# Tagalog: Tapos na ba kayong kainin?



## actively

Hello~

I was once hosting an event and asked the children eating, "tapos na ba kayong kumain?" Afterwards, my Filipino friend told me that "tapos na ba kayong kainin" is actually the grammatically correct way to phrase this. 
Can someone explain why this is? Doesn't this imply that they (the children) are the ones being eaten because "kainin" is in object focus? 
I've also noticed this with the phrase "marami siyang kainin" instead of "marami siyang kumain". Is there a grammar rule to this that I should know of?

Thank you


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## DotterKat

_Tapos na ba kayong *kumain*_ is actor-focused and therefore absolutely correct in the context of inquiring _Are you (plural) finished eating? _The object-focused sentence _Tapos na ba kayong kainin? (Are you through being eaten?)_ is absolutely incorrect for this context.  It can be made right by adding a direct object, for example _Tapos na ba ninyong kainin ang cake?
_
Likewise,_ He / She eats a lot_ is _Marami siyang kumain _and not _Marami siyang kainin_.

In short, you are right on both counts.


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## Lovestotravel

actively said:


> Hello~
> 
> I was once hosting an event and asked the children eating, "tapos na ba kayong kumain?" Afterwards, my Filipino friend told me that "tapos na ba kayong kainin" is actually the grammatically correct way to phrase this.
> Can someone explain why this is? Doesn't this imply that they (the children) are the ones being eaten because "kainin" is in object focus?
> I've also noticed this with the phrase "marami siyang kainin" instead of "marami siyang kumain". Is there a grammar rule to this that I should know of?
> 
> Thank you




"tapos na ba kayong kainin" - This one sounds a bit weird. Maybe the one who corrected you was not from the Metro Manila area or the nearby towns. As far as I know, "Tapos na ba kayong kumain" is the right one./ I heard another version which is " Nakain ka na ba?"/have you eaten?[Kumain ka na ba?]- from college mates who are both native from Quezon province.


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## Ergem

I hope you don't mind me chipping in. I'm new to this forum and native language is Tagalog/Filipino. I'm learning Spanish so I decided to sign up and contribute if I could. 

Nakain ka na ba? = Have you been eaten? This is wrong obviously. Maybe you missed the double "ka" (nakakain)
Nakakain ka na ba? = Have you eaten?

To the OP: 

Gaya ng nasabi na, mali ang "tapos na ba kayong kainin?". "Tapos ninyo na bang kainin" naman ay tama ("ang pagkain" - object, can be implied). Hindi kaya namali ka lang ng narinig?


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