Learn Hardcore Filipino: Ano po ang pangalan ninyo, lola? - What is your name, grandmother? polite

Po is a politeness marker used when speaking respectfully—typically to elders, strangers, superiors, or anyone you want to show courtesy to. It doesn’t change the literal meaning; it softens the tone. A common Manila variant is ho (Ano ho ang pangalan ninyo?). Use po/ho consistently in polite speech, and reply with opo (yes, polite) rather than oo when appropriate.

Why is it ninyo instead of mo for “your”?

Ninyo is the polite/plural genitive pronoun “your,” used for respect (similar to using “vous” in French). Mo is singular informal “your.” Because you’re addressing an elder respectfully, ninyo matches the politeness signaled by po.

Is it wrong to mix po with mo, like “Ano po ang pangalan mo?”?

It’s not unheard of in everyday speech, but it’s a mixed register. The “textbook” pairing is:

Polite: po + kayo/ninyo (Ano po ang pangalan ninyo?)
Informal: (no po) + ka/mo (Ano ang pangalan mo?) Using po with mo is less formal and can sound inconsistent in careful speech.

What is ang doing in the sentence?

Ang marks the topic/nominative phrase; here it flags ang pangalan (“the name”) as the grammatical topic. You generally need it in this pattern. Note that ano + ang can contract to anong: Anong pangalan ninyo? Both are correct.

Can I say “Anong po pangalan ninyo?” since ano + ang = anong?

Don’t say Anong po. Keep po after the first word or phrase:

Ano po ang pangalan ninyo? (safe and very common)
Anong pangalan ninyo, Lola? (if you drop po) If you want both anong and po, place po later: Anong pangalan ninyo po? (common in casual speech).

Why is it ano (“what”) and not sino (“who”) when asking for a name?

Tagalog uses ano for inquiring about a name (Ano ang pangalan…?), and sino for asking about a person’s identity (Sino po kayo? = Who are you?). Saying Sino ang pangalan… is ungrammatical.

Where exactly should po go?

As an enclitic, po typically follows the first word or first prosodic phrase:

Most neutral here: Ano po ang pangalan ninyo… You’ll also hear it after a pronoun or phrase in casual speech (Anong pangalan ninyo po?), but avoid splitting ang + noun (Ano ang po pangalan… is wrong).

Why is there a comma before lola, and should it be capitalized?

The comma marks direct address (a “vocative”). When using a kinship term as a form of address (like a title or name), it’s commonly capitalized: Lola. So: Ano po ang pangalan ninyo, Lola? If you mean “a grandmother” generically, use lowercase lola without direct address.

Is it appropriate to call a stranger lola?

Yes—Filipino uses kinship terms as respectful address for strangers:

Lola (elderly woman), Lolo (elderly man)
Tita/Tito (aunt/uncle-age)
Ate/Kuya (older sister/brother age) If you’re unsure, ma’am/sir with po is also safe. Be mindful that some may not like age-labeling; tone and context matter.

Can I drop lola and still be polite?

Yes. Ano po ang pangalan ninyo? remains polite without the vocative. Adding Lola simply personalizes the address to that specific elder.

How would I say this informally to a peer or a child?

Ano ang pangalan mo?
Anong pangalan mo? No po, and use mo instead of ninyo.

Is “Anong pangalan ninyo?” correct?

Yes. It’s a natural variant without po. If you want it polite, either use Ano po ang… or place po later: Anong pangalan ninyo po? (common in speech, though the first is more textbook).

Can I say “Ano po ang inyong pangalan?” instead of “…ang pangalan ninyo”?

Yes. Inyong (inyo + -ng linker) is an attributive possessive before the noun. Both are correct:

Ano po ang pangalan ninyo?
Ano po ang inyong pangalan? The inyong version can sound a bit more formal.

What’s the difference between kayo and ninyo, and why isn’t kayo used here?

Kayo = nominative (subject/topic) “you” (plural/polite)
Ninyo = genitive (possessor/agent) “your” (plural/polite) Here we need the possessor of pangalan (“name”), so we use ninyo. Kayo would be used if “you” were the topic, e.g., Kayo po ba si Maria? (Are you Maria?)

How would someone answer this politely?

A few natural options:

Ako po si Maria.
Ang pangalan ko po ay Maria.
Maria po. (very short and polite) All keep po for politeness.

What’s the difference between ninyo, niyo, n’yo, and nyo?

They’re spelling variants of the same pronoun:

Standard/formal: ninyo
Common simplified: niyo
Colloquial contraction: n’yo (apostrophe shows dropped i + n)
Texting: nyo In careful writing, prefer ninyo (or niyo). In casual text, n’yo/nyo is fine.