bukas: magbukas vs. buksan

Root 'bukas' (open): magbukas (Actor Focus) vs. buksan/binuksan/binubuksan/bubuksan (-an Location/Surface Focus with syncope)

magpa- vs. pa-...-in / ipa- (Causative Focus)

Causative prefixes: magpa- (have someone do an action), ipa- (have an object fixed/done by someone)

hanap: maghanap vs. hanapin vs. ipaghanap

Root 'hanap' (look for): maghanap (Actor), hanapin (Object), ipaghanap (ipag- Benefactive)

uto / utos / tanong: magtanong vs. itanong vs. tanungin

Root 'tanong' (ask): magtanong (Actor), itanong (what question is asked), tanungin (who is questioned)

kita: makita vs. magkita

ma- Stative/Abilitative Object Focus (makita = to see/spot) vs. mag- Reciprocal Actor Focus (magkita = to meet up with each other)

basa: magbasa / bumasa vs. basahin

to read (Actor Focus magbasa/bumasa vs. Object Focus basahin/binasa/binabasa/babasahin)

rinig vs. kinig: marinig vs. makinig

Non-volitional perception (marinig = to hear) vs. volitional action (makinig = to listen attentively)

kain: kumain / kumakain / kakain (-um- Actor Focus)

to eat (-um- Actor Focus: completed / ongoing / contemplated)

turo: magturo vs. ituro vs. turuan

Root 'turo' (teach/point out): magturo (Actor), ituro (what is taught/pointed to), turuan (whom is taught)

bayad: magbayad vs. bayaran vs. ibayad

Root 'bayad' (pay): magbayad (Actor), bayaran (-an bill/person paid), ibayad (i- money used to pay)

bigay: magbigay vs. ibigay vs. bigyan

Root 'bigay' (give): magbigay (Actor), ibigay (i- Conveyance/Theme Focus: what is given), bigyan (-an Recipient Focus: who receives)

ika- + pag- / ikina- (Causative Reason Focus)

Reason/Cause Focus (ika- / ikina-): marks the cause of an emotion or outcome as the ANG-topic

na linkers: na / -ng (Ligature Rules)

Tagalog ligature (linker between modifier and head): '-ng' after vowels, '-g' after 'n', and separate 'na' after other consonants

tulog vs. gising: matulog / natulog vs. magising / gumising

ma- Actor Focus intransitive verbs of state (matulog = to sleep, magising = to wake up involuntarily vs. gumising = to wake up intentionally)

pag- + root vs. pagka- + root (Gerunds & Temporal Clauses)

Verbal nouns (paglalakbay = traveling) and temporal 'upon doing' clauses (pagdating = upon arriving, pagkatapos = after finishing)

bili: bumili vs. bilhin

Actor Focus (bumili = bought [indefinite ng-object]) vs. Object Focus (bilhin/binili = bought THE [definite ang-object])

tawag: tumawag vs. tawagan

Root 'tawag' (call): tumawag (Actor Focus) vs. tawagan/tinawagan (-an Directional Focus on the person called)

ka- + CV-reduplication + lang (Recent Perfective Aspect)

Recent perfective ('just now finished doing'): takes NG-case actor (ko/niya/ng) and no focus topic

sara: magsara vs. isara

Root 'sara' (close): magsara (Actor Focus) vs. isara/isinara/isinasara/isasara (i- Object Movement Focus)

luto: lutuin / niluto / niluluto / lulutuin (-in Object Focus)

to cook a specific dish (-in Object Focus; note l-/r-/y- root metathesis where -in- becomes ni-)

ipang- / pang- (Instrumental Focus & Instrumental Nouns)

Instrumental Focus (ipang- = use X to do something) and instrumental noun prefix (pang-/pam-/pan- with nasal assimilation)

kain: kainin / kinain / kinakain / kakainin (-in Object Focus)

to eat something specific (-in Object Focus: infinitive / completed / ongoing / contemplated)

mag-...-an (Reciprocal & Collective Action)

mag-...-an circumfix: expresses mutual/reciprocal or simultaneous group action (help one another, chat together)

makapag- (Abilitative for mag- verbs)

