Learn Hardcore Filipino: Saan ka ngayon? Tatawagan kita sa telepono. - Where are you now? I will call you on the phone.

Both are used. Strictly speaking, nasaan is the form typically used for asking about someone’s current location, so Nasaan ka ngayon? is the textbook choice. In casual speech, Filipinos often say Saan ka ngayon? and it’s perfectly natural. Use saan more with movement/direction verbs (e.g., Saan ka pupunta? “Where are you going?”) and nasaan for “where (located)”.

Why is it ka and not ikaw?

Ka is the form used after a predicate (like a verb or question word). Ikaw is used when the pronoun is at the beginning or for emphasis. So you say (Na)saan ka ngayon? but when fronting/emphasizing you can say Ikaw, (na)saan ka ngayon? Not natural: Nasaan ikaw ngayon?

Where can I put ngayon?

Default and most natural here is at the end: (Na)saan ka ngayon? You can front it for emphasis: Ngayon, nasaan ka? Don’t split it awkwardly (e.g., “Saan ngayon ka?” is ungrammatical). Note that na can replace or complement “now” nuance: Nasaan ka na? suggests “Where are you now/already (as expected)?”

What’s the difference between ngayon and ngayong?

Ngayon stands alone (“now”). Ngayong is the linker form used before a following word:

Nasaan ka ngayong gabi? “Where are you tonight?”
Not: “ngayon gabi.”

What exactly does kita mean in Tatawagan kita?

Kita is a special pronoun that means “I [actor] + you [object]” in one word (“I [will] [verb] you”). Use it only when the speaker is the actor and “you” is the patient/goal:

Tatawagan kita. “I’ll call you.”
If the actor is not “I,” don’t use kita: Tatawagan ka niya (“He/She will call you”) or Tatawagan ko siya (“I will call him/her”).

What does the verb form tatawagan show?

It’s the future (contemplated) form of the verb with the suffix -an, built from the root tawag (“call”). Breakdown:

Root: tawag
Focus: -an (goal/locative focus; the person contacted is the goal)
Aspect: reduplication of the first syllable for future → ta
- tawag
  - -an = tatawagan
    Other aspects:
Completed: tinawagan (I called)
Incomplete/progressive: tinatawagan (I am/keep calling)

Why -an (tatawagan) and not -in (tatawagin)?

They mean different things:

Tatawagan usually means “will call (by phone/contact)” or “will call at/on (a person/place/number).”
Tatawagin means “will call/summon (someone),” or “will call someone by a name/title,” not necessarily by phone.
Examples:
Tatawagan kita mamaya. I’ll call you later (on the phone).
Tatawagin kita pag turn mo na. I’ll call/summon you when it’s your turn.

Is sa telepono necessary in Tatawagan kita sa telepono?

It’s optional. Tatawagan kita already implies “I’ll call you (by phone).” Add sa telepono only if you want to contrast the medium (e.g., phone vs. video call) or be extra explicit. You can also specify: sa cellphone, sa landline, sa Messenger, etc.

Can I say Tatawag ako sa’yo instead? What’s the difference?

Yes. Tatawag ako sa’yo uses the actor-focus verb (from tumawag), marking the person you call with sa/ kay. Tatawagan kita uses the -an focus and highlights the person called as the goal. Both are natural; Tatawagan kita feels a bit more directly “you-focused.”
Wrong: Tatawag kita (you need sa’yo for actor-focus).

Where does kita go in the sentence?

As a clitic, kita normally sits right after the first element of the clause. In the neutral order: Tatawagan kita sa telepono. If you front something, kita still follows that first element:

Mamaya kita tatawagan.
Sa telepono kita tatawagan.
With particles, the usual order is: verb + particle(s) + kita: Tatawagan na kita, Tatawagan ko pa kita.

How do I make this more polite or respectful?

Use po and the plural/respect form kayo when addressing elders or superiors:

Nasaan na po kayo ngayon?
Tatawagan ko po kayo (sa telepono).
For “I’ll call you (respectful)”: Tatawagan ko po kayo.

Is Nasan ka ngayon? acceptable?

Yes. Nasan is a common colloquial contraction of nasaan, fine in speech and texting: Nasan ka ngayon? The full form Nasaan is more formal.

How do I pronounce ngayon and telepono?

Ngayon: starts with the “ng” sound (as in “sing”), then “a-yon”: [nga-YON], usually stressed on the last syllable.
Telepono: four syllables te-LE-po-no, with stress commonly on LE: [te-LE-po-no].

How do I say I’ll call you right now / later / already?

Right now: Tatawagan kita ngayon.
Later: Tatawagan kita mamaya.
Already / now (immediacy): Tatawagan na kita.
Right away: Tatawagan kita agad.
Before anything else: Tatawagan muna kita.

When do I use kay vs sa with people’s names?

With actor-focus (e.g., tatawag/tumawag), mark a person with kay: Tatawag ako kay Maria.
With -an focus (tatawagan), you can make the person the goal with si as the topic: Tatawagan ko si Maria.
For pronouns, use sa’yo/sa kanya/sa kanila with actor-focus: Tatawag ako sa’yo. With -an focus use object pronouns: Tatawagan ka/siya/nila.