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Questions & Answers about Malapit ang kusina sa bintana.
Why is there no word for “is” in the sentence?
Filipino (Tagalog) doesn’t need a separate verb “to be.” Adjectives and other predicates can stand first and directly describe the topic. So Malapit functions as “is near,” and the link to ang kusina is implied.
Why does the sentence start with the adjective Malapit?
Predicate-first word order is the default in Filipino. Descriptions, locations, etc., usually come before the topic. Hence, Malapit (predicate) + ang kusina (topic) + sa bintana (location).
What does ang do here?
Ang marks the topic (often translated as “the”). It points out what the sentence is about: ang kusina = “the kitchen.” For plurals, use ang mga (e.g., ang mga kusina).
Why is it sa bintana, not ng bintana?
Sa marks locations, directions, and many indirect relations; ng usually marks non-topic actors, possession, or complements of certain relational nouns. With malapit (“near”), you use sa: malapit sa + place.
What if the thing is near a person’s name—do I still use sa?
Use kay (singular) or kina (plural) before personal names:
- Malapit si Jose kay Ana. (Jose is near Ana.)
- Malapit ang mesa kay Ana. (The table is near Ana.) For common nouns (not names), stick with sa.
Can I say Ang kusina ay malapit sa bintana?
Yes. That’s the ay-inversion, common in formal or written Filipino. Meaning is the same; it just foregrounds the topic in a more formal style.
Is Malapit sa bintana ang kusina also correct?
Yes. You can place the sa-phrase right after the predicate to keep the whole predicate together: Malapit sa bintana (predicate) + ang kusina (topic). It’s very natural.
How do I make this negative or say “far from”?
- Negative: Hindi malapit ang kusina sa bintana. (The kitchen is not near the window.)
- Opposite word: Malayo ang kusina sa bintana. (The kitchen is far from the window.)
Can I use nasa instead of malapit?
Nasa means “at/in/on (located at).” Nasa bintana ang kusina would mean “The kitchen is at the window,” which is different from “near.” To say “near,” keep malapit sa. If you mean “beside,” use katabi ng (see below).
How do I turn it into a yes–no question?
Add ba after the first prosodic word:
- Malapit ba ang kusina sa bintana? (Is the kitchen near the window?)
How do I ask “Where is the kitchen?” or “Near where is the kitchen?”
- Location: Nasaan ang kusina?
- “Near where”: Saan malapit ang kusina?
How do I say “right next to/beside the window” instead of just “near”?
Use katabi ng:
- Katabi ng bintana ang kusina. or Ang kusina ay katabi ng bintana. Note the switch to ng after katabi.
How do I make “window” plural?
Add mga to the noun:
- Malapit ang kusina sa mga bintana. (near the windows)
What pronoun can replace “the kitchen” if I want to say “It is near the window”?
Filipino doesn’t have a neutral “it.” Use demonstratives based on distance:
- Malapit ito sa bintana. (This is near the window—object near the speaker)
- Malapit iyan sa bintana. (That—near the listener)
- Malapit iyon sa bintana. (That—far from both) Avoid siya for inanimate things.
Do I need the linker na/-ng between malapit and sa bintana?
No. Sa already introduces the location. Linkers (na/-ng) are used when a modifier directly attaches to a following noun (e.g., malapit na lugar “a nearby place”), not before a sa-phrase.
How do I say “closer/closest”?
- Comparative: Mas malapit ang kusina sa bintana. (The kitchen is closer to the window.)
- Superlative: Pinakamalapit ang kusina sa bintana. (The kitchen is the closest to the window.)
Any quick pronunciation tip for malapit?
Most speakers stress the last syllable: ma-la-PIT. Vowels are pure: a as in “father,” i as in “machine.”