Learn Hardcore Filipino: Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula sa telebisyon, kaya maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis papunta sa sala. - The movie on television is about to start, so let's walk faster to the living room.

malapit nang + verb (infinitive)
- Malapit nang umulan. – It’s about to rain.
- Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula. – The movie is about to start.

The “nang” here connects malapit with the following verb phrase and gives the “about to” sense.

Why is it “Malapit nang magsimula” and not “Malapit na magsimula”?

In everyday writing, “malapit nang magsimula” and “malapit na magsisimula / malapit na magsimula” are both seen, but they are not identical.

“Malapit nang magsimula” (as in the sentence) is very natural and idiomatic.
- Many speakers use “nang” before a verb to link “malapit na” to that verb, giving the meaning “about to [verb].”
“Malapit na magsimula” (with na) is sometimes used in speech, but in careful writing:
- na more often goes directly after an adjective or verb to mean already / now (e.g., tapos na, handa na).
- Before another verb phrase, many teachers and style guides prefer “nang” as the connector.

So:

Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula. – very idiomatic, common.
Malapit na ang simula ng pelikula. – rephrased, more clearly using na with a noun.

For learners, it’s good to treat “malapit nang + verb” as the standard pattern for “about to + verb.”

Why does the verb “magsimula” come before “ang pelikula”? Can I say it the other way around?

Filipino is often verb-initial, especially in neutral sentences. The usual order is:

Verb + ang-phrase (subject) + other phrases

So:

Magsisimula ang pelikula. – The movie will start.
Magsisimula na ang palabas. – The show is about to start.

In the sentence:

Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula sa telebisyon
- magsimula – verb
- ang pelikula – subject (“the movie”)
- sa telebisyon – location phrase (“on TV”)

You can put the subject first, but the style changes:

Ang pelikula sa telebisyon ay malapit nang magsimula.
– more “topic-prominent,” slightly more formal or explanatory.

Both are grammatical, but verb-first (as in the original) is the most natural basic order.

What does “sa telebisyon” add? Is it necessary, and could I say “sa TV” instead?

“sa telebisyon” specifies where the movie is starting: on television.

pelikula – movie / film
sa telebisyon – on television (medium or device)

You could say:

Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula.
– It’s about to start (context might already make it clear it’s on TV, or in a cinema, etc.)
Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula sa TV.
– Natural, casual; “sa TV” is very common in speech.
Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula sa sinehan.
– The movie is about to start at the cinema.

So “sa telebisyon” is not grammatically required, but it adds the specific location/medium. “sa TV” is a perfectly normal, more informal alternative.

What is the role of “kaya” here?

“kaya” in this sentence means “so / therefore / that’s why.”

The sentence is:

Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula sa telebisyon, kaya maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis papunta sa sala.

Structure:

First clause: Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula sa telebisyon
– The movie is about to start on TV.
kaya – so / therefore
Second clause: maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis papunta sa sala
– let’s walk faster to the living room.

So it’s exactly like saying:

“The movie is about to start on TV, so let’s walk faster to the living room.”

Note: “kaya” has other meanings in other contexts (“able to,” “can”), but here it’s the conjunction meaning “so/therefore.”

Why is it “maglakad tayo” and not “lakad tayo” or “maglakad kami”?

Breakdown:

maglakad – to walk (actor-focus, infinitive)
tayo – we / us (inclusive) = “you and I (and possibly others)”

Why “maglakad tayo” instead of just “lakad tayo”?
- “maglakad tayo” is the full verb form, very clear and neutral.
- “lakad tayo” can occur in casual speech (dropping the mag-), but “maglakad tayo” is the straightforward form to learn.
Why “tayo” instead of “kami”?
- tayo – we (including the listener) → “let’s”
- kami – we (excluding the listener)
  Using tayo invites the listener to join: “let’s walk…”

So “maglakad tayo” means “let’s walk”; “maglakad kami” would be “we will walk (but you’re not included).”

