# na "that"



## Qcumber

Can a clause introduced by *na* "that" be the subject of the sentence?
e.g. 
1) *Na maráhil siyáng mayáman ay hindî totoó!*
= That she would be rich is not true!

2) *Na bábáyad siyá kung súsúyò mó siyá ay hindî tiyák. *
= That she will pay if you wheedle her into it is not certain.


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## kios_01

In your examples, it didn't really work. But let me translate your examples using the "na" construction.

*Na siyá ay yayáman ay hindí totoó.*
*Hindí totóo na yayáman siyá.*
*= *That she will get rich isn't true.

*The second one would be the more common way of constructing it. At least, that's how I would've phrased it.

*Na magbabáyad siyá kung susuyúin mo ay hindí tiyák.*
= That she'll pay if you urge her to is uncertain.

* A little unnatural and awkward but I think it's grammatically fine.

I would've said it this way though:
*Hindí sigurádong magbabáyad iyón káhit pa suyúin mo.*
= It is uncertain that she'll pay even if you urge her to.

My conclusion: the _"that" clause as subject_ is possible in Filipino. albeit, it would sound a little too formal and detached from everyday grammar conventions, much more than its English counterpart, i think.


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## Qcumber

kios_01 said:


> My conclusion: the _"that" clause as subject_ is possible in Filipino. albeit, it would sound a little too formal and detached from everyday grammar conventions, much more than its English counterpart, i think.


This emphatic construction is also rare and stilted in English.
Testing whether it is possible in Tagalog helps determine the status of *na*.
Thanks a lot for your help, Kios.


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