Demonstrative Pronouns: Dito, Diyán and Doón
The demonstrative pronouns dito, diyán, and doón are used to indicate where something is located.
They are the English equivalents of "here" and "there".
Keep In Mind:
Some Filipino language speakers may pronounce doón with an "oo" sound (as in "school" or "balloon"), instead of breaking it into a two syllable word ( do - ón).
The difference between dito, diyán, and doón is the distance of the place/area from the speaker and the person being spoken to. Unlike in English which has "here" and "there", Filipino has three indicators of where something is located:
1.) Díto/rito is used when the place/area is near the speaker.
2.) Diyán is used when the place/area is near the person being spoken to.
3.) Doón is used when the place/area is far from both the speaker and the person being spoken to.
Examples:
Here (near the speaker)
Dito 
There (far from the speaker and near the person addressed)
Diyán / Dyán
There (far from both the speaker and the person addressed)
Doón
Examples:
A Filipino citizen talking
I live in the Philippines.
I live here.
I live in the Philippines.
I live here.
Sa Pilipinas akó nakatirá.
Dito akó nakatirá.
An inspector checking bags of visitors
Put the bag on the table.
Put the bag here.
Put the bag on the table.
Put the bag here.
Ilagáy mo ang bag sa mesa.
Ilagáy mo ang bag dito.
A tour guide talking to the visitors
The monkey is hanging on the tree.
The monkey is hanging here.
The monkey is hanging on the tree.
The monkey is hanging here.
Ang ay sa puno.
Ang unggóy ay nakasabit dito.
Mother talking to her son over the phone
Are you going to sleep at your friend's house?
Are you going to sleep there?
Are you going to sleep at your friend's house?
Are you going to sleep there?
Sa baháy ng kaibigan mo ka matutulog?
Diyán ka matutulog?
A teacher talking to his student
Keep the pencil in your pencil case.
Keep the pencil there.
Keep the pencil in your pencil case.
Keep the pencil there.
ang sa pencil case.
Itago ang lapis diyán.
Talking to someone swimming at the beach.
It is fun to snorkel at the beach.
It is fun to snorkel there.
It is fun to snorkel at the beach.
It is fun to snorkel there.
Masaráp sumisid sa dagat.
Masaráp sumisid diyán.
Answering a question during an interview
I studied in U.P.
I studied there.
I studied in U.P.
I studied there.
Sa U.P. akó nag-aral.
Doón ako nag-aral.
A mother telling her son to do the chores
Wash the dishes at the sink.
Wash the dishes there.
Wash the dishes at the sink.
Wash the dishes there.
Hugasan mo ang pinggán sa lababo.
Hugasan mo ang pinggán doón.
A person telling another person where he bought the flower.
I bought a flower at the store.
I bought a flower there.
I bought a flower at the store.
I bought a flower there.
Bumilí ako ng bulaklák sa tindahan.
Bumilí ako ng bulaklák doón.
"D" to "R" Letter Change
Note that the letter D in dito, diyán, and doón is changed to letter R (rito, riyán, and roón ) when the word before these demonstrative pronouns ends with a vowel ( a, e, i, o , u ) or the semivowels y and w. In future lessons, you'll see that this letter change from "D" to "R" is not uncommon in the Filipino language and happens in other situations as well.
If the demonstrative pronoun is at the beginning of the sentence, it will always start with a "D".
Examples:
Come over here!
Pumuntá ka rito!
I am studying here.
Nag-aaral akó rito.
Kaloy is not yet here.
Walâ pa rito si Kalóy.
Stay there. I will go there!
Diyán ka lang. Púpunta akó riyán!
Sit there.
Umupó ka riyán.
The dolls there are beautiful.
Ang mga manika riyán ay maganda.
I am studying there.
Nag-aaral akó roón.
The mangoes over there are sweet.
ang mga manggá roón.
People there are kind.
Mabaít ang mga tao roón.
It feels good to swim there.
Masaráp lumangóy riyán.
The monkey is hanging here.
Nakasabit ang unggóy rito.
Your cousins will visit there.
Ang mga mo ay dadalaw roón
The is sleeping there.
ang roón.