Abilitative Actor Focus for mag- verbs (makapag- / nakapag- / nakakapag- / makakapag-)

tulong: tumulong vs. tulungan

Root 'tulong' (help): tumulong (Actor Focus) vs. tulungan/tinulungan (-an Beneficiary/Directional Focus)

sulat: magsulat vs. isulat vs. sulatan

Three focuses on root 'sulat': magsulat (Actor), isulat (i- Object: write the letter), sulatan (-an Directional: write to someone)

ang / si vs. ng / ni vs. sa / kay

Tagalog case markers: ANG/SI (grammatical focus/topic), NG/NI (non-focus actor/object/possessor), SA/KAY (direction/location/recipient)

maki- / paki- (Social / Polite Request Prefix)

Social participation (maki- = join in / ask permission to use) and polite object-focus imperative (paki- = please do)

luto: magluto / nagluto / nagluluto / magluluto (mag- Actor Focus)

to cook (mag- Actor Focus: infinitive / completed / ongoing / contemplated)

magka- (Acquire / Come to Have)

magka- (magkaroon = come to have / there came to be; magkasakit = fall ill; magkakilala = become acquainted)

kuha: kumuha vs. kunin vs. ikuha

Root 'kuha' (get/take): kumuha (Actor), kunin (Object with irregular syncope), ikuha (i- Benefactive: get for someone)

maka- vs. ma- (Abilitative / Accidental Mood)

Abilitative/aptative prefixes: maka- (Actor Focus: was able to pass) vs. ma- (Object Focus: was able to buy THE house)

Tagalog — Essential Verbs, Focus System & Aspect (-um-, mag-, -in-)

CEFR B2/C1 mastery of Tagalog Austronesian alignment (Actor Focus vs. Object/Location/Beneficiary Focus), verbal aspect conjugations (completed, ongoing, contemplated, recent perfective), and ANG/NG/SA case markers.

Level: advanced
Languages: tl → en
Cards: 32
Markdown: Tagalog — Essential Verbs, Focus System & Aspect (-um-, mag-, -in-) (.md)

Flashcards (32)

