Ang palengke ay sarado tuwing Linggo.

The market is closed every Sunday.

Breakdown of Ang palengke ay sarado tuwing Linggo.

• ay: to be
• tuwing: every
• palengke: the market
• Linggo: Sunday
• sarado: closed

Questions & Answers about Ang palengke ay sarado tuwing Linggo.

Does "ay" mean "is" here?

No. "Ay" is an inversion/topic marker used to front the topic. Tagalog doesn’t need a separate “to be” verb in equational sentences. The more conversational version is: Sarado ang palengke tuwing Linggo.

Which word order sounds most natural in everyday speech?

Predicate-first is most common: Sarado ang palengke tuwing Linggo.
You can also front the time: Tuwing Linggo, sarado ang palengke.
The ay form is fine but sounds more formal or written.

What does "ang" do? Is it just “the”?

"Ang" marks the topic (often the grammatical subject) and often translates as “the.”

• Singular: ang palengke
• Plural: ang mga palengke
  For personal names, use si/sina instead of ang.

Can I drop "ang"?

No. You need a marker (ang/ang mga/si/sina) for the noun phrase. Palengke ay sarado… is ungrammatical.

What exactly is a "palengke"? Is it the same as a supermarket?

A palengke is a traditional public/wet market (fresh produce, meat, fish).
A supermarket is usually called supermarket or grocery.
Synonyms/related: merkado (market), pamilihan (marketplace), tiangge (bazaar/stalls).

Why use "sarado" and not "nakasara" or a verb?

• sarado = closed (adjective), ideal for business hours: Sarado ang palengke tuwing Linggo.
• nakasara = in a closed state (often physical closures): Nakasara ang pinto.
• nagsasara = closes (habitual action): Nagsasara ang palengke tuwing Linggo ng alas-dose.

What does "tuwing" mean? Are there alternatives?

tuwing = every (recurring time). Alternatives:

• bawat Linggo
• kada Linggo (colloquial)
• linggo-linggo (weekly): Linggo-linggo, sarado ang palengke.
  Note: sa Linggo = this coming Sunday (one time), not “every Sunday.”

Does "Linggo" mean Sunday or week? How do I make it clear?

It can mean either. With stress marks (rarely written): Linggó = Sunday; Línggo = week.
To be explicit:

• Every Sunday: tuwing araw ng Linggo
• Every week: bawat linggo / linggo-linggo

Should "Linggo" be capitalized?

You’ll see both. Many capitalize days (influenced by English), so Linggo is common.
Official Filipino style often lowercases days/months unless sentence-initial, so tuwing linggo is also defensible. Some writers capitalize Linggo to distinguish it from linggo “week.” Follow your teacher or house style.

Where can I place the time phrase?

Flexible:

• Sarado ang palengke tuwing Linggo.
• Tuwing Linggo, sarado ang palengke.
• Sarado tuwing Linggo ang palengke.
  All are acceptable.

How do I talk about all markets (not just one)?

Use the plural marker: Sarado ang mga palengke tuwing Linggo.
Context can also imply a general rule, but plural is clearer.

How do I ask about Sundays in general versus the coming Sunday?

• Habitual: Bukas ba ang palengke tuwing Linggo? (Is it open on Sundays?)
• Upcoming single Sunday: Bukas ba ang palengke sa Linggo? (Is it open this coming Sunday?)
  Short answers: Oo, bukas. / Hindi, sarado.

Any pronunciation tips for the sentence?

• ay = “eye.”
• palengke = pa-LÉNG-ke.
• sarado = sa-RÁ-do.
• tuwing = tu-WÍNG.
• Linggo = lin-GÓ; “ng” is one sound [ŋ], and with “gg” you hear [ŋg].

Is the sentence polite enough for customer service?

Add po for politeness: Sarado po ang palengke tuwing Linggo.
The ay form already feels formal; in speech, Sarado po ang palengke tuwing Linggo is natural.

Why not use "ng" instead of "ang" with palengke here?

ng marks a non-topic noun or an actor in certain verb sentences. Here we’re making an equational statement: predicate (sarado) + topic (ang palengke).
Sarado ng palengke… would mean “closed by the market,” which is ungrammatical in this context.