Learn Hardcore Filipino: Sumulat si Maria ng mahabang liham tungkol sa problema nila at sa solusyon na gusto nila. - Maria wrote a long letter about their problem and the solution that they want.

Sumulat si Maria … = Wrote Maria … (literally)
In English we say Maria wrote …, but in Filipino the natural order is often Verb + Subject + rest of the sentence.

You can also say:

Si Maria ay sumulat ng mahabang liham …

This sounds a bit more formal or emphatic. But Sumulat si Maria … is the most typical everyday pattern.

What does the form sumulat tell us about time/aspect, and how is it formed?

The root is sulat (to write).

Sumulat is:

Aspect: completed/perfective (the writing is viewed as finished)
Focus: actor-focus (the form that highlights the doer, Maria)

Formation:

Root: sulat
Add the infix -um- after the first consonant: s
- um
  - ulat → sumulat

Common related forms:

sumusulat – incompleted/ongoing aspect (“is writing / was writing / writes”)
susulat – contemplated/future aspect (“will write / is going to write”)

What is the difference between sumulat, nagsulat, and magsusulat?

All use the root sulat, but they differ in affix and nuance.

sumulat – completed, actor-focus
- Often just “(someone) wrote.”
nagsulat – also completed, but with nag-
- In many everyday contexts, sumulat and nagsulat can both mean “wrote.”
- nag- can sound slightly more colloquial or neutral in some dialects.
magsusulat – future/contemplated, actor-focus with mag-
- “will write / is going to write”

For this sentence, sumulat simply says “Maria wrote” (a finished action) and focuses on Maria as the doer.

What does si in si Maria mean, and when do we use it?

Si is a personal name marker used for singular, specific people (or sometimes personified beings):

si Maria – “Maria” (marked as the grammatical subject/topical noun)
si Juan, si Ana, si Dr. Santos

Use si for one named person; use sina for more than one named person:

sina Maria at Juan – Maria and Juan

In this sentence, si Maria tells you that Maria is the main “topic/subject” in the clause (the actor highlighted by the verb form sumulat).

Why is mahabang liham written that way and not mahaba liham or mahaba na liham?

Filipino uses a linker (-ng / na) to connect adjectives to nouns.

Adjective: mahaba (long)
Noun: liham (letter)
Add linker -ng to the adjective → mahabang liham (long letter)

Basic rules for the linker:

If the first word ends in a vowel → add -ng
- mahaba + -ng liham → mahabang liham
If it ends in a consonant other than n → use separate na
- itim + na pusa → itim na pusa (black cat)
If it ends in n, you often drop n and add -ng
- bayan + -ng ito → bayang ito

So mahaba liham is ungrammatical; you need the linker: mahabang liham.

What does ng do in ng mahabang liham?

In this sentence, ng marks mahabang liham as the object of the verb sumulat.

Very roughly:

ang / si → marks the main topic/subject (here: si Maria)
ng → marks a non-topic object or another important noun (here: ng mahabang liham)

So:

Sumulat si Maria – Maria wrote
Sumulat si Maria ng mahabang liham – Maria wrote a long letter

Ng here does not mean “of” (though in other contexts it can translate as “of”). Its primary function is as a case marker.

What is the difference between liham and sulat?

Both can mean letter, but there is a nuance.

liham – tends to sound a bit more formal or standard, often used in written or formal Filipino.
sulat – more general:
- As a noun: “writing,” “handwriting,” or “letter” (esp. in casual speech)
- As a verb root: “to write”

So:

mahabang liham – long letter (slightly more formal/neutral)
mahabang sulat – also understandable as “long letter,” but sulat feels more colloquial or broader in meaning.

What does tungkol sa mean, and how is it used?

Tungkol sa means about / regarding / concerning.

Structure:

tungkol sa + noun phrase

Examples:

tungkol sa problema nila – about their problem
tungkol sa trabaho ko – about my job
tungkol sa iyo – about you

In the sentence:

tungkol sa problema nila at sa solusyon na gusto nila
= about their problem and about the solution they want

How does problema nila mean “their problem”? Why not kanilang problema?

There are two common ways to say their problem:

problema nila
kanilang problema

Both are correct.

problema nila → literally “problem they”
- problema = problem
- nila = their / by them (genitive pronoun)
kanilang problema → literally “their problem”
- kanilang = their (possessive form)

Problema nila is very common in everyday speech and is slightly shorter. Kanilang problema is also common and can sound a bit more formal or explicit.

What exactly does nila mean, and how is it different from sila, kanila, and kanilang?

All are third-person plural forms (“they / them / their”), but with different grammatical roles:

sila – subject form (“they”)
- Sila ay masaya. – They are happy.
nila – genitive form (“their / by them”)
- Possessor: problema nila – their problem
- Actor of certain verbs: gusto nila – they want / wanted by them
kanila – oblique form (“to them / for them / of them”)
- para sa kanila – for them
- sa kanila – to them / at their place
kanilang – possessive adjective (“their”)
- kanilang bahay – their house

In the sentence, nila is used:

as possessor in problema nila (their problem)
as the “wanter/doer” in gusto nila (they want)

In solusyon na gusto nila, what does na mean? Is it “already”?

Here, na is not “already.” It is a linker connecting solusyon to the clause gusto nila:

solusyon na gusto nila ≈ “solution that they want”

So in this sentence:

na = linker (similar to “that/which” in English relative clauses), not the adverb na meaning “already.”
Translating it as “solution already they want” would be wrong in this context.

Could we say solusyong gusto nila instead of solusyon na gusto nila?

Yes, and many speakers would actually consider solusyong gusto nila the more “textbook” form.

Using the linker rules:

Word ends in n (solusyon) → often drop n and add -ng
- solusyon + -ng gusto nila → solusyong gusto nila

So you may see both:

solusyon na gusto nila
solusyong gusto nila

In modern usage, solusyon na gusto nila is widely used and fully acceptable, even if traditional grammar favors solusyong.

How does gusto nila work grammatically here?

Gusto is a verb-like word meaning to like / to want, but it behaves somewhat like a noun taking a possessor in form:

gusto nila – what they want / wanted by them
gusto ko – I want / wanted by me
gusto mo – you want / wanted by you

In solusyon na gusto nila:

gusto nila describes the solution:
- literally “the solution that is wanted by them”
- natural English: “the solution that they want”

So nila here is the “wanter”, not a possessor of “solution” directly.

Why is sa repeated in tungkol sa problema nila at sa solusyon na gusto nila?

We have:

tungkol sa problema nila – about their problem
at sa solusyon na gusto nila – and about the solution they want

Repeating sa before solusyon makes it clear that tungkol applies to both:

about their problem
and (about) the solution they want

You might hear people say:

tungkol sa problema nila at solusyon na gusto nila

This is also understandable, but repeating sa is very natural and slightly clearer and more careful in style.

Does nila include Maria, or does it refer to other people?

By itself, nila only tells you “they / their” in the third person plural. It does not say whether Maria is included or not.

So problema nila could mean:

“Maria’s and some other people’s problem”
or “their problem” (a group that does not include Maria)

Only context (what has been said before) will tell you who nila refers to. The sentence alone does not specify whether Maria is part of that group.