Tagalog - Mayroon, meron, and wala
Existential phrases refers to phrases that refers to whether a particular thing exists or not.
Mayroon, meron, and wala.
Mayroon and meron means the same thing. Mayroon is just an older and more formal version of meron. Today, mayroon is rarely used in regular conversations, only often used to have a poetic feel and meron is preferred. Both words roughly mean "there is". "There is" could refer to anything be it something, someone, etc.
The opposite of mayroon and meron is wala. Literally, nothing.
SHOWING OR NEGATING EXISTENCE
Form 1: Existential + pronoun in "ng" form + phrase
Mayroon akong kwento. ~ I have a story.
1SG story
Meron silang aso. ~ They have a dog.
3PL
Wala akong nahanap. ~ I did not find anything.
1SG find
Meron kang pasalubong. ~ You have a souvenir.
2SG gift/souvenir
2SG gift/souvenir
Note:
Merong isda. ~ There's a fish.
fish
Walang natira, ~ There was nothing left.
left
Mayroong nag-titinda ng sorbetes sa palengke. ~ Someone is selling ice cream in the market.
sell ice-cream market
Note:
1) To make the existential particle in "ng" form just add "ng". Since Mayroon and Meron ends with an "n", only "g" is added, hence Mayroong and Merong. While, wala, takes all of "ng" since it ends with a vowel, hence walang.
Wala pala. ~ There's nothing.
Note:
1) Pala in itself is just an interjection hence it doesn't really mean anything.
2) Adding pala to an existential verb brings emphasis hence it is mostly used to contradict an earlier statement.
See the example below:
Person A: Meron ba kayong perdible? ~ Do you have a pin?
Person B: Wala eh. ~ Nope.
Person A: Sabi ni tita meron. Maghanap ka nga baka meron. ~ Auntie said you have one, try searching maybe you can find something.
Person: B: Ay meron pala. ~ Oh, there really is.
Meron ka pala. ~ You have it.
Wala ka pala kahapon. ~ Didn't know you were absent yesterday.
Meron pala kaming duyan. ~ Didn't know we have a hammock.
Note:
1) Instead of being used to retract a statement existential verb + pala can be used to confirm an existence in an interrogative way. Make pala in its "ng" form by turning in to palang.
Meron palang ganun? ~ So there was something like that.
2) "Meron ka pala." is what people say when they just discovered something they initially thought someone doesn't have.
"Meron ka palang Facebook." ~ Didn't know you have a Facebook account.
3) "Wala ka pala" together with something else is like "Meron ka pala." Usually, paired with an aspect of time or thing.
"Wala ka pala kanina." ~ Didn't know you weren't here earlier.
"Wala ka palang assignment." ~ Didn't know you don't have an assignment.
"Wala ka palang binatbat." ~ Didn't know you couldn't put up a fight.
Wala ka pala. ~ You're nothing.
Note:
1) "Wala ka pala." alone can mean and be translated to "You're nothing." it is mostly used to provoke someone.
"Hawakan mo nga tenga. Wala ka pala eh." ~ "Hold his ear or else you're nothing."
- 1) To make a pronoun in "ng" form just add the particle ng to it.
- 2) In Manileño dialect of Tagalog, the national language, all pronouns except for "kita" is used along side an existential verbs.
Form 2: Existential in "ng" form + phrase
Merong isda. ~ There's a fish.
fish
Walang natira, ~ There was nothing left.
left
Mayroong nag-titinda ng sorbetes sa palengke. ~ Someone is selling ice cream in the market.
sell ice-cream market
Note:
1) To make the existential particle in "ng" form just add "ng". Since Mayroon and Meron ends with an "n", only "g" is added, hence Mayroong and Merong. While, wala, takes all of "ng" since it ends with a vowel, hence walang.
RETRACTING ANSWERS
Form 3: Existential + pala
Meron pala. ~ There's something.Wala pala. ~ There's nothing.
Note:
1) Pala in itself is just an interjection hence it doesn't really mean anything.
2) Adding pala to an existential verb brings emphasis hence it is mostly used to contradict an earlier statement.
See the example below:
Person A: Meron ba kayong perdible? ~ Do you have a pin?
Person B: Wala eh. ~ Nope.
Person A: Sabi ni tita meron. Maghanap ka nga baka meron. ~ Auntie said you have one, try searching maybe you can find something.
Person: B: Ay meron pala. ~ Oh, there really is.
DISCOVERY / CONFIRMING IN AN INTERROGATIVE WAY
Form 3 : Existential + palang + phrase
Form 4: Existential + ka + pala
Form 5: Existential + pala + pronoun
Wala palang nahuli kahapon? ~ Didn't know there was no catch yesterday.Meron ka pala. ~ You have it.
Wala ka pala kahapon. ~ Didn't know you were absent yesterday.
Meron pala kaming duyan. ~ Didn't know we have a hammock.
Note:
1) Instead of being used to retract a statement existential verb + pala can be used to confirm an existence in an interrogative way. Make pala in its "ng" form by turning in to palang.
Meron palang ganun? ~ So there was something like that.
2) "Meron ka pala." is what people say when they just discovered something they initially thought someone doesn't have.
"Meron ka palang Facebook." ~ Didn't know you have a Facebook account.
3) "Wala ka pala" together with something else is like "Meron ka pala." Usually, paired with an aspect of time or thing.
"Wala ka pala kanina." ~ Didn't know you weren't here earlier.
"Wala ka palang assignment." ~ Didn't know you don't have an assignment.
"Wala ka palang binatbat." ~ Didn't know you couldn't put up a fight.
BONUS: WALA KA PALA
Wala ka pala. ~ You're nothing.
Note:
1) "Wala ka pala." alone can mean and be translated to "You're nothing." it is mostly used to provoke someone.
"Hawakan mo nga tenga. Wala ka pala eh." ~ "Hold his ear or else you're nothing."
SUMMARY
Mayroon is the same as meron. They're both are existentials meaning they indicate that something or someone exists thus it's approximately the Tagalog equivalent of "there is".
Wala is the negative existential or the opposite of mayroon and meron.