Breakdown of Buksan mo ang ilaw sa sala bago magsimula ang pelikula.
mo
you
sa
in
bago
before
magsimula
to start
Questions & Answers about Buksan mo ang ilaw sa sala bago magsimula ang pelikula.
Why does the sentence start with Buksan?
Filipino sentences often begin with the verb, especially in commands.
Buksan is a command form meaning open or, in this context, turn on. So the sentence starts with the action first, unlike English, which might begin with You: Turn on the light...
Here, Buksan is directed at the thing being acted on, which is ang ilaw.
Why does buksan mean turn on the light instead of just open?
The root word bukas is related to open, but in Filipino, buksan ang ilaw is the normal way to say turn on the light.
So literally it may look like open the light, but idiomatically it means switch the light on.
A useful pair to remember is:
- Buksan ang ilaw = Turn on the light
- Patayin ang ilaw = Turn off the light
What is mo doing in the sentence?