Learn Hardcore Filipino: Uuwi muna si Kuya sa probinsya, pero babalik siya sa lungsod kapag tapos na ang kanyang proyekto. - My older brother will first go home to the province, but he will return to the city when his project is finished.

This is still correct, but it loses the nuance that going home is just a preliminary or temporary move. So yes, you can remove muna grammatically, but the meaning becomes less specific.

Why is it uuwi and not umuwi or just uwi?

The root is uwi (“to go home”), but Filipino verbs change form to show aspect (completed, ongoing, or not yet done).

For this verb:

umuwi – completed aspect (past): “went home”
umuuwi – incompleted/ongoing: “is going home / goes home”
uuwi – contemplated (future or not-yet-done): “will go home”

So in Uuwi muna si Kuya, uuwi is exactly right, because we’re talking about something that hasn’t happened yet but is expected to happen.

Just saying uwi si Kuya is ungrammatical as a verb; uwi alone is usually a noun (“going home,” “trip home”) unless you use it in certain fixed expressions.

Why do we say si Kuya and not just Kuya or ang Kuya?

Si is a personal name marker used for:

personal names: si Maria, si John
kinship titles used like names: si Mama, si Kuya, si Ate
some titles: si Dok, si Mayor

So:

Si Kuya = “(my/our) older brother” used as if it were his name
Kuya alone is often used in direct address:
e.g. Kuya, uuwi ka na? – “Kuya, are you going home now?”
Ang kuya is grammatical but usually needs something to specify whose brother:
- ang kuya ko – “my older brother”
- ang kuya niya – “his/her older brother”

In the sentence, si Kuya is the subject, treated like a proper name, which is why si is used.

Could I say Ang kuya ko uuwi muna sa probinsya instead of Si Kuya uuwi muna sa probinsya?

Yes, but there’s a nuance difference.

Si Kuya uuwi muna sa probinsya
– Sounds like how you’d speak within the family or close group; “Kuya” is a kind of nickname or title used as name.
Ang kuya ko uuwi muna sa probinsya
– More neutral/explicit; literally “my older brother will first go home to the province.”
This is what you might say to someone who doesn’t share the same “Kuya” (e.g. a friend you’re telling about your own brother).

Both are grammatically correct; the choice is about how personally you’re referring to him.

Why do we use sa before probinsya and lungsod?

Sa is a location marker. It roughly covers the meanings of English “to,” “in,” “at,” “on” depending on context.

sa probinsya – “to the province” / “in the province”
sa lungsod – “to the city” / “in the city”

In Uuwi muna si Kuya sa probinsya, sa shows where he is going (destination).
In babalik siya sa lungsod, sa again shows the destination.

If you used ng instead, it would be ungrammatical here, because ng marks objects or possessors, not locations.

Why is there a siya in pero babalik siya sa lungsod? Can I leave it out?

Siya = “he/she.”

pero babalik siya sa lungsod – “but he will return to the city.”

You can omit it:

pero babalik sa lungsod – “but [he/she/someone] will return to the city.”

However:

With siya, it’s 100% clear that we’re still talking about Kuya.
Without siya, Filipino listeners will still understand from context that it’s about Kuya, but the clause sounds a bit more neutral or elliptical.

Including the pronoun is very natural and common, especially in spoken Filipino, to keep the subject clear.

What’s the difference between uuwi and babalik?

Both are future (contemplated) forms, but the roots and meanings differ:

uwi → uuwi
- root: “go home”
- uuwi – “will go home / will go back (to where one belongs or lives)”
balik → babalik
- root: “return / go back”
- babalik – “will return / will come back (to a previous place)”

In the sentence:

Uuwi muna si Kuya sa probinsya – his “home” or at least a place he’s “going home” to is the province.
pero babalik siya sa lungsod – he will come back to the city, where he apparently already is or has been.

So uuwi is “go home,” babalik is “come back / return.”

What does kapag mean here, and how is it different from kung?

Kapag introduces a time clause meaning “when / whenever.”

kapag tapos na ang kanyang proyekto
= “when his project is already finished”

Kapag is generally used for:

neutral/realistic “when” situations (things expected to happen)

Kung can mean:

“if” (conditional, uncertain), or
“when” in some informal speech, but it’s more ambiguous.

Compare:

Kapag tapos na ang kanyang proyekto, babalik siya.
– “When his project is finished, he will return.” (expected event)
Kung tapos na ang kanyang proyekto, babalik siya.
– Often heard in speech and usually understood similarly, but more literally suggests “If his project is finished…”, i.e., a condition that may or may not be met.

In careful, clear Filipino, kapag is the safer choice for “when” in this kind of sentence.

Why do we say kapag tapos na ang kanyang proyekto instead of kapag ang kanyang proyekto ay tapos na?

Both are actually possible:

Kapag tapos na ang kanyang proyekto
Kapag ang kanyang proyekto ay tapos na

The first one (used in your sentence) is more typical and conversational because Filipino usually prefers predicate–subject order:

tapos na (predicate: “already finished”)
ang kanyang proyekto (subject: “his project”)

So literally: “when already-finished his project” → “when his project is finished.”

The second version, kapag ang kanyang proyekto ay tapos na, is more formal or bookish, and sounds more like English word order with a linking ay. It’s correct, just less commonly used in everyday speech.

What does tapos na mean exactly, and how is it different from natapos na?

Both relate to something being finished, but with a slight nuance:

tapos na
- tapos is a stative adjective/verb meaning “finished / done / over.”
- na often adds the sense of “already / now.”
- So tapos na ang proyekto = “the project is already finished” (focus on its current state).
natapos na
- from root tapos with prefix na-, a completed-action verb form.
- natapos na ang proyekto = “the project has already been finished / was finished already” (more focus on the completion event).

In everyday conversation, tapos na ang kanyang proyekto and natapos na ang kanyang proyekto are often used interchangeably. Your sentence uses tapos na, which is very natural and slightly simpler.

What is the difference between kanyang and niya in kanyang proyekto?

Both refer to “his/her”, but they’re used differently in the sentence:

kanyang = a pre-nominal possessive (“his/her” before a noun)
- kanyang proyekto – “his/her project”
niya = a post-nominal possessive (“his/her” after a noun)
- proyekto niya – “his/her project”

So you can say:

tapos na ang kanyang proyekto
tapos na ang proyekto niya

They mean the same thing.
Kanyang proyekto sounds a bit more formal/written, while proyekto niya is very common in everyday speech.

Is there any difference between probinsya and lungsod versus words like lalawigan and syudad?

Yes, there are some nuance and style differences:

probinsya – “province / countryside”
- Very common, casual word.
- Sometimes carries a “rural” or “outside the big city” feel.
lalawigan – also “province”
- More formal / native Tagalog term.
- Common in government, news, or formal writing.
lungsod – “city”
- Standard Tagalog term; neutral or slightly formal.
- Used in official names: Lungsod ng Quezon (Quezon City).
syudad (also ciudad) – “city”
- Loanword from Spanish; more colloquial in some areas.
- Meaning is the same as lungsod.

In your sentence, probinsya vs lungsod nicely highlight “the province” vs “the city” in a simple, natural way.