Sumakay kami sa kotse bago maglakad sa parke.

We rode in the car before walking to the park.

Breakdown of Sumakay kami sa kotse bago maglakad sa parke.

• sa: in
• sa: to
• bago: before
• sumakay: to ride
• kami: we
• maglakad: to walk
• parke: the park
• kotse: the car

Questions & Answers about Sumakay kami sa kotse bago maglakad sa parke.

Why is it kami and not tayo?

Filipino distinguishes inclusive and exclusive we:

• kami = we (not including you, the listener)
• tayo = we (including you)

So Sumakay kami implies the listener was not part of the group that rode.

What exactly does sumakay mean, and how is it different from sakay?

• sumakay is the verb (actor-focus, completed/perfective) meaning “rode/got on/boarded.”
• sakay by itself is a root/noun-like form (“ride; passenger; load”) and appears inside conjugated forms (e.g., sumakay, sasakay, sumasakay). You don’t use bare sakay as the main verb in this sentence.

What aspect/tense is sumakay, and why is that used here?

Sumakay is in the completed (perfective) aspect. It presents the riding as a completed action that happened before the next action. That fits the sequence: first riding, then walking.

Why is it bago maglakad and not bago naglakad?

After bago (before), Filipino typically uses the neutral/infinitive-looking form of the verb for “before doing X,” hence bago maglakad.

• Most natural: bago maglakad or bago kami maglakad
• Less natural in this slot: bago naglakad (perfective after “before” sounds off unless you restructure the whole sentence to narrate two completed events, e.g., Bago kami naglakad, sumakay kami…)

Do I need to repeat the subject after bago? Should it be bago kami maglakad?

It’s optional. Filipino often omits the repeated subject when it’s clear from context. Both are fine:

• Sumakay kami sa kotse bago maglakad sa parke. (subject understood)
• Sumakay kami sa kotse bago kami maglakad sa parke. (explicit)

Repeating kami avoids ambiguity in longer sentences.

Does sa parke mean “in the park” or “to the park”?

On its own, sa is locative and usually reads as “in/at.” So maglakad sa parke is typically “walk in/at the park.”
If you want “to the park,” add a directional:

• maglakad papunta sa parke or maglakad tungo sa parke

Is sa kotse correct, or should it be ng kotse after sumakay?

Both are used, with a nuance:

• sumakay sa [vehicle] highlights boarding/being on the vehicle (location)
• sumakay ng [vehicle] highlights the kind/type of vehicle you took

So you can hear both:

• Sumakay kami sa kotse.
• Sumakay kami ng kotse.

Why isn’t there any ang in the sentence?

Pronouns like kami already function as the topic (the ang-phrase) without the word ang. You only use ang with common nouns (e.g., ang kotse) and si with personal names. Here, kami fills the topic role, and the rest (sa kotse, sa parke) are sa-phrases.

How would the sentence look in object-focus (making the car the topic)?

Use the object-focus form of the verb and switch the pronoun to a non-topic agent:

• Sinakyan namin ang kotse bago maglakad sa parke.

Notes:

• sinakyan = object-focus (what was ridden)
• namin (not kami) = non-topic agent in object-focus clauses

Can I use lumakad instead of maglakad?

Yes, with a slight nuance:

• maglakad = to walk (general; everyday walking)
• lumakad = to set out/start moving on foot; can feel a bit more “setting off” or formal in some contexts

Both fit after bago:

• bago maglakad (sa parke)
• bago lumakad (papunta sa parke)

Do I need a comma before bago?

Not required in the original order. If you front the bago-clause, you usually add a comma:

• Bago maglakad sa parke, sumakay kami sa kotse.
• Sumakay kami sa kotse bago maglakad sa parke.

What’s the difference between bago and pagkatapos for sequencing?

• bago = before
  • Sumakay kami … bago maglakad …
• pagkatapos = after
  • Pagkatapos naming sumakay sa kotse, naglakad kami sa parke.
  • Here, you often use a pagkatapos + genitive pronoun + verbal noun construction or just a finite verb in the following clause.

Should it be sa loob ng kotse instead of sa kotse?

Sa kotse is normally sufficient for “in the car/into the car.” Use sa loob ng kotse only if you need to emphasize the inside:

• Neutral: Sumakay kami sa kotse.
• Emphatic interior: Sumakay kami sa loob ng kotse. (rarely needed)

How do I express future or habitual versions of this sentence?

• Future/plan: Sasakay kami sa kotse bago maglakad sa parke.
  • You can also use future for the second clause: bago kami maglalakad is not used; keep it as bago maglakad.
• Habitual: Sumasakay kami sa kotse bago maglakad sa parke.

Does bago also mean “new”? How do I tell the difference?

Yes, bago can mean “new.” You can tell by what follows:

• bago mag-… / bago um-… = “before doing …” (conjunction)
• bagong
  • noun = “new [noun]” (adjective), e.g., bagong kotse (new car)

Could I say Kami ay sumakay sa kotse … instead of Sumakay kami …?

Yes. Kami ay … is a more formal/topic-fronted style. All are grammatical with different emphasis:

• Neutral: Sumakay kami sa kotse …
• Formal/topic-fronting: Kami ay sumakay sa kotse …
• Focus on location (less common): Sa kotse sumakay kami … (pragmatic emphasis on the sa-phrase)

Is there any difference between saying maglakad sa parke and maglakad-lakad sa parke?

• maglakad sa parke = walk in/at the park (neutral)
• maglakad-lakad sa parke = stroll around/amble in the park (iterative/distributive nuance, more leisurely)

What are the basic aspect forms for the two verbs here?

• sakay (actor-focus -um- set)
  • Completed: sumakay
  • Incomplete: sumasakay
  • Contemplated: sasakay
• lakad (mag- set; -um- also exists)
  • Completed: naglakad (or lumakad in -um- set)
  • Incomplete: naglalakad (or lumalakad)
  • Contemplated: maglalakad (or lalakad)

In the sentence, sumakay (completed) comes first, then maglakad after bago (neutral/infinitive-like).