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Questions & Answers about Ano ang tanong mo?
What does each word in the sentence do?
- Ano = what (question word)
- ang = topic marker (marks the noun phrase that’s in focus)
- tanong = question (noun; also the root for the verb “to ask”)
- mo = your (2nd person singular, genitive/enclitic pronoun)
Literal structure: “What [is] the question-your?” → natural English: “What is your question?”
Why is the word order “Ano ang tanong mo?” and not “What your question is?” or something closer to English?
Filipino typically puts the predicate first. Here, Ano (“what”) is the predicate, and ang tanong mo (“your question”) is the topic phrase. Predicate-first order is the default pattern in Filipino.
What exactly does the marker “ang” do here?
Ang marks the topic (the focused noun phrase). In this sentence, it marks tanong mo (“your question”) as the thing being identified by the predicate “what.” Without a linker, “ano” and the noun phrase can’t just sit side by side; either use ang (Ano ang …) or link “ano” to a following noun (Anong …).
Can I say “Anong tanong mo?” instead? Is there a difference?
Yes. Anong tanong mo? is very common and means the same thing. It’s ano + -ng (the linker) directly modifying the noun tanong.
- Ano ang tanong mo? = predicate “what” + ang-marked topic
- Anong tanong mo? = “what” as a modifier of “question”
Both are natural.
Is “Ano tanong mo?” okay?
No. You need either the topic marker (ang) or the linker (-ng) to connect “ano” to the noun phrase. Say either Ano ang tanong mo? or Anong tanong mo?
What’s the difference between “mo” and “ka/ikaw” in this context?
- mo is a genitive (possessive/actor) enclitic pronoun: tanong mo = “your question.”
- ka/ikaw is a nominative (topic) pronoun: it marks the subject/topic of the clause (e.g., Ikaw ang may tanong = “You are the one with a question”).
You can’t say “tanong ikaw”; possession needs mo (or another possessive form).
How do I make this more polite or respectful?
Use po and the respectful plural ninyo:
- Ano po ang tanong ninyo? (very natural politeness) You can also combine enclitics: Ano po ba ang tanong ninyo? (“So, what is your question?”—gentle prompting). Note that po/ba typically appear right after the first word or phrase.
Can I use “mo po” for politeness?
You’ll hear it, but the usual polite pairing is po + ninyo (not “mo”). Prefer Ano po ang tanong ninyo? for respectful speech.
How do I ask a group informally?
Use the plural possessive ninyo/niyo/nyo:
- Ano ang tanong ninyo? (standard)
- Anong tanong niyo/nyo? (colloquial spelling)
How do I ask “Do you have a question?” instead of “What is your question?”
Say May tanong ka ba? (singular) or May tanong po kayo? (polite/plural).
- May tanong ka ba? = “Do you have a question?”
- Ano ang tanong mo? = “What is your question?” (asks for the content of the question)
How do I ask about multiple questions?
- Ano-ano ang mga tanong mo? = “What questions do you have?” (enumerative; implies more than one)
- Ano ang mga tanong mo? is also used, but ano-ano better signals multiple items. Don’t forget mga to mark plural.
What’s the nuance difference between “tanong” and “katanungan”?
- tanong is the everyday word for “question.”
- katanungan is more formal/collective (“queries,” “questions” as a set), common in official or written contexts.
You could say: Ano ang tanong mo? (casual) vs Ano ang iyong katanungan? (formal).
Can I use “iyong” instead of “mo,” like “Ano ang iyong tanong?”
Yes: Ano ang iyong tanong? is grammatical and more formal or written. Note that iyong can also mean “that (near you),” so context matters. In conversation, tanong mo is more common and neutral.
What does adding “ba” do, as in “Ano ba ang tanong mo?”
ba doesn’t make it yes/no; it adds nuance—prompting, softening, or sometimes impatience, roughly “So, what’s your question?” It’s optional and pragmatic.
How do I pronounce this naturally?
Stress the last syllables of Ano and tanong:
“a-NO ang ta-NONG mo?”
Everyday speech often links sounds: the final vowel of Ano and the following ang may flow together.
Should I write “Anong” or “Ano’ng”?
Both appear in real-world writing. Ano’ng shows the contraction explicitly (ano + -ng), while Anong is the common simplified spelling. Either is accepted in informal contexts.
Why not use “alin” here?
alin means “which (one)” from a known set. ano means “what” in general. You ask Ano ang tanong mo? because you’re asking for the content, not selecting from a specified list. If you were choosing from options, you might use alin.