Learn Hardcore Filipino: Malinis ang bakuran mo tuwing umaga.

Filipino often uses a predicate–subject (P–S) word order for descriptive statements. Here, malinis (clean) is the predicate (what you’re saying about something), and it comes first. The subject follows, introduced by the marker ang.

What is the role of ang in this sentence?

ang is a subject marker for common nouns. It signals that the phrase immediately after it (in this case, bakuran mo) is the grammatical subject of the predicate malinis.

What does bakuran mean, and how is it formed?

bakuran means “yard” or “courtyard.” It comes from the root bakod (fence); adding the suffix -an turns it into “the area enclosed by a fence.”

Why is mo used, and why does it come after bakuran?

mo is the second-person singular possessive pronoun (“your”). In Filipino, possessive pronouns follow the noun they modify, so bakuran mo means “your yard.”

What does tuwing mean here?

tuwing means “whenever” or “every time.” In this context, it translates best as “every,” so tuwing umaga means “every morning.”

Can you drop sa in expressions like sa tuwing?

Yes. More formal usage is sa tuwing (literally “at every time”). In everyday speech, Filipinos usually say tuwing without sa.

Could I say bawat umaga instead of tuwing umaga?

Absolutely. bawat (“each” or “every”) works the same way:
• Bawat umaga, malinis ang bakuran mo.
This is equally correct and common.

How do you express a different tense, like “your yard was clean every morning”?

Filipino doesn’t change verbs for tense in the same way as English. Instead, it relies on aspect markers or time adverbs. For past habitual, you could add dati (formerly) or change the predicate aspect:
• Dati, malinis ang bakuran mo tuwing umaga.
This implies “Before, your yard used to be clean every morning.”