sina
Plural Focused Personal Marker
Use sina before names to talk about a group of people (e.g., 'sina Maria at Juan'). It can also mean 'Maria and company' when used with just one name.
How It Works
In Filipino, names and specific people require special markers. When you are talking about more than one person, you use sina.
Key Functions:
- Listing Names: It introduces a list of two or more specific people (e.g., sina Ana at Bob).
- Associative Plural: When followed by only one name, it implies that person and their group, such as family or friends (e.g., sina Rudy means 'Rudy and his group').
- Beyond Proper Names: While primarily for names, it is also used for kinship terms used as names (e.g., sina Nanay at Tatay) and even named pets.
The Personal Marker System:
Sina is the 'focused' marker, meaning these people are the main subject. To become proficient in Filipino, you should also know its counterparts:
- Use nina when the group is the possessor or the non-focused actor.
- Use kina when the group is the object of a preposition (like 'to' or 'with').
Unlike common nouns which use mga (e.g., ang mga bata), sina is reserved for specific individuals.
Examples (4)
- Dumating na sina Maria at Juan.
Maria and Juan have already arrived.
Word by Word: Arrived already [plural marker] Maria and Juan.
Here, 'sina' marks both Maria and Juan as the ones who arrived (the focus).
- Naglalaro sina Pedro sa labas.
Pedro and his friends are playing outside.
Word by Word: Playing [plural marker] Pedro at outside.
Using 'sina' with only one name implies Pedro and the people he is usually with.
- Sina Gng. Reyes at Gng. Santos ang ating mga panauhin.
Mrs. Reyes and Mrs. Santos are our guests.
Word by Word: [Plural marker] Mrs. Reyes and Mrs. Santos the our [plural] guest.
This shows 'sina' used in a formal context with titles and names.
- Kumakain na sina Nanay at Tatay.
Mom and Dad are eating now.
Word by Word: Eating already [plural marker] Mom and Dad.
Titles like 'Nanay' (Mom) and 'Tatay' (Dad) function as names and use personal markers.
Common Mistakes
Using 'sila' as a marker before names.
Sila Ana at Leo ay nandito.Sina Ana at Leo ay nandito.'Sila' is a pronoun meaning 'they.' While it sounds similar, 'sina' is the correct marker to use before specific names.
Using 'ang mga' with names.
Nasaan ang mga Maria?Nasaan sina Maria?'Ang mga' is for common nouns (like 'ang mga bata'). Proper names of people always require 'si' or 'sina'.
Confusing 'sina' (focus) with 'nina' (non-focus).
Kinuha sina Maria ang libro.Kinuha nina Maria ang libro.If the names are the ones doing the action in an object-focus sentence (like 'kinuha'), you must use the non-focus marker 'nina'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'sina', you must first be familiar with its singular form 'si' and the general way Filipino marks plurality. Since 'sina' is a personal marker, knowing how the 'si / ni / kay' system functions to identify people in a sentence is essential.
- siFocused Personal Marker
sina is the plural counterpart of the singular personal marker si, so understanding how to mark a single person as the focus is a necessary first step.
Level 1 - mgaPlural Marker
Understanding the general plural marker mga introduces the concept of how Filipino distinguishes between singular and plural subjects.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- ninaPlural Nonfocused Personal Marker
The plural non-focus/possessive marker for names, often confused with 'sina'.
Level 1 - kinaPlural Oblique Personal Marker
The plural oblique marker for names, used for directions or 'at the house of'.
Level 1 - sila / nila / kanilaThird-Person Plural Forms
The third-person plural pronouns ('they/their') which correspond to the 'sina/nina/kina' markers.
Level 1 - ang / ng / saCore Phrase Markers
The core marker system that 'sina' belongs to as a personal focus marker.
Foundations
Words in This Pattern
Practice sina in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Filipino lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
