# Ba with a verb



## Inglip

In my book it explains where to place 'Ba' in a sentence. It says that it goes after the subject of the sentence. Then it says it also goes after monosyllabics, but doesn't really give an example of this. it also doesn't give and example of it being used with a principle verb.

So, would I place BA like this - 

Kinakain pa ba niya ang pagkain ko? - Is he still eating my food?


Also, becuase it comes after the monosyllabics it should be

Kainin ako ba? - I can east already? 

But the example in the book is - Kainin ba ako?

Why is that?
How should it be placed?


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## niernier

Inglip said:


> Kinakain pa ba niya ang pagkain ko? - Is he still eating my food?



There is an exception for the pronoun ka. ka precedes this enclitic ba, other pronouns follow it.

"Pagod ka ba?" is the correct one.

Other examples:

Pagod ba siya?
Pagod ba sila?


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## niernier

Inglip said:


> In my book it explains where to place 'Ba' in a sentence. It says that it goes after the subject of the sentence. Then it says it also goes after monosyllabics, but doesn't really give an example of this. it also doesn't give and example of it being used with a principle verb.
> 
> So, would I place BA like this -
> 
> Kinakain pa ba niya ang pagkain ko? - Is he still eating my food?
> 
> 
> Also, becuase it comes after the monosyllabics it should be
> 
> Kainin ako ba? - I can east already?
> 
> But the example in the book is - Kainin ba ako?
> 
> Why is that?
> How should it be placed?



If you mean "Can I eat already?", In Tagalog that should be "Pwede na ba akong kumain?"

Prounouns except for ka are placed after ba. The reason is simple. It sounds stilted to our Austronesian ears, other than that, baka means cow in English.


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## Inglip

Thanks 

I think in the book it says it means - I will eat now? - But that is odd to me, I would read it as - Can I eat now?


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## mataripis

i cannot explain "ba" in Tagalog grammar but i 'll give you the sample usage in sentences.  1.) what are you doing? = Ano ang ginagawa mo?  2. What are you really doing? = Ano ba talaga ang ginagawa mo?  /the inclusion of "ba" in a sentence is a form of verification or verifying.


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