Learn Hardcore Filipino: Tuloy po kayo sa bahay; may kape sa kusina. - Please come in to the house; there is coffee in the kitchen.

In this sentence, tuloy is a set imperative meaning “come in” or “go ahead (and enter).” It’s a very common, friendly way to invite someone to step inside. Outside doorways, tuloy can also mean “continue/proceed.”

Why is po used, and where should it go?

po is a politeness marker used with elders, strangers, or anyone you want to show respect to. As an enclitic, it goes right after the first word or phrase of the clause: Tuloy po kayo, May kape po sa kusina. In Manila you’ll also hear ho, a regional variant of po.

Why is it kayo and not ka or ikaw?

kayo is either polite singular “you” or plural “you.” Use ka for informal singular: Tuloy ka. Ikaw is used for emphasis or when it begins a sentence; it doesn’t naturally follow an imperative here, so you wouldn’t say Tuloy ikaw.

Is sa bahay necessary? What are natural alternatives?

It’s optional. At a doorway, Tuloy po kayo already means “Please come in.” Common alternatives:

Tuloy po kayo sa loob (come inside)
Tuloy po kayo sa amin (come to our place/house)
To specify whose house: Tuloy po kayo sa bahay namin/ko

What does may contribute in May kape sa kusina?

may is an existential marker meaning “there is/are” (or impersonal “have”). With mass or indefinite nouns it signals availability: May kape = there’s coffee (available). It doesn’t specify quantity.

How is may different from mayroon/meron?

All mean “there is/are,” but usage differs:

may is most common before nouns: May kape sa kusina.
mayroon/meron often appears before pronouns or when hosting clitics, and as a stand‑alone answer:
- Mayroon/Meron po kaming kape.
- Q: Kape? A: Meron po. Both are fine in speech: Merong kape sa kusina is also common.

Why sa kusina and not nasa kusina?

Both are correct but emphasize different things.

May kape sa kusina. introduces existence/availability (there’s coffee) and gives the location.
Nasa kusina ang kape. states where a specific, known coffee is located. Use nasa
- ang when the item is definite.

Is the semicolon natural here?

Yes in formal writing, but in everyday text people often use a period or a connector:

Tuloy po kayo sa bahay. May kape sa kusina.
Tuloy po kayo sa bahay, at may kape sa kusina.
Casual: Tuloy po kayo sa bahay, tsaka may kape sa kusina.

Where do particles like po, ba, and na go?

They’re enclitics that cluster after the first word/phrase of the clause:

Tuloy na po kayo.
May kape pa po sa kusina?
May kape po ba sa kusina?

Can I say Tumuloy po kayo or Pumasok po kayo instead of Tuloy po kayo?

Yes.

Tumuloy po kayo. = please proceed/come in (verb from tuloy)
Pumasok po kayo. = please enter (more literal) All are polite invitations; Tuloy po kayo is the most idiomatic at a doorway.

Should I repeat po in the second clause?

Best practice is yes: Tuloy po kayo sa bahay; may kape po sa kusina. Each clause gets its own po for consistent politeness.

How would this sound informally to friends?

Drop the politeness and use singular:

Tuloy ka! / Pasok ka!
Add: May kape sa kusina. or May kape sa kusina, kuha ka lang.

How can I show it’s our house or our kitchen/coffee?

Use possessives:

Tuloy po kayo sa amin.
May kape po kami sa kusina.
May kape sa kusina namin. You can combine them: Tuloy po kayo sa amin; may kape po sa kusina namin.

Is kape indefinite here? How do I make it definite?

With may, kape is indefinite (“some coffee”). To make it definite, mark the noun and use a locative predicate:

Nasa kusina ang kape. = The coffee is in the kitchen.

How do I add adjectives like “hot coffee”?

Use linkers:

Before the noun: mainit na kape
After the noun (noun + adjective): kapeng mainit Examples: May mainit na kape sa kusina. / May kapeng mainit sa kusina.

Isn’t kayo ambiguous (plural vs polite singular)? How can I clarify?

Context usually clarifies. To be explicit:

Plural: Tuloy po kayong lahat.
Polite singular: Tuloy po kayo, sir/ma’am.