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Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo ngayong hapon.

Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo ngayong hapon.
We walked from the station to Grandfather’s farm this afternoon.
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Questions & Answers about Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo ngayong hapon.

Why does the verb naglakad come at the beginning of the sentence instead of the subject kami?

In Filipino (Tagalog), the default sentence order is often:

Verb – Subject – Other elements

So:

  • Naglakad = walked
  • kami = we (exclusive)

Naglakad kami… literally: “Walked we…”

This verb‑first pattern is very natural in Filipino and is used in neutral statements, especially with actor-focus verbs like naglakad.

You can move the subject to the front for emphasis or formality:

  • Kami ay naglakad mula sa istasyon…
    (We walked from the station…)

But Naglakad kami… sounds more natural in everyday speech.

What exactly does naglakad mean, and why not use naglalakad or maglalakad?

All three come from the root lakad (walk), but they differ in aspect (similar to tense):

  • naglakad – completed aspect

    • Means the walking is finished.
    • Naglakad kami… = We walked… (already done, earlier this afternoon).

  • naglalakad – imperfective / ongoing aspect

    • Action is in progress or habitual.
    • Naglalakad kami mula sa istasyon… = We are walking from the station… or We walk from the station (regularly)…

  • maglalakad – contemplative / future aspect

    • Action is planned / will happen.
    • Maglalakad kami mula sa istasyon… = We will walk from the station…

Because the sentence ends with ngayong hapon (this afternoon), and the walking is being reported as something already done during that time, naglakad (completed) is the natural choice.

What is the difference between kami and tayo, and why is kami used here?

Both kami and tayo mean “we”, but they differ in inclusiveness:

  • kami = we / us, excluding the person spoken to (the listener)
  • tayo = we / us, including the listener

So:

  • Naglakad kami…
    = We walked… (but *you weren’t part of that “we”)*

  • Naglakad tayo…
    = We walked… (and *you are included in that “we”)*

In the given sentence, the speaker is telling the listener about something they (the speaker + others) did, not including the listener, so kami is correct.

What does mula sa mean, and how is it different from galing sa?

Both can translate as “from”, but there are subtle differences:

  • mula sa

    • More neutral and formal; often used for start points in ranges, routes, or time.
    • Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon…
      = We walked from the station…

  • galing sa

    • Literally “coming from”; often emphasizes origin, where someone/something came from.
    • Galing kami sa istasyon.
      = We came from the station.
    • Can be used instead of mula sa in many conversational contexts:
      • Naglakad kami galing sa istasyon… – also understandable and commonly said.

In your sentence, mula sa istasyon gives a clear start point of a route, so mula sa fits very naturally.

Why is sa used after mula and hanggang? Can we drop sa?

In this structure:

mula sa X hanggang sa Y
from X to Y

  • mula sa = from (a place/time)
  • hanggang sa = up to / until (a place/time)

sa works like a preposition similar to “at / in / to” in English, and it’s very common with place nouns:

  • sa istasyon = at/to the station
  • sa bukid = at/to the farm/field

In careful Filipino, both mula sa and hanggang sa are used together:

  • Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid…

In fast or casual speech, some people may drop one sa, especially the second one, and say:

  • mula sa istasyon hanggang bukid

This is understood, but the full mula sa … hanggang sa … is clearer and more standard.

What does hanggang sa mean here? Isn’t hanggang usually “until” (like for time)?

Yes, hanggang often means “until / up to”, and it works for both time and space.

In the sentence:

  • hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo
    = up to Grandpa’s farm → effectively “to Grandpa’s farm” as a destination.

Some examples:

  • Hanggang alas-dos lang ang klase.
    = The class is only until two o’clock.

  • Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bahay.
    = We walked from the station up to (as far as) the house.

So here, hanggang sa introduces the end point of the route, in space rather than in time.

Why is it bukid ni Lolo and not something like Lolo’s bukid or kay Lolo?

Filipino expresses possession differently from English. Let’s break down bukid ni Lolo:

  • bukid = farm/field
  • ni = genitive marker for proper names in non-subject roles
  • Lolo = Grandpa (used here almost like a proper name)

ni Lolo literally marks Lolo as the owner/possessor of the farm:

  • bukid ni Lolo = Lolo’s farm / Grandpa’s farm

Why not other forms?

  • Lolo’s bukid

    • This is English-style word order. In Filipino you usually keep the possessed noun first, then the possessor with ni / ng:
    • bahay ni Maria (Maria’s house), kotse ng guro (the teacher’s car).

  • kay Lolo

    • kay marks a person as a location/recipient/indirect object, not as a possessor in this structure.
    • Pumunta kami kay Lolo. = We went to Grandpa.
    • Nagbigay kami ng regalo kay Lolo. = We gave a gift to Grandpa.

So:

  • bukid ni Lolo = Grandpa’s farm (possessive)
  • kay Lolo = to/at Grandpa (direction/indirect object)
What exactly is ngayong hapon? How is ngayong different from ngayon?
  • ngayon = now, today (in general)
  • hapon = afternoon

When you say ngayong hapon, it literally means “this afternoon”:

  • ngayong is ngayon + -g, where -g is a linker (ligature) that connects ngayon to the following noun hapon.

So:

  • ngayon (by itself) = now / today
  • ngayong hapon = this afternoon (specifically the afternoon of today)

Other similar patterns:

  • ngayong gabi = this evening
  • ngayong taon = this year
  • ngayong linggo = this week / this Sunday (depends on context)
Why is ngayong hapon placed at the end of the sentence? Can it go somewhere else?

Filipino is flexible with word order for time expressions. Common, neutral placement is at the end:

  • Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo ngayong hapon.
    → We walked from the station to Grandpa’s farm this afternoon.

You can also move ngayong hapon to the front to emphasize the time:

  • Ngayong hapon, naglakad kami mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo.

Both are correct. The difference is mostly in emphasis and style, not grammar.

Could you drop kami and just say Naglakad mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo ngayong hapon?

Yes, in many contexts you can drop kami:

  • Naglakad mula sa istasyon hanggang sa bukid ni Lolo ngayong hapon.

Filipino often omits pronouns when they are understood from context. However:

  • Without kami, you lose the explicit subject (“we”).
  • The sentence then just means “(Someone) walked from the station to Grandpa’s farm this afternoon.”

If the subject (we/they/I) is already clear from the conversation, dropping kami is natural. If you want to be explicit that it was we (not you), keep kami.

Is naglakad an “actor-focus” verb? What does that mean here?

Yes, naglakad is the actor-focus (AF) form of the verb:

  • Root: lakad
  • AF form (completed): naglakad

In an actor-focus sentence, the focus (grammatical subject) is the doer of the action:

Naglakad kami…
AF verb = naglakad,
Doer / Actor = kami (we)

If you changed focus (for example, to emphasize the path or object walked), you might use a different construction, but for a simple “We walked…”, actor-focus with naglakad is the most straightforward.

Could I say Lumakad kami mula sa istasyon… instead of Naglakad kami…? What’s the difference?

Both naglakad and lumakad are possible from the root lakad, but they differ slightly in usage:

  • naglakad

    • Very common and neutral for “walked” as an activity.
    • Naglakad kami mula sa istasyon… – We walked from the station…

  • lumakad

    • Also “to walk / to start off”, but often feels a bit more literary or can emphasize the starting of movement or setting out.
    • Lumakad kami mula sa istasyon… – We set out / departed from the station (on foot).

In everyday speech, naglakad is more common for simply saying “walked”. Lumakad is correct but might sound slightly more formal or stylistically marked, depending on context.