Bumalik ka rito sa susunod na linggo.

Come back here next week.

Breakdown of Bumalik ka rito sa susunod na linggo.

• sa: on
• ka: you
• bumalik: to return
• susunod: next
• rito: here
• linggo: the week

Questions & Answers about Bumalik ka rito sa susunod na linggo.

Is this sentence a command or a statement?

It functions as a command (imperative), telling someone to come back. A plain future statement would typically use the future form instead: Babalik ka rito sa susunod na linggo (“You will come back here next week.”).

Why is the completed form bumalik used for a command instead of the future babalik?

With many -um- verbs, Filipino uses the completed/perfective form for direct commands. So:

• Command: Bumalik ka… (“Come back…”)
• Future statement: Babalik ka… (“You will come back…”)

This is a common pattern with -um- verbs (e.g., Kumain ka “Eat,” Upo ka “Sit down”).

What’s the root of bumalik, and how do I make other forms?

The root is balik (“return, go back”).

• Actor-focus -um-:
  • Completed: bumalik
  • Progressive: bumabalik
  • Future: babalik
• Object/locative-focus -an: balikan (“go back to/for [something/someone]”)
  • e.g., Babalikan kita bukas “I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
• Object-focus i-: ibalik (“return [something]”)
  • e.g., Ibalik mo ito “Return this.”

Why is it ka and not ikaw?

Ka is the enclitic (unstressed) nominative pronoun used after the verb in neutral word order (verb-first). Ikaw is the full form used when the pronoun is in initial or focused position.

• Neutral: Bumalik ka…
• Focused/contrastive: Ikaw ang bumalik… For respectful/plural “you,” use kayo: Bumalik po kayo…

Can I move ka around?

Normally, ka follows the first prosodic unit (often the verb), so Bumalik ka rito… is the default. You can front the place phrase for emphasis, but keep ka early:

• Place-fronted: Rito ka bumalik sa susunod na linggo. The neutral, most natural version is still Bumalik ka rito…

What’s the difference between rito and dito?

Both mean “here.” In everyday speech, dito is more common. Rito is a stylistic variant that often feels a bit more formal or “directional” (especially with motion verbs), but they’re interchangeable here:

• Bumalik ka rito… = Bumalik ka dito…

How about the “there” words—diyan/riyan and doon/roon?

They mark distance relative to speaker and listener:

• diyan/riyan = there (near the listener)
• doon/roon = there (far from both) The “r-” forms (riyan/roon) are stylistic variants like rito. Example: Bumalik ka diyan/riyan; Bumalik ka doon/roon.

Do I need sa before rito?

No. Rito/dito/diyan/doon function as adverbs of place on their own. Use sa with place nouns: Bumalik ka sa bahay (“Come back to the house”). In this sentence, sa belongs to the time phrase, not the location.

What does sa do in sa susunod na linggo?

Sa marks a point in time (“on/at/in” in English-like terms). Use sa for time expressions like sa Lunes (on Monday), sa gabi (at night), sa susunod na linggo (next week). Use ng when the time phrase modifies a noun: mga plano ng susunod na linggo (“next week’s plans”).

What is the na in susunod na linggo?

It’s the linker that ties modifiers to nouns. After words ending in a consonant (like susunod), use na; after vowels or -n, use ng. So: susunod na linggo; compare bagong linggo.

Are there other natural ways to say “next week”?

Yes, with slight nuances:

• sa darating na linggo = in the coming week (feels slightly more literal “coming/arriving”)
• sa isang linggo = in one week (exactly a week from now, not necessarily the next calendar week)
• byernes next week (code-switching is common in casual speech)

Does linggo ever mean “Sunday”?

Yes. Linggo (capitalized in writing as a day name) = Sunday. linggo (lowercase) = week. Context and capitalization disambiguate in writing; in speech, context does the work.

Is Balik ka rito… (without -um-) acceptable?

Yes, in casual speech the bare root can serve as an imperative: Balik ka rito sa susunod na linggo. It’s less formal than Bumalik ka… and very common in conversation.

How can I make the command more polite or softer?

• Add po/ho (politeness markers): Bumalik po kayo rito…
• Use a softener: Bumalik ka rito… ha/sana/naman.
• Use a request frame: Pwede/maaari bang bumalik kayo rito…?; Pakiusap, bumalik po kayo rito…

Any pronunciation tips?

• Bumalik: bu-ma-LIK (stress on the last syllable)
• rito: RI-to (often light flap on r: [ɾ])
• susunod: su-su-NOD (stress near the end)
• linggo: ling-GO (ng = [ŋ]) Saying it smoothly: bu-ma-LIK ka RI-to sa su-su-NOD na ling-GO.