# Sa in beneficiary and directional sentences



## Change1031

This is mainly a follow up from the previous post regarding sa usage in sentence.

In the previous sentence, I asked about *Gusto kong ibili sa iyo ng litson dahil gatum ka*. You mentioned that is is wrong because I used a sa marker instead of the ang marker. But, isn't ibili, in this case, means "to buy for." Therefore, the sentence is a beneficiary-focused sentence, rather than an object-focus sentence. If I were to replace ibili with ipagluto in the sentence, it would be *Gusto kong ipagluto sa iyo ng litson* = _I want to cook (for) you a lechon_.

I have the same comment too to your other example: *Gusto kong puntahan ang tindahan dahil gusto kong ibili si Junior ng maliit na aso.* 

But, I might have an idea as why it should be an ang marker and not a sa marker.

I think it is because ang marks the focus of the sentence, and in my example, if replace ang with sa, then the focus it lost. Right now, I am making the observation with another sentence that I found on a powerpoint, *Pupunta ang mga estudyante sa mall.*

In that the example above, it is an actor-focus sentence, which the subject of focus is the students. But, if we want to make the mall the subject of focus of the sentence, we will have to use the directional form of the verb. It will be *Pupuntahan* *ng mga estudyante ang mall. *Therefore, it is incorrect to say *Pupuntahan ng mga estudyante sa mall *because there is no focus of the sentence.

If I were to apply this theory to your sentence with the dog and Junior, the sentence could also be written as *Gusto akong pumunta sa tindahan dahil gusto akong bumili ng maliit na aso para kay Junior.
*
Sakit ang ulo ko sa magisip.


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## DotterKat

Change1031 said:


> In the previous sentence, I asked about *Gusto kong ibili sa iyo ng litson dahil gatum ka*. You mentioned that is is wrong because I used a sa marker instead of the ang marker. But, isn't ibili, in this case, means "to buy for." Therefore, the sentence is a beneficiary-focused sentence, rather than an object-focus sentence. If I were to replace ibili with ipagluto in the sentence, it would be *Gusto kong ipagluto sa iyo ng litson* = _I want to cook (for) you a lechon_.


To form the beneficiary focus, you can use ipag- or i-.
If you use i- (ibili) to form a beneficiary focus verb, then the focus should indeed be the beneficiary (in your sentence that would be _you_).
Recall that in Tagalog there are sa and ang pronouns.
Ang pronouns are used when the pronoun in question is the focus.
In the sentence *Gusto kong ibili (?) ng litson dahil gutom ka*, the verb ibili is in the beneficiary-focus. The beneficiary is *(?)*. Since this pronoun is in focus, then an _ang_ pronoun should be used.
The correct sentence, therefore, is *Gusto kong ibili ka ng litson dahil gutom ka.
*
Same thing with *Gusto kong ipagluto (?) ng litson.*
Ipagluto is a beneficiary-focus verb. The focus is *(?)*.
Since it is in focus, you should use an _ang_ pronoun.
The correct sentence is *Gusto kong ipagluto ka ng litson.*



Change1031 said:


> If I were to apply this theory to your sentence with the dog and Junior, the sentence could also be written as *Gusto akong pumunta sa tindahan dahil gusto akong bumili ng maliit na aso para kay Junior.*


Another set of Tagalog pronouns are called _ng pronouns (ko / namin, mo / ninyo, niya / nila)._
Use _ng pronouns_ with pseudo-verbs such as _gusto, ayaw, _and_ kaya_.
The correct sentence is* Gusto kong pumunta sa tindahan dahil gusto kong bumili ng maliit na aso para kay Junior*.



Change1031 said:


> Sakit ang ulo ko sa magisip.



Masakit ang ulo ko dahil sa sobrang (_modifier_) pag-iisip (_aspectless gerund_)

Note that _pag-iisip_ can also be used as a noun.


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## Change1031

Thanks for the help!


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