May alam ko vs Alam ko

If I had to guess I would say 'alam ko' is the equivalent of 'I know'. Not very specific just 'I know'. 'May alam ko' is more like I have knowledge of something or know how to do something more specific. Maybe like 'may alam ko magbasa' or I know how to read. Let's wait for the experts to weigh in.

I'm not a tagalog native speaker, but I'll try to answer your question.1. May alam ako - I have knowledge of/in
Lit: I know something* The word alam here functions as a noun.And if you want to negate the sentence, you have to use "wala" and not "hindi" because of the word "may."Negation: Wala akong alam.2. Alam ko - I know
Lit: I know how to...* The word alam in this sentence functions as a verb. You should negate this sentece by using "hindi" and not "wala."Negation: Hindi ko alam3. You can even turn alam into an adjective by adding prefix ma + alam = maalam, which is synonymous with marunong.maalam : means I am knowledgeable Ex:
Maalam/marunong ako magbasa.
Negation: Hindi ako maalam/marunong magbasa.Ma- adjectives are usually negated using hindi. But if the word "may" exists in the sentence you have to use "wala."Ex:
May maganda akong kotse.
Negation: Wala akong magandang kotse.That's how I understand the root word "alam" works in Tagalog grammar, but I might be wrong. So, let's just wait for native speakers and experts in Tagalog.

@rambo2fit @calinga Natutuwa kaming makita kayo muli dito! 😀Kumusta ang mga buhay pag-ibig ninyo? 😅 Biro lang!

Maganda naman! Pero hindi iyan ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ako nandito. I’ve been super busy but once it’s summer break from college in May I plan on being an everyday visitor again!So maybe May alam if I have a knowledge of a subject or something like that?

@calinga @rambo2fit @banyaga02 The explanations about the difference in meaning given by rambo2fit and banyaga02 are correct. And banyaga02 is right about "May alam AKO". It is not "May alam KO".Alam ko. = I know (it).
May alam ako. = (Lit: There is something I know about something/someone.) I know something (about...)."Alam mo ba ang kantang "Pangako sa Iyo"? = Do you know the song "Pangako sa Iyo"? - Do you know how it goes/to sing it? May alam ka ba tungkol sa kantang "Pangako sa Iyo?" = Do you have some information about the song "Pangako sa Iyo?" - Do you know the lyrics/the composer/who sang it originally/etc.? "Alam" is actually a verb in both cases. The actual verb is "malaman" (to know something).Malaman (object-focus): nalaman, nalalaman, malalamanMost often we just say this as "alam", especially in place of the present tense "nalalaman". This is like "gusto", which is actually "gustuhin" (to like something) and "ayaw", which is "inayawan" (to dislike/reject something). Alam ko. = Nalalaman ko.
May alam ako. = May nalalaman ako.You might be wondering how come the same verb is used with both "ko" and "ako". "Ko" would be proper since it is an object-focused verb. But why "ako"? This would be the grammatical explanation to it. The reason has to do with the presence of "may" (there is). "May alam" is a clause by itself. It translates to "There is information/something known about something". The idea is already complete as is and the subject of the clause is the pronoun "there". It just does not say who knows the information. That's where "ako" comes in but it becomes part of a separate clause where it becomes the actor. In effect, "May alam ako" would translate to "There is something known about something and I am the one who knows it". "I am the one who knows it." = "Ako ang nakakaalam niyon". That long sentence got condensed to just "May alam ako".May alam ako tungkol kay Mary. = There is something known about Mary and I know what it is. = There is something I know about Mary. "Tungkol" (about) usually goes with "may alam" since it points to the subject of the information.

@calinga > Pero hindi iyan ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ako nandito. => ... kung bakit nawala ako dito (as to why I have not been here). - There was a question here about a week or so ago about "nandito". I mentioned there that you can't use it in the negative. "Nandito" becomes "wala dito" in the negative. "... kung bakit wala ko dito" = as to why I was not here.> I’ve been super busy but once it’s summer break from college in May I plan on being an everyday visitor again! = Naging sobrang busy/abalá ako pero pagdating ng summer break/bakasyon sa college/kolehiyo sa Mayo plano kong bumisita muli dito araw-araw (to visit here again everyday)! The literal translation of "being an everyday visitor again" is "maging (become) bisitang pang-araw-araw muli", but we would most likely not express it that way.

@Tagamanila Ay pala! Ang buhay pag ibig ko ay mabuti. Maraming salamat para nagtatanong. Nagkasal kami lang para labing isa taon na. Labing dalawa taon itong Disyembre. Ang oras ay mabilis ipasa!!!

@rambo2fit Oo, mabilis talaga kapag marami kang ginagawa o pinagkakaabalahan.>Maraming salamat para nagtatanong. = Thank you very much for the (somebody is) asking.
Maraming salamat sa pagtatanong. = Thank you for asking. - This is rather literal though and does not sound natural.
Maraming salamat sa iyong pagtanong. = (Lit: Thank you very much for your asking) Thank you for asking. - This sounds more natural. >Nagkasal kami lang para labing isa taon na. = We married someone only for 11 years now.
Labing-isang taon na kaming kasal = We've been married for 11 years now. - easier to say.
or
Ikinasal kami nang may labing-isang taon nang nakakaraan/nakararaan. = We got married 11 years ago. - too many words to remember. 😅>Labing dalawa taon itong/sa Disyembre. - This is OK.
Labing-dalawang taon na itong/sa Disyembre. = Twelve years already come December. - The "na" is just to add "already". "Itong" = this; "sa" - in.>Ang oras ay mabilis ipasa! = Time is fast to pass (something).
Ang oras ay mabilis lumipas/dumaan/tumakbo (expire/pass by/run)! = Time flies. - Better to use "oras" if you're talking about time within a day or a few days.
Ang panahon ay mabilis lumipas/dumaan/tumakbo!!! = Time flies. - Use "panahon" when you mean weeks, months, or years.
(English time goes aerial. Filipino time is grounded. 😟😄)

@Tagamanila I'm turning these phrases right into flashcards. As always thank you!