tinapay the affected theme. If the bread is what matters, a patient-voice command such as Hiwain mo ang tinapay gamit ang bagong hasang kutsilyo is more natural.
Ipambayad ninyo sa matrikula ang tsekeng nasa asul na sobre.
Use the check in the blue envelope to pay the tuition. (means pivot; formal/plural addressee)
Underlying ipang- + bayad surfaces as ipambayad. The check is means pivot; sa matrikula is the obligation. Do not write the abstract form ipangbayad in standard spelling.
Ipampunas natin ng mesa ang lumang tuwalya, hindi ang malinis.
Let's use the old towel, not the clean one, to wipe the table. (inclusive joint command)
Inclusive natin includes the addressee. The old towel is instrument pivot; ng mesa is the item wiped. Exclusive namin cannot mean “let's” because it excludes the addressee.
Polite Requests and Enclitic Placement
Pakiabot po ninyo sa tagapangasiwa ang sobre bago magtanghali.
Please hand the envelope to the administrator before noon. (polite/formal request)
Paki- presents the act as a favor, po marks respect, and ninyo remains the non-pivot actor. Politeness does not change voice.
Short pronouns and particles belong early in the clause:
Ibalik mo na sa kahera ang kard; hinihintay na niya iyon.
Return the card to the cashier now; she is already waiting for it.
The cluster mo na is natural. Moving mo after the full theme to imitate English word order sounds highly marked.
Prohibitions
Use huwag, not ordinary hindi, for a direct negative command.
Huwag mong ilagay sa freezer ang bote dahil maaari itong mabasag.
Do not put the bottle in the freezer because it may break. (neutral prohibition)
Huwag ninyong ipambukas ng kaha ang manipis na distornilyador.
Do not use the thin screwdriver to open the case. (instrumental prohibition)
The neutral pattern is huwag + ng-form actor + basic verb. A contemplated-looking form may occur in emphatic future-oriented or standing prohibitions, but the basic form is the dependable choice for a one-time warning. This is mood and aspect, not English tense.
A Short Exchange
—Saan ko po dadalhin ang mga resibo? —Ibigay mo muna kay Liza ang mga orihinal, tapos ilagay sa pulang sobre ang mga kopya.
—Where should I take the receipts? —Give the originals to Liza first, then put the copies in the red envelope. (workplace exchange)
The question uses contemplated dadalhin for a proposed action. The reply selects ang mga orihinal under ibigay and ang mga kopya under ilagay. The actor mo is understood in the coordinated second command.
Common Mistakes
Using an ang-form actor with conveyance voice
❌ Iabot ka kay Mang Lito ang talaan.
Incorrect—iabot selects the list as pivot, so the addressee requires mo.
✅ Iabot mo kay Mang Lito ang talaan pagkatapos ng tawag.
Hand the list to Mang Lito after the call.
Giving the endpoint ang marking
❌ Ilagay mo ang kabinet ang mga payong na basa.
Incorrect—the cabinet is a destination, not a second pivot.
✅ Ilagay mo sa kabinet ang mga payong na basa.
Put the wet umbrellas in the cabinet.
Selecting the affected item in an instrumental command
❌ Ipanghiwa mo ang tinapay sa matalim na kutsilyo.
Incorrect for instrumental voice—the knife, not the bread, must be the pivot.
✅ Ipanghiwa mo ng tinapay ang matalim na kutsilyo.
Use the sharp knife to slice bread.
Using hindi for a prohibition
❌ Hindi mong ipambayad sa renta ang perang ito.
Incorrect—hindi does not form the neutral direct prohibition, and the pronoun cluster is ill formed.
✅ Huwag mong ipambayad sa renta ang perang ito.
Do not use this money to pay the rent.
Key Takeaways
- A conveyance command selects the transferred, placed, or encoded theme; the addressee is mo/ninyo.
- Recipients and destinations remain sa/kay phrases.
- An instrumental command selects the tool or means, while the affected item commonly remains ng-marked.
- Use natin for inclusive joint action, polite particles for social force, and huwag for prohibitions.
- Verify lexical forms and nasal assimilation instead of constructing unfamiliar i- or ipang- verbs mechanically.
Related Topics
- Instrumental and Conveyance VoiceB1 — Use benefactive/instrumental voice patterns to select a conveyed theme, applied content, tool, material, or means as the pivot.
- Instrumental and Conveyance Voice: Participant MarkingB2 — Mark actors, conveyed themes, instruments, recipients, destinations, and affected items in i- and ipang- voice constructions.
- Patient Voice: CommandsB2 — Give patient-voice instructions while keeping the affected item as pivot and marking the addressee correctly.
- Aspect in CommandsB1 — Use basic verb forms for ordinary commands, contemplated forms for regular or emphatic directives, and huwag for prohibitions.
- Prohibitives with huwagB2 — Learn how huwag forms prohibitions, how pronouns and particles follow it, and why its verb complement is not simply a negative future.
- Pronouns in CommandsA2 — Choose and place ka, mo, kayo, ninyo, tayo, natin, and oblique pronouns in positive commands, prohibitions, invitations, and polite requests.