Agreement in Tagalog Translation: A Guide for Copy Editors

As a copy editor, one of the most important tasks you have is ensuring that the text you are working on is accurate and grammatically correct in the target language. This includes making sure that the text adheres to the rules of agreement in Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines.

Agreement in Tagalog refers to the matching of different elements in a sentence to ensure that they are consistent in terms of person, number, and gender. This means that the verb, subject, object, and other elements in a sentence must agree with each other in terms of their grammatical features.

To help you ensure agreement in Tagalog translation, here are some key rules that you should keep in mind:

1. Verb Subject Agreement

In Tagalog, the subject and verb of a sentence should agree with each other in terms of number and person. For example, when the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. When the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural. Likewise, when the subject is in the first person (I/we), the verb should also be in the first person. When the subject is in the second person (you), the verb should also be in the second person, etc.

Example:

Singular subject (Siya)

– Kumakain siya ng kanin. (He/she is eating rice.)

Plural subject (Sila)

– Kumakain sila ng kanin. (They are eating rice.)

2. Adjective-Noun Agreement

In Tagalog, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This means that if the noun is masculine, the adjective should be masculine too. If the noun is feminine, the adjective should be feminine. If the noun is plural, the adjective should be plural too.

Example:

Masculine singular noun (Lalaki)

– Malaki ang bahay ng lalaki. (The house of the man is big.)

Feminine singular noun (Babae)

– Malaki ang bahay ng babae. (The house of the woman is big.)

3. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

In Tagalog, pronouns should agree in person, number, and gender with the noun they replace. This means that if the noun is singular, the pronoun should also be singular. If the noun is plural, the pronoun should also be plural. Likewise, the pronoun should agree with the gender of the noun it replaces.

Example:

Singular feminine noun (Ina)

– Nasa bahay siya ng ina niya. (She is in her mother`s house.)

Plural masculine noun (Mga kapatid)

– Nasa bahay kami ng mga kapatid ko. (We are in my siblings` house.)

By following these rules, you can ensure accurate and grammatically correct Tagalog translation. As a copy editor, your goal is to produce content that is not only readable and well-written, but also culturally and linguistically appropriate for your target audience. By mastering the rules of agreement in Tagalog, you can help ensure that your translated content is of the highest quality.