nasa

Located at

Level 1

nasa + [Location] + ang [Subject]

How It Works

In Filipino, nasa is used to express the location of a person, object, or state (meaning 'at,' 'in,' or 'on' a specific place). It is strictly used for states of being, not for actions. It is a fundamental part of the predicate-first structure of the language.

1. Basic Sentence Structure
A typical sentence starts with nasa, followed by the place, and then the subject marked by ang:
Nasa mesa ang susi. (The key is on the table.)

2. Usage with Pronouns and Particles
If the subject is a personal pronoun (like ako or siya), it follows the second-position rule. The pronoun typically skips nasa and comes right after the place. For example: Nasa bahay siya. (He/She is at home.) This rule also applies to common enclitic particles like pa (still), na (already), lang (just), and din/rin (also). For example: Nasa bahay pa siya. (He/She is still at home.) For proper nouns, it follows the entire name: Nasa San Diego siya. (He/She is in San Diego.) For a noun with an adjective, the pronoun follows the whole phrase: Nasa malaking bahay siya. (He/She is in a big house.) For a place word followed by ng, it comes after the first unit: Nasa ibabaw siya ng mesa. (He/She is on top of the table.)

3. People as Locations and Temporary Possession
If you want to say something is 'with' or 'at the place of' a specific person, nasa changes to na kay (singular) or na kina (plural) for names:

  • Na kay Juan ang libro. (The book is with Juan.)
  • Na kina Maria ang mga bata. (The children are at Maria's.)

For pronouns (like 'with me' or 'with him'), use nasa followed by the sa-form pronoun (e.g., akin, iyo, kaniya). Crucially, this is the standard Filipino construction for expressing temporary possession (meaning 'I have the object right now').
Nasa akin ang libro. (The book is with me. / I have the book right now.)

4. Demonstrative Forms
When combined with 'here' or 'there,' nasa merges into specific words. In casual speech, we use nandito, nandiyan, and nandoon. In formal or literary contexts, you will see narito, nariyan, and naroon.

5. Negation: Wala sa / Wala kay
To say something is not at a location, the usual way is wala followed by sa for places:
Wala sa kusina ang pusa. (The cat is not in the kitchen.)
Hindi nasa is used only to contrast two places: Hindi nasa kusina ang pusa kundi nasa sala. (The cat is not in the kitchen but in the living room.)
To negate a person's location, use wala kay (singular) or wala kina (plural):
Wala kay Juan ang libro. (The book is not with Juan.)
To negate possession with pronouns (like 'not with me'), use wala sa followed by the sa-form pronoun:
Wala sa akin ang libro. (The book is not with me.)
Crucially, if the subject is a pronoun, it must move to the second position immediately after wala, whereas a noun subject remains after the locative phrase:
Wala siya sa kusina. (He/She is not in the kitchen.)

6. Nasa vs. Sa (State vs. Action)
It is crucial to understand that nasa is strictly used for states of being (where something is). It cannot be used for actions. Use nasa when the location itself is the main point of the sentence (the predicate). However, if an action is happening at a location, you must use sa instead of nasa.
Nasa mall siya. (He/She is at the mall. - State)
Kumakain siya sa mall. (He/She is eating at the mall. - Action)

7. Asking Where: Nasaan vs. Saan
To ask where an object or person is located, use the question word nasaan (Where is/are). Do not confuse this with saan, which is used to ask where an action takes place.
Nasaan ang susi? (Where is the key?)
Saan ka kumain? (Where did you eat?)

8. Spatial Location vs. Time
Note that nasa is strictly used for spatial location or possession. Do not use it for time expressions. To say 'on Monday' or 'in December', use sa instead of nasa:
Sa Lunes (On Monday) - NOT Nasa Lunes.

Examples (6)

  1. Nasa Pilipinas ang Maynila.

    Manila is in the Philippines.

    Word by Word: Located-at Philippines the Manila.

    This shows that 'nasa' is used even for permanent geographical locations.

  2. Nasa kusina ang nanay.

    Mother is in the kitchen.

    Word by Word: Located-at kitchen the mother.

    A common way to describe someone's current location.

  3. Nasa bag ko ang pera.

    The money is in my bag.

    Word by Word: Located-at bag my the money.

    Here, 'nasa' indicates that the object (money) is inside another object (bag).

  4. Nasaan ang mga bata? Nasa paaralan sila.

    Where are the children? They are at school.

    Word by Word: Where the [plural] child? Located-at school they.

    'Nasa' is the standard answer to the question 'Nasaan?' (Where is...?).

  5. Wala sa opisina ang boss.

    The boss is not in the office.

    Word by Word: None at office the boss.

    To say someone is simply not at a place, you use 'wala sa'. ('Hindi nasa' is only used to contrast two places.)

  6. Na kay Pedro ang susi.

    The key is with Pedro.

    Word by Word: At-with Pedro the key.

    When the location is a person's name, 'nasa' changes to 'na kay'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'wala' together with 'nasa'.

    Wala nasa bahay si Juan.
    Wala sa bahay si Juan.

    Wala already means 'not at' when it is followed by sa. Do not add nasa after it.

  • Using 'sa' instead of 'nasa' as a predicate.

    Sa bahay ang tatay.
    Nasa bahay ang tatay.

    'Sa' is a preposition used with verbs. When you just want to say 'is at,' you must use 'nasa'.

  • Using 'nasa' directly with a person's name.

    Nasa Maria ang payong.
    Na kay Maria ang payong.

    You must use 'na kay' (or 'na kina' for plural) when the location is a specific person.

How It Connects

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nasaLevel 1Located at

Learn This First

To use 'nasa', you need to understand the basic locative marker 'sa' and how Filipino expresses existence or location without a copula (the verb 'to be').

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nasa