What does the second “nang” in “maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis” do? Why not use “ng”?

Here:

maglakad tayo – let’s walk
nang mas mabilis – more quickly / faster

This “nang” connects the verb maglakad to a manner phrase (mas mabilis). It’s similar to adding “-ly” or “in a … way” in English:

maglakad tayo nang mabilis – let’s walk quickly
sumulat siya nang maayos – he/she wrote neatly / properly

In contrast:

ng (without the “a”) is usually:
- an object marker (for non-focus objects)
- or a linker attached to the previous word (as -ng).

In “maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis”, using “ng” would be considered incorrect in standard spelling; here you specifically want “nang” as the adverbial linker.

So the pattern to remember:

Verb + nang + adverb/manner phrase
> kumain ka nang mabagal – eat slowly
> maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis – let’s walk faster

What does “mas mabilis” mean, and could it be “mas mabilis na”?

mabilis – fast / quick
mas – more (comparative marker)

So:

mas mabilis – faster / more quickly

In many cases, “mas + adjective” is enough:

mas maganda – prettier / better
mas malayo – farther

You might see “mas mabilis na lakad” (more literally, “a faster walk”), for example:

Maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis na lakad papunta sa sala.
– Let’s walk with a faster walk to the living room. (grammatical but wordy)

In the original sentence:

maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis
– “walk in a more fast way” → walk faster

So “mas mabilis” alone is correct and natural here; “mas mabilis na” would normally appear right before a noun: mas mabilis na kotse (a faster car).

What does “papunta sa sala” mean, and how is “papunta” formed?

Breakdown:

punta – root meaning go (to a place)
pumunta – to go (verb)
papunta – going / heading / on the way (to some place)
sa sala – to the living room

So “papunta sa sala” = “(going) toward the living room” / “on the way to the living room.”

Formation:

The pa- prefix often has a directional / “towards” / “in the process of going” sense.
- pauwi – going home / on the way home
- papunta sa school – going to school
- pababa – going downwards

In your sentence:

maglakad tayo nang mas mabilis papunta sa sala
– let’s walk faster (while) going to the living room / toward the living room.

Could I say “Malapit na ang pelikula” or “Malapit na magsisimula ang pelikula” instead? Are they different?

All of these are understandable but slightly different in emphasis and naturalness.

Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula.
– The movie is about to start.
- Focus is on the action starting soon.
Malapit na ang pelikula.
– Literally, “The movie is near/soon.”
- Often used in context like Malapit na ang pelikula where “pelikula” stands for “the showing of the movie”.
- Feels less explicit about “start,” but can be understood as “the movie is about to be shown.”
Malapit na magsisimula ang pelikula.
– Mixed-sounding for many speakers; more natural versions would be:
- Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula.
- Magsisimula na ang pelikula. – The movie is starting now / about to start.

So the original “Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula” is a very typical, clean way to say “The movie is about to start.”

Is there any nuance between “magsimula” here and something like “mag-umpisa” or “magsisimula”?

Yes, both choice of verb and verb aspect can change nuance:

magsimula vs mag-umpisa
- Both mean to start / to begin.
- magsimula is a bit more formal/standard; mag-umpisa is very commonly used in speech.
  In this sentence, either could fit:
- Malapit nang magsimula ang pelikula.
- Malapit nang mag-umpisa ang pelikula.
magsimula (infinitive) vs magsisimula (future/progressive)
- magsimula after “malapit nang” → gives an “about to [verb]” meaning.
- magsisimula is future/progressive, “will start / is starting”:
  - Magsisimula na ang pelikula. – The movie is now starting / about to start. If you keep “malapit nang”, most speakers prefer it with the plain infinitive:
- Malapit nang magsimula, not malapit nang magsisimula.

So the chosen “magsimula” after “malapit nang” is the most standard, idiomatic pairing.