Can you help me with these three questions about Tagalog?

Question

They might be too basic.
1. Are "ho" and "po" intercheangable in a sentence? I know there is a slightly difference (that I am still not sure I understand). Where should it be placed? After the verb? Could it be placed in some other place in the sentence "Saan po ang Bagyo?"?
2. I think I understand the differences and similarities between "saan" and "nasaan". But... can a question with "saan" be answer with "nasa" and a question with "nasaan" be answered with "sa"? As in "Saan doon ang Samar? Doon nasa Bisaya ang Samar". Or the answer MUST be "Doon sa Bisaya ang Samar"?
3. Yes, you guessed right: I am an absolute beginer. And this one will confirm this: In my close-minded western mind, I would have expected that in "Ang mga pulong ito ang Bisaya", the linker -ng were applied to "ito" and not to "pulo"! Does this mean that this linker can be used in words other than adjectives?

Salamat for your help.

Of course the online dictionary is of no help here. I already know the translations. I am asking about their usage.

Only one more thing. Is Baybayin taught at any level? I guess most of edcation is either in Tagalog or in English. I am sorry for my ignorance about this. Is Baybayin script still used in some way?
Thanks again.

Answer 1

>I think ho and po has the same kind of uses... po is used when asking to older people to show some respect.
ho is quite informal.

>saan and nasaan have the same meaning. Saan is used for asking places like: Saan ginaganap ang Masskarra? and nasaan is used for asking things like: Saan ung bag ko?

>And #3 the correct sentence for that is: Ang mga pulong ito ay nasa bisayas; or Ang mga pulong ito ay matatagpuan sa bisayas. (These island are located in the Visayas).
I hope i got it right c",)

Answer 2

1. i used "ho" for people in their 30's, 40's or anyone that's not that old. i used "po" for grandparents or really old folks.

i don't really know where to put it. it just came naturally.

magandang umaga po - good morning
saan po kayo pupunta? - where are you going

2. i think you're right. in your example;
saan doon ang samar
nasa bisayas ang samar

3. ang mga pulong ito ang bisaya - does not make any sense to me. do you mean the islands in the visayas? you translate it "mga isla sa bisayas"

bisaya is the language of people living in visayas

gulong - wheel
gulo - trouble


of course tagalog is not really my native tongue, i just learn it in school. my native dialect is bisaya.

Answer 3

1. They are interchangeable, but salamat po is more formal and "ho" is more casual.
2. "Nasaan" is where. These are like slang.
3. You're making it far more complicated that it truly is. It's really not that hard; you're thinking too much.

Answer 4

1. yes. they are interchangeable. but with me, i use po when talking to someone close to me (say, parents, relatives, etc). i use "ho" when talking to strangers who are older than me.

2. saan is just a shortened nasaan. sa is a shortened nasa.

3.yes

Answer 5

http://www.foreignword.com/cgi-bin/engtag.cgi?language=tageng&termbox=bantay&B1=Search