Gumamit ka ng bolpen para pumirma sa dokumento.

It can be either one, depending on context and intonation.

• As a command, it means something like Use a pen to sign the document.
• As a statement, it can mean You used a pen to sign the document.

This happens because forms like gumamit can look the same in both uses. In real life, context usually makes the meaning clear. In your sentence, it is very natural to understand it as a command.

Gumamit comes from the root gamit, which relates to use.

It has the infix -um-, a very common Filipino verb marker. So:

• gamit = use / thing used
• g-um-amit = gumamit

In this sentence, gumamit is an actor-focus verb form. That means the sentence is structured around the person doing the action.

Ka means you in the singular.

It appears after the verb because Filipino often puts the verb first. So instead of English-style You use..., Filipino commonly says something closer to:

• Use you ...
• or more naturally, Used you ...

That sounds strange in English, but it is normal in Filipino word order.

Also, ka is the short form used in this position. You would not normally say ikaw here.

• Gumamit ka... = natural
• Gumamit ikaw... = not natural

Because the verb gumamit is in actor focus.

In actor-focus sentences, the doer is marked with the ang-type pronouns, and for you (singular), that form is ka.

Compare:

• Gumamit ka ng bolpen.
  Actor focus: you are the focus, so ka

• Gamitin mo ang bolpen.
  Object focus: the pen is the focus, so mo

So ka matches the grammar of gumamit.

Here, ng marks bolpen as the non-focus noun connected to the verb.

In this sentence, bolpen is the thing being used, so ng introduces it:

• gumamit ng bolpen = use a pen

A rough way to think about it is that ng often marks something like the object of the verb in actor-focus sentences, though its exact role depends on the verb.

So:

• gumamit = to use
• ng bolpen = a pen

Bolpen is a Filipino borrowing from English ballpen.

It is a very common everyday word in Filipino. You may also hear ballpen, but bolpen is a common localized spelling and pronunciation.

So:

• bolpen = pen, especially a ballpoint pen

This is normal in Filipino, which has many loanwords adapted to local spelling and pronunciation.

Para introduces a purpose, so para pumirma means:

• to sign
• in order to sign

So the structure is:

• Gumamit ka ng bolpen = Use a pen
• para pumirma = in order to sign

Together, it shows why the pen is being used.

Pumirma comes from the root pirma, which means signature or relates to signing.

It is formed the same way as gumamit:

• pirma
• p-um-irma
• pumirma = to sign

Yes, both verbs use -um- because both are actor-focus forms.

A helpful pattern is:

• gamit → gumamit
• pirma → pumirma

So once you recognize -um-, many Filipino verbs become easier to understand.

Because with pumirma, the thing being signed is commonly marked with sa.

So:

• pumirma sa dokumento = sign the document / sign on the document

This can feel a little different from English, where the document looks like a direct object. In Filipino, many verbs have their own natural marker patterns, and pumirma sa... is a common one.

So this is not random grammar; it is part of how the verb pumirma normally behaves.

The basic order is:

• Verb: Gumamit
• Pronoun: ka
• Noun phrase: ng bolpen
• Purpose phrase: para pumirma sa dokumento

So Filipino is often verb-initial, unlike English.

A rough literal arrangement would be:

• Used/Use you a pen in order to sign on the document

That literal version sounds awkward in English, but it helps show the Filipino structure.

Yes. That is also correct, but it has a different grammatical focus.

Compare:

• Gumamit ka ng bolpen...
  Actor focus: the sentence is centered on you doing the using.

• Gamitin mo ang bolpen...
  Object focus: the sentence is centered more on the pen as the thing to be used.

Both can be translated similarly in English, but Filipino makes this distinction more clearly.

So the original sentence is not the only possible version, but it is a natural one.

A polite version would be:

• Gumamit po kayo ng bolpen para pumirma sa dokumento.

Two polite elements are added:

• po = politeness marker
• kayo = respectful you

Even when speaking to one person, kayo is often used politely.

So:

• Gumamit ka... = casual
• Gumamit po kayo... = polite/respectful

As a standalone word, ng is usually pronounced like nang.

So:

• ng bolpen sounds roughly like nang bolpen

This is different from the ng sound at the end of English sing, although that final sound is part of it.

For learners, the simplest practical guide is:

• standalone ng = nang

That will help you sound much more natural.