Learn Hardcore Filipino: Kumain tayo doon pagkatapos maglaro sa bakuran. - Let us eat there after playing in the yard.

In Tagalog, the actor‑focus verb kumain is created by inserting -um- into the root kain (“eat”). This infix marks the completed (perfective) aspect, similar to “ate” or “have eaten” in English. When combined with tayo, it also functions as a polite suggestion: Kumain tayo = “Let’s eat.”

What does tayo mean here, and how is it different from kami or kita?

Tayo is the inclusive first‑person plural pronoun “we/us,” including both the speaker and the listener. In contrast, kami is “we” excluding the listener, and kita is a two‑person form meaning “you and I.” So kumain tayo specifically invites the person or people you’re talking to: “Let’s (you and I/you and us) eat.”

What’s the difference among doon, diyan, and dito?

These are locative demonstrative adverbs indicating distance:
  • Dito = “here” (near the speaker)
  • Diyan = “there” (near the listener)
  • Doon = “over there” (away from both speaker and listener)
In kumain tayo doon, the eating location is somewhere away from both you and me.

How does the phrase pagkatapos maglaro work? Why is the verb in the infinitive form maglaro?

Pagkatapos means “after.” When you connect it to a verb in Tagalog, you typically use the non‑finite actor‑focus form (mag- + root). So pagkatapos maglaro literally translates as “after playing” rather than “after we played.” The subject (“we”) is understood from the main clause.

Why not naglalaro or naglaro after pagkatapos?

Naglalaro (incomplete aspect) means “was playing/playing regularly,” and naglaro (completed aspect) means “played.” After pagkatapos, Tagalog grammar calls for the infinitive/gerund form (maglaro), which functions like the English “playing” in “after playing.”

Why is sa used before bakuran, and what does bakuran mean?

Sa is a preposition marking location (“in,” “on,” or “at”). Bakuran means “yard” or “courtyard.” Therefore sa bakuran = “in the yard.”

Can we say Pagkatapos nating maglaro sa bakuran, kumain tayo doon instead? What’s the difference?

Yes. Placing the time clause first gives Pagkatapos nating maglaro sa bakuran, kumain tayo doon (“After we play in the yard, let’s eat there”). You add -ng to link pagkatapos and nating (the genitive pronoun) to make the clause grammatically tight. It’s slightly more formal or precise, but both versions are perfectly acceptable.

How do we turn this into a question: “Shall we eat there after playing in the yard?”

Insert the question particle ba right after the verb phrase:
Kumain ba tayo doon pagkatapos maglaro sa bakuran?
This asks for confirmation: “Shall we eat there after playing in the yard?”

Is it possible to say kain tayo instead of kumain tayo, like in Tara, kain tayo sa labas?

Colloquially, yes. People often shorten kumain tayo to kain tayo (“let’s eat”). The full form with kumain is more formally correct in Tagalog grammar, but both are widely understood in everyday speech.