#	Front (Term / Question)	Back (Definition / Answer)	Example
1	bukas: magbukas vs. buksan	Root 'bukas' (open): magbukas (Actor Focus) vs. buksan/binuksan/binubuksan/bubuksan (-an Location/Surface Focus with syncope)	Nagbukas na ang tindahan, kaya binuksan ko na rin ang mga bintana. — The store has opened, so I also opened the windows.
2	magpa- vs. pa-...-in / ipa- (Causative Focus)	Causative prefixes: magpa- (have someone do an action), ipa- (have an object fixed/done by someone)	Nagpagupit ako ng buhok sa barbero at ipinaayos ko ang sirang relo. — I had my hair cut at the barber and had the broken watch repaired.
3	hanap: maghanap vs. hanapin vs. ipaghanap	Root 'hanap' (look for): maghanap (Actor), hanapin (Object), ipaghanap (ipag- Benefactive)	Hinahanap ko ang susi ko; tulungan mo naman akong maghanap nito. — I am looking for my key; please help me look for it.
4	uto / utos / tanong: magtanong vs. itanong vs. tanungin	Root 'tanong' (ask): magtanong (Actor), itanong (what question is asked), tanungin (who is questioned)	Nagtanong ako sa guwardiya; itinanong ko ang direksyon at tinanong ko siya. — I asked the guard; I asked for the direction and I questioned him/her.
5	kita: makita vs. magkita	ma- Stative/Abilitative Object Focus (makita = to see/spot) vs. mag- Reciprocal Actor Focus (magkita = to meet up with each other)	Nakita ko ang luma kong kaibigan sa mall, kaya nagkasundo kaming magkita ulit bukas. — I saw my old friend at the mall, so we agreed to meet up again tomorrow.
6	basa: magbasa / bumasa vs. basahin	to read (Actor Focus magbasa/bumasa vs. Object Focus basahin/binasa/binabasa/babasahin)	Basahin mo nang mabuti ang kontrata bago ka pumirma. — Read the contract carefully before you sign.
7	rinig vs. kinig: marinig vs. makinig	Non-volitional perception (marinig = to hear) vs. volitional action (makinig = to listen attentively)	Narinig ko ang musika sa labas, kaya nakinig ako nang mabuti sa kanta. — I heard the music outside, so I listened closely to the song.
8	kain: kumain / kumakain / kakain (-um- Actor Focus)	to eat (-um- Actor Focus: completed / ongoing / contemplated)	Kumain na ako kanina, kumakain pa si Pedro ngayon, at kakain naman sila mamaya. — I already ate earlier, Pedro is still eating now, and they will eat later.
9	turo: magturo vs. ituro vs. turuan	Root 'turo' (teach/point out): magturo (Actor), ituro (what is taught/pointed to), turuan (whom is taught)	Nagtuturo siya ng matematika; itinuro niya ang tamang sagot at tinuruan niya ang mga bata. — He/she teaches math; he/she pointed out the right answer and taught the children.
10	bayad: magbayad vs. bayaran vs. ibayad	Root 'bayad' (pay): magbayad (Actor), bayaran (-an bill/person paid), ibayad (i- money used to pay)	Binayaran ko na ang kuryente, at ibinayad ko ang isandaang piso sa tsuper. — I already paid the electricity bill, and I handed the hundred pesos as payment to the driver.
11	bigay: magbigay vs. ibigay vs. bigyan	Root 'bigay' (give): magbigay (Actor), ibigay (i- Conveyance/Theme Focus: what is given), bigyan (-an Recipient Focus: who receives)	Ibinigay ng doktor ang gamot sa pasyente; binigyan ng doktor ng gamot ang pasyente. — The doctor gave the medicine to the patient.
12	ika- + pag- / ikina- (Causative Reason Focus)	Reason/Cause Focus (ika- / ikina-): marks the cause of an emotion or outcome as the ANG-topic	Ikinatuwa ng buong pamilya ang kanyang pagtatapos sa kolehiyo. — His/her college graduation delighted (was the cause of joy for) the whole family.
13	na linkers: na / -ng (Ligature Rules)	Tagalog ligature (linker between modifier and head): '-ng' after vowels, '-g' after 'n', and separate 'na' after other consonants	Bumili siya ng masarap na pagkain at sariwang prutas sa malaking palengke. — He/she bought delicious food and fresh fruit at the big market.
14	tulog vs. gising: matulog / natulog vs. magising / gumising	ma- Actor Focus intransitive verbs of state (matulog = to sleep, magising = to wake up involuntarily vs. gumising = to wake up intentionally)	Natulog siya nang maaga kaya nagising siya nang alas-singko. — He/she slept early so he/she woke up at five.
15	pag- + root vs. pagka- + root (Gerunds & Temporal Clauses)	Verbal nouns (paglalakbay = traveling) and temporal 'upon doing' clauses (pagdating = upon arriving, pagkatapos = after finishing)	Pagdating mo sa bahay, magpahinga ka muna pagkatapos ng mahabang paglalakbay. — Upon arriving home, rest first after the long journey.
16	bili: bumili vs. bilhin	Actor Focus (bumili = bought [indefinite ng-object]) vs. Object Focus (bilhin/binili = bought THE [definite ang-object])	Bumili ako ng bagong kotse; binili ko ang pulang kotse sa kanto. — I bought a new car; I bought THE red car on the corner.
