Learn Hardcore Filipino: Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi.

Tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi. → We are happy tonight.
Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi. → We are all happy tonight. (emphasizes that it applies to everyone in the “we”.)

What is the difference between lahat tayo and tayong lahat? Can I use both?

Both are grammatical and very common, and in most contexts they mean the same thing: all of us.

Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi.
Tayong lahat ay masaya ngayong gabi.

Nuances:

Lahat tayo = lahat (all) + tayo (we), in that order.
Tayong lahat = tayo
- linker -ng
  - lahat (“we-all”).

Tayong lahat often feels a bit more tightly connected, like saying we all (as a single unit), but in everyday speech they’re interchangeable in meaning. You can safely use either.

Why is there no word for are in Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi.? Where is the verb to be?

Filipino does not normally use a separate verb that corresponds directly to the English to be (am/is/are) in simple “A is B” sentences.

Instead, you usually just place the two parts together:

Tayo ay masaya. → literally We – are – happy.
But structurally it's more like We = happy; there is no real stand‑alone are.

The connector ay is not a true verb to be. It’s more like a topic marker / inversion marker (see the next question). The idea of “are” is simply understood from the structure of the sentence:

[Subject] (ay) [description / predicate].

What does ay mean here? Is it required?

Ay is a linker/inversion marker used mainly in:

more formal or careful speech
writing
certain stylistic or emphatic patterns

In Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi., ay marks the boundary between the topic/subject (lahat tayo) and the predicate (masaya ngayong gabi).

You can also say:

Lahat tayo masaya ngayong gabi. (no ay)

This is common in conversational Filipino and is perfectly natural.

So:

With ay: often sounds a bit more formal, careful, or written.
Without ay: more casual, everyday speech.

Functionally, both mean the same thing in this sentence.

Is there any reason the sentence starts with Lahat tayo instead of Masaya tayo?

Both orders are possible, but the focus/emphasis changes slightly:

Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi.
– Emphasis on all of us. The idea is “Each and every one of us is happy tonight.”
Masaya tayo ngayong gabi.
– Emphasis more on the state (being happy). It’s more like “We’re happy tonight,” without highlighting all.

If you add lahat later:

Masaya tayong lahat ngayong gabi.
– Here, tayong lahat is still “all of us,” but the predicate masaya is leading.

All of these are acceptable; which one you pick depends on what you want to highlight.

What is the difference between tayo and kami? Could I say Lahat kami ay masaya ngayong gabi?

Filipino distinguishes between:

tayo = we / us (inclusive) → includes the speaker and the listener(s)
kami = we / us (exclusive) → includes the speaker and others, but not the listener

So:

Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi.
– All of us including you (the person I’m talking to) are happy tonight.
Lahat kami ay masaya ngayong gabi.
– All of us excluding you are happy tonight. For example, talking about your family to a friend: “All of us (in my group) are happy tonight,” but the friend is not part of that group.

Both sentences are correct; it’s a question of who is included in “we.”

Could I say Masaya tayong lahat ngayong gabi instead? Does it mean the same thing?

Yes, Masaya tayong lahat ngayong gabi. is also correct and very natural.

Comparing:

Lahat tayo ay masaya ngayong gabi.
Masaya tayong lahat ngayong gabi.

They essentially mean the same: We are all happy tonight.

Small nuance:

In Lahat tayo ay masaya…, the “all of us” part comes first, so it’s slightly more foregrounded.
In Masaya tayong lahat…, the adjective masaya (happy) leads, with tayong lahat (we all) following it, so the state of being happy is fronted.

In actual conversation, they’re functionally interchangeable.

What is the difference between ngayon and ngayong in ngayong gabi?

Ngayon = now / today / this time / the present (basic form).

Ngayong is ngayon + linker -ng, used when ngayon modifies the following noun, like this in English:

ngayong gabi = this evening / tonight
ngayong araw = today (this day)
ngayong taon = this year

So:

ngayon by itself: now, as an adverb.
ngayong + noun: this + noun, describing a specific time period.

Does gabi mean both evening and night? How should I think about it?

Yes, gabi can cover what English separates into evening and night. Its exact translation depends on context:

gabi = evening / night (roughly from dusk into the dark hours)
umaga = morning
tanghali = around noon
hapon = afternoon

In ngayong gabi, the most natural English translations are this evening or tonight. Filipino doesn’t always draw a sharp line between evening and night the way English does.

Can I change the word order, like Ngayong gabi, lahat tayo ay masaya?

Yes, that is completely correct:

Ngayong gabi, lahat tayo ay masaya.
→ Literally: Tonight, all of us are happy.

This structure:

fronted time phrase (Ngayong gabi,)
followed by the rest of the sentence (lahat tayo ay masaya)

is very natural, especially in more formal or narrative styles. It just foregrounds “tonight” as the setting.

Are there pronunciation details I should know for ngayong gabi and masaya?

Some points:

ngayong:
- Starts with the ng sound (like the final sound in “sing”), then a-yo-ng.
- In careful speech: nga-yóng (stress on yong).
gabi:
- Pronounced ga-BI, with stress on the second syllable.
masaya:
- Pronounced ma-sa-YA, stress on the last syllable.

Accent marks (like gabí, ngayóng) are usually not written in everyday Filipino, but they can appear in learning materials or dictionaries to show stress.