Learn Hardcore Filipino: Magsimula tayo sa alas siyete para tahimik pa ang parke. - Let’s start at seven o'clock so the park is still quiet.

Tayo is the inclusive “we” (includes the listener). It’s the natural choice for a suggestion like “Let’s start…” If you exclude the listener, use kami. For example: Magsimula tayo… = “Let’s (you and I/all of us) start…,” vs. Magsisimula kami… = “We (not you) will start…”

Why does the verb come first in Magsimula tayo?

Tagalog is typically verb-initial. The neutral order is Verb + (Actor) + other elements. So Magsimula tayo… is the usual word order. Fronting tayo would change the focus or require a different structure.

Why use magsimula and not simulan?

Magsimula is actor-focus (focus on the doer). Simulan is object-focus (focus on the thing being started). Use magsimula when you’re talking about the action of starting in general; use simulan when you name a direct object.

Actor-focus: Magsimula tayo sa alas siyete.
Object-focus: Simulan natin ang pulong sa alas siyete. (“Let’s start the meeting at seven.”)

Is mag-umpisa okay instead of magsimula?

Yes. Mag-umpisa and magsimula are near-synonyms in everyday speech. You can say Mag-umpisa tayo sa alas siyete… with the same meaning.

Why is it sa alas siyete? Could I say ng alas siyete?

For clock times, sa is a safe, widely accepted marker meaning “at”: sa alas siyete = “at seven.” You will also hear ng alas siyete in casual speech, but sa is the clearer choice for “at + time.” Use ng for durations and parts of the day (e.g., ng dalawang oras, ng umaga).

Why alas siyete and not pito?

Time-telling commonly uses Spanish-based forms with alas: alas dos, alas tres, alas siyete. For 1:00, it’s ala-una. You can also use a more formal native-style ordinal: ika-pito (ng umaga/gabi), but alas siyete is the everyday form.

What does para mean here, and how is it different from kasi/dahil?

Para introduces a purpose/result: “so that/in order that.”

Magsimula tayo sa alas siyete para tahimik pa ang parke. = “Let’s start at seven so that the park is still quiet.”
Kasi/dahil express reason: “because.”
Magsimula tayo sa alas siyete kasi tahimik pa ang parke. = “Let’s start at seven because the park is still quiet.”

Does para tahimik pa ang parke mean we’re causing the park to be quiet?

No. It means we’re choosing the time with the aim of encountering the park while it’s still quiet. If you want to be crystal clear, you can say:

…para maabutan pa natin na tahimik ang parke.
…para hindi pa matao ang parke. (“so it’s not crowded yet”)

What does pa mean in tahimik pa and where does it go?

Pa means “still/yet” (and sometimes “more”). It follows the first stressed word of the clause; here it modifies the adjective: tahimik pa = “still quiet.” Contrast with na (“already/now”): tahimik na = “already quiet.”

“still” + “still” is often pa rin: Tahimik pa rin ang parke.

Why ang parke and not sa parke?

Tahimik pa ang parke treats “the park” as the subject/pivot: “The park is still quiet.” If you say Tahimik pa sa parke, you’re saying “It’s still quiet at the park,” with the location as an oblique phrase. Both are grammatical; they just frame the sentence differently.

Can I move tayo to the front, like “Tayo magsimula…”?

Not in that bare form. To front tayo naturally, you’d restructure: Tayo ang magsisimula sa alas siyete (“We are the ones who will start at seven”). For “Let’s start…,” keep the verb first: Magsimula tayo…

How do I specify morning or evening?

Add a part-of-day phrase:

sa alas siyete ng umaga = at seven in the morning
sa alas siyete ng gabi = at seven in the evening
Other parts of the day: ng hapon (afternoon), ng madaling-araw (early dawn), ng tanghali (noon).

What tense/aspect is magsimula here? How do I say past or ongoing?

Uninflected mag- here is a contemplated/imperative (“Let’s start / We will start”). Other forms:

Completed: nagsimula (“started”)
Incomplete/ongoing: nagsisimula (“is starting / starts”)
Contemplated: magsisimula (“will start”)
Example: Nagsimula kami sa alas siyete = “We started at seven.”

How can I make the suggestion softer or more urgent?

Softer/polite: Puwede ba tayong magsimula sa alas siyete…?
Slightly urgent: Mag-umpisa na tayo sa alas siyete… (the na adds “already/now”)

Can I use kaya instead of para?

Kaya means “so/therefore,” not “in order to.” Use it when the second clause is a result, not a purpose:

Tahimik pa ang parke, kaya magsimula tayo sa alas siyete. = “The park is still quiet, so let’s start at seven.”
For purpose, keep para.