Nakasulat sa pisara ang takdang-aralin, pero sa Biyernes pa ang pagsusulit.

Because Filipino often uses predicate-first word order.

In Nakasulat sa pisara ang takdang-aralin, the part nakasulat sa pisara comes first, and ang takdang-aralin comes after it. A very natural literal structure is:

• Written on the board
  • the homework

This is normal in Filipino. English usually prefers The homework is written on the board, but Filipino very often puts the descriptive part first.

You could also say:

• Ang takdang-aralin ay nakasulat sa pisara.

That is also correct, but the original version is very natural and common.

Nakasulat means written.

It comes from the root sulat, which is related to writing. In this form, naka- often gives the sense of a state or condition. So nakasulat describes something as being in written form or already written.

In this sentence, it means the homework is written on the board.

Sa pisara means on the board.

• sa = a marker often used for location, direction, or sometimes time
• pisara = blackboard or board

So:

• sa pisara = on the board
• literally, something like at/on the board

Here, sa marks the place where the homework is written.

Takdang-aralin is the standard word for homework.

It is a fixed compound expression made from:

• takda = assigned / set
• aralin = lesson / study material

Together, takdang-aralin means something like assigned lesson/work, which is why it means homework.

You should generally learn it as one vocabulary item: takdang-aralin = homework.

The hyphen is part of the standard spelling of this established compound word.

For learners, the simplest thing is:

• memorize takdang-aralin as the normal written form for homework

You may sometimes want to analyze its parts, but in everyday use it functions as a single vocabulary item.

Ang marks the noun phrase that is being identified or talked about in the clause.

In both parts of the sentence, the clause begins with the predicate, and the ang-phrase comes after it:

1. Nakasulat sa pisara ang takdang-aralin.

   • What is written on the board?
   • ang takdang-aralin

2. Sa Biyernes pa ang pagsusulit.

   • What is on Friday?
   • ang pagsusulit

So ang helps mark the noun that the predicate refers to.

Yes. Pero means but.

It is very common in Filipino and comes from Spanish. In this sentence, it connects two ideas:

• the homework is written on the board
• but the test is still on Friday / not until Friday

So it works just like English but.

Sa Biyernes pa means something like:

• not until Friday
• still on Friday
• Friday is still when it will be

The important word here is pa. With time expressions, pa often gives the idea that something is still ahead or later than now.

So sa Biyernes pa ang pagsusulit does not just mean the test is on Friday. It suggests something more like:

• the test isn’t until Friday
• the test is still on Friday, not now

That small word pa adds the sense that Friday is still upcoming.

Because sa can also mark time, not just location.

So:

• sa Biyernes = on Friday

This is very common in Filipino. The same marker sa can mean things like:

• at/in/on a place
• to a place
• on/at a time

You understand the meaning from context.

Pagsusulit means test or exam.

In many contexts, English speakers can translate it as either one. The exact best translation depends on the situation.

It is a noun form, and it refers to the event of being tested or examined. In school context:

• pagsusulit = test
• sometimes also exam

So in this sentence, ang pagsusulit is the test/exam.

Yes, that is close to the structure, but in natural English the best translation is often:

• But the test isn’t until Friday.

A more literal breakdown is:

• sa Biyernes = on Friday
• pa = still / not until
• ang pagsusulit = the test

So while the test is still on Friday reflects the Filipino structure, the test isn’t until Friday is usually the most natural English meaning.

Not as a separate word.

Filipino often does not need a separate verb equivalent to English is/are in sentences like this.

So instead of saying something exactly like The homework is written on the board, Filipino can simply say:

• Nakasulat sa pisara ang takdang-aralin.

And instead of The test is on Friday, it can say:

• Sa Biyernes ang pagsusulit.

The relationship that English expresses with is is often understood from the sentence structure itself.

Yes. A more explicitly topic-first version would be:

• Ang takdang-aralin ay nakasulat sa pisara, pero ang pagsusulit ay sa Biyernes pa.

This is grammatically correct, but it can sound a bit more formal, careful, or emphatic depending on context.

The original sentence:

• Nakasulat sa pisara ang takdang-aralin, pero sa Biyernes pa ang pagsusulit.

is very natural and conversational.