Si, Sina, Ni, Kay and the Gitling: Filipino Markers and Punctuation for the CSE

Verbal Ability in the Civil Service Exam is given in English and Filipino. Two small areas of Filipino grammar come up again and again in reviewers: the pantukoy and markers before names (si, sina, ni, nina, kay, kina) and the rules of bantas (punctuation), especially the gitling (hyphen). This guide explains both with short examples. The punctuation rules follow the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino’s Ortograpiyang Pambansa.

Part 1: Markers before names of people

The markers for personal names change in two ways: by the role of the person in the sentence and by number (one person or more).

Role in the sentence	One person	Two or more
Paksa or simuno (the topic)	si	sina
Actor in a non-actor-focus sentence, or owner	ni	nina
Receiver, direction or “for/to”	kay	kina

Examples

• Si Maria ang bagong kalihim. / Sina Ana at Ben ay pumasok nang maaga.
• Isinulat ni Jose Rizal ang Noli Me Tangere. / Pinamunuan nina Kapitan Reyes at Kagawad Cruz ang proyekto.
• Ang bahay ni Lola / ang mga aklat nina Lito at Mario (ownership).
• Ibinigay ko ang ulat kay G. Santos. / Nagpadala kami ng liham kina Aling Rosa at Mang Pedro.

A quick test: count the people named after the blank. One person takes the short form (si, ni, kay); two or more take the plural form (sina, nina, kina). Then decide the role: topic, doer or owner, or receiver.

You may also repeat the singular marker for each name: Si Ana at si Ben ay magkapatid is correct, as is Sina Ana at Ben ay magkapatid. What is wrong is mixing them, as in Sina Ana at si Ben.

Common nouns use different markers

Before common nouns (pangngalang pambalana), use ang, ng and sa, and add mga for the plural:

• Ang mga mag-aaral ay nagtanim ng puno.
• Ang mga regalo ay para sa mga bata sa ampunan.

Si and kay are never used before common nouns such as bata or guro, unless the word is used like a name or title, as in si Nanay or kay Lolo.

Part 2: The gitling (hyphen)

The gitling is used in these common cases:

1. Full repetition of a root word: araw-araw, sari-sari, bahay-bahay. (A partial repetition does not take a gitling: lalakad, tatakbo.)
2. A prefix ending in a consonant before a root beginning with a vowel, so that the pronunciation stays clear: mag-aaral, pag-asa, nag-ulat. Without the gitling, pagasa could be misread with the syllables pa-ga-sa.
3. A prefix before a proper noun, which keeps its capital letter: taga-Maynila, maka-Diyos, pa-Cebu.
4. A prefix before a number written in digits: ika-3, ika-12 ng Hunyo.
5. A married woman’s surnames joined together: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Notice the difference between rules 2 and 3. In taga-Maynila, the gitling is needed because Maynila is a proper noun, not because of a vowel.

Part 3: Other punctuation marks

Bantas	Main uses	Example
Tuldok (.)	ends a statement or polite request	Pumasok siya sa opisina.
Tandang pananong (?)	ends a direct question	Saan ka pupunta bukas?
Tandang padamdam (!)	ends a sentence with strong feeling	Naku, nasunog ang bahay!
Kuwit (,)	separates items in a series; follows a greeting in a personal letter; sets off a person being addressed	Bumili siya ng papel, lapis, at pambura.
Tutuldok (:)	after the greeting of a formal or business letter; before a list; in time	Mahal na G. Cruz: / 9:30 n.u.
Panipi (” “)	encloses a direct quotation or a title of a short work	“Mag-ingat ka,” sabi ni Inay.

Two errors to avoid:

• Do not put a kuwit between the verb and its object or between the subject and the verb: Bumili, siya ng papel is wrong.
• Match the end mark to the type of sentence. A sentence that begins with saan, sino, ano or kailan and asks something needs a tandang pananong.

How these appear in the exam

• Piliin ang wastong pantukoy: “___ Ana at Ben ay pumasok sa opisina nang maaga.” → Sina
• Aling salita ang may wastong gamit ng gitling? → taga-Maynila, not tagaMaynila or taga Maynila.
• Anong bantas ang angkop sa dulo ng “Naku, nasunog ang bahay”? → tandang padamdam

Study tips

1. Copy the marker table onto a card and fill it in from memory each day for a week.
2. When reading Filipino news, circle every ni, nina, kay and kina and say why each is used.
3. Practise with our pantukoy at bantas questions and review the usage rules in our Filipino grammar guide.

For the full rules, consult the KWF’s Ortograpiyang Pambansa and Manwal sa Masinop na Pagsulat.