# Ninyo vs Kayo



## MickyS

How and when do you use kayo vs ninyo?  I know they are used in polite contexts (often with po included in the sentence).

Ano (po) ang iniinom ninyo?
I think this means, "What do you have to drink?"

Ano (po) ang mayroon kayo?
I think this means, "What do you have?"

Could kayo and ninyo be interchanged?  For example...

Ano (po) ang inniinom kayo?

Ano (po) ang mayroon ninyo?


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## DotterKat

They are not interchangeable.

As you might know, Tagalog pronouns are a vast subject matter but to address your question specifically, both kayo and ninyo are personal pronouns in the 2nd person plural form (though both can be used to refer to a single person as a mark of respect, as you have noted). 
The difference is that kayo is an absolute pronoun (it can stand alone and can act as the subject in the S-V-O sentence pattern). Ninyo, on the other hand, is a genitive possessive pronoun that cannot be the subject in an S-V-O pattern.


Ano ang iniinom ninyo? O-V-S correct
Kayo ay umiinom ng tubig. S-V-O correct
Ninyo ay umiinom ng tubig. ?-V-O *wrong* (as wrong as saying "Yours are drinking water.)
Ano ang iniinom kayo? O-V-? *wrong *(this would be as awkward sounding as "What are "youse all" drinking?

Ano ang mayroon kayo? O-V-S correct
Kayo ay mayroong tubig. S-V-O correct
Ninyo ay mayroong tubig. ?-V-O *wrong* (as awkward as saying "Your all have water.")
Ano ang mayroon ninyo? O-V-? *wrong *(like saying "What are have yours?)

This is one of those subjects which take a lot of reading, practice and everyday usage in order to understand fully.


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## niernier

Or you can think of it this way. If you know the difference between actor and object focused verbs, ninyo is used for object focus verbs and kayo is used for actor focused verbs.

That's why iniinom comes together with ninyo and umiinom comes together with kayo.


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