Locative Voice: Commands | Filipino Grammar

A locative-voice command directs the addressee to act on or toward a selected place-like participant: Lagyan mo ng tubig ang pitsel, Puntahan mo si Lira, Sulatan mo ang tanggapan. The location, container, destination, or addressee is the ang/si pivot; the addressee who performs the action takes mo/ninyo, and a placed or transferred theme commonly takes ng.

The command frame

The ordinary imperative uses the basic form of an established locative family. -an/-han occurs in many such forms, but it cannot be attached freely to any root or English prepositional meaning.

Role	Typical marking	Command example
selected location/goal	ang/si/sina or ang-form pronoun	ang pitsel in Lagyan mo... ang pitsel
addressee as actor	mo/ninyo	Lagyan mo...
placed/transferred theme	commonly ng	ng tubig
other setting or endpoint	sa/kay/kina	sa likod ng gusali

For the general relation between command form and aspect, see aspect in commands.

Lagyan mo ng malamig na tubig ang pitsel bago dumating ang mga bisita.

Put cold water in the pitcher before the guests arrive. (locative-voice command)

Puntahan ninyo si Mang Isko sa kaniyang talyer bago magtanghali.

Go see Mang Isko at his repair shop before noon. (respectful or plural addressee)

In the first, ang pitsel is container pivot and ng malamig na tubig is theme. In the second, personal si Mang Isko is a reached goal pivot; sa kaniyang talyer merely gives the broader setting.

💡

Locative voice reverses the pattern English learners often expect: the commanded “you” is mo/ninyo, while the place or person reached is the ang/si pivot.

Actor voice and locative voice direct attention differently

Compare two instructions for the same practical task:

Maglagay ka ng malinis na tuwalya sa kabinet.

Put a clean towel in a cabinet. (actor-voice command)

Lagyan mo ng malinis na tuwalya ang kabinet.

Put a clean towel in the cabinet. (locative-voice command)

Actor voice selects the addressee through ka and leaves the cabinet in a sa phrase. Locative voice selects ang kabinet, marks the addressee mo, and keeps the towel under ng. English uses an active imperative for both; the locative version is not a passive transformation.

The actor-voice instruction readily introduces a place or emphasizes the activity. The locative version is especially natural when the cabinet is already identified, when its resulting contents matter, or when several locations are being assigned different treatments. These are discourse tendencies, not rules equating ang with English the.

Commands selecting surfaces, destinations, and addressees

A receiving surface can be pivot:

Pahiran mo ng manipis na langis ang kawali bago ito painitin.

Coat the pan with a thin layer of oil before heating it.

An addressee of communication can be selected:

Sulatan mo ang tanggapan tungkol sa nawawalang sertipiko.

Write to the office about the missing certificate.

A destination can be selected with puntahan:

Puntahan natin ang bagong tanggapan ng kooperatiba pagkatapos ng tanghalian.

Let's go to the cooperative's new office after lunch.

Inclusive actor natin means the speaker and addressee will act together. It is the ng-form required because ang bagong tanggapan ng kooperatiba is the destination pivot. Tayo would belong to the actor-voice alternative Pumunta tayo sa....

💡

English “let's” conceals voice: use tayo when the inclusive group is actor pivot, but natin when locative voice selects a different participant.

Basic forms, contemplated forms, and questions

The basic form is the neutral imperative: lagyan, puntahan, sulatan, pahiran. It does not present the commanded event as completed merely because some basic forms resemble other cells in a paradigm.

A contemplated form usually makes a statement or question about an unbegun plan. In a forceful context it can impose a scheduled duty, but it is not the neutral command.

Lalagyan mo ng malinaw na etiketa ang bawat bote bago magbukas ang tindahan.

You are to put a clear label on every bottle before the store opens. (scheduled or emphatic directive)

Lalagyan mo ba ng petsa ang mga sobre bago ipadala?

Are you going to put a date on the envelopes before sending them?

The first can sound managerial or authoritative. For an ordinary request about one current task, Lagyan mo... is safer. In both examples, the bottles or envelopes remain location pivots.

Prohibitions, particles, and politeness

Use huwag with the basic form for a neutral negative command. The non-pivot actor appears as mong/ninyong when immediately linked to the following predicate.

Huwag mong lagyan ng matapang na sabon ang sugat.

Do not put strong soap on the wound.

Particles occur in their normal clitic order.

Lagyan mo muna ng takip ang lalagyan bago mo ito ilipat.

Put a lid on the container first before moving it.

Pakilagyan po ninyo ng lagda ang ilalim ng bawat pahina.

Please put your signature at the bottom of each page. (respectful request)

Muna orders the task temporarily or sequentially; po marks respect. Requestive paki- does not change the selected location or the ninyo actor.

Lexical restrictions

Not every setting can become a locative pivot. Maghintay ka sa bulwagan “Wait in the hall” uses actor voice because the hall is simply where waiting occurs. Do not invent an -an verb to promote it. Even established -an forms can select patient-like roles rather than spatial locations, so learn the whole verb and its participant frame.

Contemporary speakers may prefer an actor-voice command with sa when the corresponding locative form is rare, ambiguous, or overly formal. That variation is a clarity choice, not inferior Filipino.

A short exchange

A: Saan ko ilalagay ang mga bagong susi? B: Lagyan mo ng tig-isang susi ang dalawang kahon sa itaas.

A: Where should I put the new keys? B: Put one key in each of the two boxes above.

The answer selects ang dalawang kahon as the locations to be filled. Mo is actor and ng tig-isang susi is the distributed theme.

Common Mistakes

Using ka as actor while another participant is pivot

❌ Lagyan ka ng yelo ang pitsel bago ihain.

Incorrect — ka would be an actor pivot, but lagyan selects the pitcher.

✅ Lagyan mo ng yelo ang pitsel bago ihain.

Put ice in the pitcher before serving it.

Leaving the selected location in a sa phrase

❌ Lagyan mo ng bagong kandado sa pintuan sa likod.

Incorrect as a complete locative command — the selected door pivot is missing.

✅ Lagyan mo ng bagong kandado ang pintuan sa likod.

Put a new lock on the back door.

Giving pivot marking to the placed theme

❌ Lagyan mo ang kandadong bakal ng pintuan sa likod.

Incorrect for the intended locative frame — this makes the steel lock look like the pivot instead of the door.

✅ Lagyan mo ng kandadong bakal ang pintuan sa likod.

Fit the back door with a steel lock.

Using hindi for a direct negative command

❌ Hindi mo lagyan ng pintura ang basang dingding.

Wrong for the intended prohibition — hindi forms a negative statement, not the neutral command.

✅ Huwag mong lagyan ng pintura ang basang dingding.

Do not put paint on the wet wall.

Key Takeaways

A locative-voice command selects the affected place, surface, container, destination, or addressee as pivot.
Use mo/ninyo/natin for the actor and usually ng for a placed or transferred theme.
Basic forms make neutral commands; contemplated forms more readily express plans, schedules, or emphatic duties.
Use huwag for prohibitions and preserve normal pronoun and particle order.
Prefer an established actor-voice alternative when no natural locative verb licenses the intended site.

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