Breakdown of Hawak ng may-ari ang kontrata.
ng
of
ang
subject/topic marker
may-ari
the owner
kontrata
the contract
Questions & Answers about Hawak ng may-ari ang kontrata.
What does hawak mean here?
Hawak comes from the root meaning hold. In this sentence, it works more like a stative predicate than a fully inflected action verb. So it means something like being held, in hand, or in someone’s possession/control.
That is why the sentence can sound natural in English as either:
- The owner is holding the contract
- The contract is in the owner’s possession
Is there a missing word for is in this sentence?
No. Filipino often leaves out a verb equivalent to English is/are in simple predicate sentences.
So:
- Hawak ng may-ari ang kontrata.
is already a complete sentence. Filipino does not need a separate word for is here.
Why does the sentence start with hawak instead of the noun?