niya
niyá with stress marks
his or her; by him or her
Usage Note
Niya is a gender-neutral pronoun used to indicate possession or the person doing an action, and it always follows the noun or verb it refers to. Since Tagalog doesn't distinguish between genders, 'niya' can mean his, her, or its depending on the context.
Examples
" Bahay niya ito. "
Natural Translation
This is her house.
Literal Translation
House her this.
" Kinuha niya ang susi. "
Natural Translation
He/she took the key.
Literal Translation
Took by-him/her the key.
" Hindi pa niya nasusuklian ang utang na loob na ipinakita sa kanya ng kanyang mga kaibigan. "
Natural Translation
He has not yet repaid the debt of gratitude his friends showed him.
Literal Translation
Not yet by-him repaid the debt of gratitude that shown to him by his friends.
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