Learn Hardcore Filipino: Mamaya, kakain sina Liza at Pedro ng kanin at ulam sa sala. - Later, Liza and Pedro will eat rice and viand in the living room.

si = topic marker for a single named person. Example: Kakain si Liza.
sina = topic marker for two or more named people. Example: Kakain sina Liza at Pedro. You can also say si Liza at si Pedro (both are fine).
ang = topic marker for common nouns or non-person names. Example: Kakain ang mga bata. You normally don’t use ang with personal names (use si/sina instead).

Why is the verb kakain and not kumain or kumakain?

It’s aspect. Root: kain (eat), -UM- verb.

Completed (past): kumain = ate
Incompleted/progressive (present/ongoing): kumakain = is/was eating
Contemplated (future): kakain = will eat

For -UM- verbs, the future is formed by reduplicating the first syllable of the root and the -um- infix drops: ka+kain → kakain.

Why is it ng kanin at ulam instead of ang kanin at ulam?

Because the sentence is in actor focus (AF), where the actor/topic is marked by si/sina/ang, and the object is marked by ng. Here, sina Liza at Pedro is the topic (they’re the doers), so the food is a non-topic object: ng kanin at ulam.

If you want the food to be the topic (specific/definite), switch to patient focus:

Mamaya, kakainin nina Liza at Pedro ang kanin at ulam sa sala. Note the changes: kakainin (PF verb), nina (agent marker for plural names), and ang kanin at ulam (object-topic).

What exactly does ulam mean?

Ulam is the main dish or viand that you eat with rice. It can be meat, fish, vegetables, etc. Examples: adobo, sinigang, piniritong isda, ginisang gulay. In everyday Filipino meals, rice (kanin) + ulam is the default pairing.

What does sa sala mean, and what does sa do?

Sala means living room. Sa is an oblique marker that commonly marks location, direction, or time. So sa sala = in the living room. Other examples: sa kusina (in the kitchen), sa opisina (at the office), sa Maynila (in Manila).

Can I move parts of the sentence around? How flexible is the word order?

Yes, Filipino allows fronting of time and place expressions, while keeping the verb early:

Mamaya, sa sala kakain sina Liza at Pedro ng kanin at ulam.
Sa sala, kakain sina Liza at Pedro ng kanin at ulam mamaya.
Kakain sina Liza at Pedro ng kanin at ulam sa sala mamaya. More formal/older style uses ay-inversion (e.g., Sina Liza at Pedro ay kakain…), but verb-first is the neutral spoken style.

Is the comma after Mamaya required?

No. It’s optional in writing to reflect a natural pause. With or without the comma is fine.

Should it be ng or nang here?

It must be ng. Use ng to mark direct objects and possessors; use nang for:

adverbial linking (e.g., tumakbo nang mabilis = ran quickly),
when meaning when/as/so that in some clauses,
after numbers (e.g., tatlong beses nang …). In this sentence, ng kanin at ulam is a direct object, so ng is correct.

Can I replace sina Liza at Pedro with a pronoun?

Yes: Mamaya, kakain sila ng kanin at ulam sa sala.

sila = they (subject pronoun)
Don’t use sina with pronouns; sina is for named people.

How do I negate the sentence?

Use hindi before the predicate (the verb):

Mamaya, hindi kakain sina Liza at Pedro sa sala.
Or put hindi before the subject pronoun: Mamaya, hindi sila kakain ng kanin at ulam sa sala. For commands/prohibitions, use huwag (e.g., Huwag kayong kumain sa sala.).

How do I ask follow-up questions based on this sentence?

Who will eat? Sino ang kakain sa sala mamaya?
Where will they eat? Saan kakain sina Liza at Pedro mamaya?
When will they eat? Kailan kakain sina Liza at Pedro sa sala?
What will they eat? Prefer patient focus: Ano ang kakainin nina Liza at Pedro sa sala? (Using kakainin highlights the thing being eaten.)

How can I emphasize the location or the food?

Emphasize location by fronting it: Sa sala kakain sina Liza at Pedro ng kanin at ulam mamaya.
Emphasize the food by making it the topic (patient focus): Ang kanin at ulam ang kakainin nina Liza at Pedro sa sala mamaya.

If I mean the specific rice and viand we prepared, how do I show that?

Best is to use patient focus with ang on the food:

Mamaya, kakainin nina Liza at Pedro ang kanin at ulam sa sala. In everyday speech, some people also use ’yung (colloquial ang) with actor focus, but the most grammatical way to mark a specific object is to topicalize it and switch to patient focus.

Why isn’t there a linker (na/-ng) between kanin and ulam?

Because kanin at ulam is a simple coordination with at (and). The linker na/-ng is used to connect modifiers to nouns or to make compound noun phrases, e.g.:

mainit na kanin (hot rice)
masarap na ulam (tasty viand)
kaning lamig (cold/leftover rice; linker as -ng attached to kanin)

Any politeness adjustments?

Add po for politeness (to elders, strangers, formal situations):

Mamaya po, kakain sina Liza at Pedro ng kanin at ulam sa sala.
Or: Kakain po sina Liza at Pedro mamaya.

Is there any confusion between sala and salâ?

Yes, with diacritics:

sala = living room
salâ = fault/error In everyday writing, diacritics are usually omitted, and context clarifies meaning. Here, sala clearly means living room.

How else can I say mamaya to be more specific?

mamayang hapon = later this afternoon
mamayang gabi = later tonight
mamaya pa = later (but not soon)
maya-maya = in a little while/soon