17	tawag: tumawag vs. tawagan	Root 'tawag' (call): tumawag (Actor Focus) vs. tawagan/tinawagan (-an Directional Focus on the person called)	Tumawag si Ana kanina; tawagan mo raw siya pagdating mo sa bahay. — Ana called earlier; she said to call her when you get home.
18	ka- + CV-reduplication + lang (Recent Perfective Aspect)	Recent perfective ('just now finished doing'): takes NG-case actor (ko/niya/ng) and no focus topic	Kakakain ko lang ng tanghalian, at kaaalis lang ng bus nang dumating kami. — I have just eaten lunch, and the bus had just left when we arrived.
19	sara: magsara vs. isara	Root 'sara' (close): magsara (Actor Focus) vs. isara/isinara/isinasara/isasara (i- Object Movement Focus)	Pakisara po ang pinto dahil magsasara na ang opisina sa loob ng limang minuto. — Please close the door because the office will close in five minutes.
20	luto: lutuin / niluto / niluluto / lulutuin (-in Object Focus)	to cook a specific dish (-in Object Focus; note l-/r-/y- root metathesis where -in- becomes ni-)	Niluto ni Tatay ang paborito naming adobo para sa hapunan. — Dad cooked our favorite adobo for dinner.
21	ipang- / pang- (Instrumental Focus & Instrumental Nouns)	Instrumental Focus (ipang- = use X to do something) and instrumental noun prefix (pang-/pam-/pan- with nasal assimilation)	Ipinambili niya ng gamot ang natitirang pera; pambura ang ginamit niya sa lapis. — He/she used the remaining money to buy medicine; an eraser was what he/she used on the pencil.
22	kain: kainin / kinain / kinakain / kakainin (-in Object Focus)	to eat something specific (-in Object Focus: infinitive / completed / ongoing / contemplated)	Kinain ng bata ang mangga na binili ko sa palengke. — The child ate THE mango (definite object in ANG-focus) that I bought at the market.
23	mag-...-an (Reciprocal & Collective Action)	mag-...-an circumfix: expresses mutual/reciprocal or simultaneous group action (help one another, chat together)	Nagtulungan ang mga magkakapitbahay at nagkuwentuhan sila hanggang gabi. — The neighbors helped one another and chatted together until night.
24	makapag- (Abilitative for mag- verbs)	Abilitative Actor Focus for mag- verbs (makapag- / nakapag- / nakakapag- / makakapag-)	Hindi ako nakapag-aral kagabi dahil nawalan ng kuryente sa aming barangay. — I was not able to study last night because power went out in our neighborhood.
25	tulong: tumulong vs. tulungan	Root 'tulong' (help): tumulong (Actor Focus) vs. tulungan/tinulungan (-an Beneficiary/Directional Focus)	Tumulong ang mga kapitbahay, at tinulungan nila ang mga nasalanta ng baha. — The neighbors helped, and they helped those affected by the flood.
26	sulat: magsulat vs. isulat vs. sulatan	Three focuses on root 'sulat': magsulat (Actor), isulat (i- Object: write the letter), sulatan (-an Directional: write to someone)	Isinulat niya ang liham, at sinulatan niya ang kanyang mga magulang sa probinsya. — He/she wrote the letter, and wrote to his/her parents in the province.
27	ang / si vs. ng / ni vs. sa / kay	Tagalog case markers: ANG/SI (grammatical focus/topic), NG/NI (non-focus actor/object/possessor), SA/KAY (direction/location/recipient)	Nagbigay si Maria ng libro sa guro; binigyan ni Maria ng libro ang guro. — Maria gave a book to the teacher; the teacher was given a book by Maria.
28	maki- / paki- (Social / Polite Request Prefix)	Social participation (maki- = join in / ask permission to use) and polite object-focus imperative (paki- = please do)	Nakigamit ako ng telepono sa opisina; pakisabi naman sa kanya na tatawag ako ulit. — I asked permission to use the office phone; please tell him/her I will call again.
29	luto: magluto / nagluto / nagluluto / magluluto (mag- Actor Focus)	to cook (mag- Actor Focus: infinitive / completed / ongoing / contemplated)	Nagluluto si Nanay ng sinigang tuwing Linggo ng tanghali. — Mom cooks sinigang every Sunday noon.
30	magka- (Acquire / Come to Have)	magka- (magkaroon = come to have / there came to be; magkasakit = fall ill; magkakilala = become acquainted)	Nagkaroon kami ng magandang pagkakataon na makapagtrabaho sa ibang bansa. — We had (came to have) a great opportunity to work abroad.
31	kuha: kumuha vs. kunin vs. ikuha	Root 'kuha' (get/take): kumuha (Actor), kunin (Object with irregular syncope), ikuha (i- Benefactive: get for someone)	Kumuha ka ng tubig; kunin mo ang baso sa mesa; ikuha mo ng upuan si Lola. — Get some water; get the glass on the table; get a chair for Grandma.
32	maka- vs. ma- (Abilitative / Accidental Mood)	Abilitative/aptative prefixes: maka- (Actor Focus: was able to pass) vs. ma- (Object Focus: was able to buy THE house)	Nakapasa siya sa pagsusulit at nabili na niya ang pinapangarap niyang bahay. — He/she was able to pass the exam and was able to buy his/her dream house.