Verb Affixes

Introduction

Tagalog verb affixes are morphemes attached to root words to create verbs with specific focus, aspect, and meaning. Affixes can be prefixes (beginning), infixes (inserted), suffixes (ending), or circumfixes (surrounding). The choice of affix determines which participant in the action is highlighted as the topic.

Actor Focus Affixes

Actor focus affixes emphasize the doer or performer of an action. The actor becomes the topic marked with ang or si.

-um- (Infix)

The infix -um- is inserted after the first consonant of the root word.

Placement

-um- appears after the first consonant: sulat → sumulat

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
kain	kumain	kumakain	kakain	eat
sulat	sumulat	sumusulat	susulat	write
bili	bumili	bumibili	bibili	buy
dating	dumating	dumarating	darating	arrive

Examples:

• Kumain si Pedro ng tinapay.
  (Pedro ate bread.)
• Sumulat ang estudyante ng liham.
  (The student wrote a letter.)

mag- (Prefix)

The prefix mag- attaches to the beginning of the root word.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
luto	nagluto	nagluluto	magluluto	cook
linis	naglinis	naglilinis	maglilinis	clean
trabaho	nagtrabaho	nagtatrabaho	magtatrabaho	work
aral	nag-aral	nag-aaral	mag-aaral	study

Examples:

• Nagluto si Maria ng adobo.
  (Maria cooked adobo.)
• Naglilinis ang bata ng kwarto.
  (The child is cleaning the room.)

Usage Distinction

mag- often implies deliberate, purposeful action, while -um- can indicate more natural or unintentional actions.

ma- (Prefix)

The prefix ma- indicates accidental, stative, or potential actions.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
tulog	natulog	natutulog	matutulog	sleep
kita	nakita	nakikita	makikita	see
intindihan	naintindihan	naiintindihan	maiintindihan	understand

Examples:

• Natulog ang sanggol.
  (The baby slept.)
• Nakita ni Ana ang aso.
  (Ana saw the dog.)

mang- (Prefix)

The prefix mang- undergoes phonological changes depending on the initial sound of the root.

Phonological Rules

• Before p, b → mam-: bili → mamili
• Before t, d → man-: tirahan → manirahan
• Before s → mang- (drops s): sulat → manulat
• Before k → mang- (retains k): kuha → manguha

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
bili	namili	namimili	mamimili	buy (shopping)
kuha	nanguha	nangunguha	mangunguha	get/take
hiram	nanghiram	nanghihiram	manghihiram	borrow

Examples:

• Namili si Lorna sa palengke.
  (Lorna shopped at the market.)
• Nanguha ng prutas ang bata.
  (The child picked fruit.)

Patient Focus Affixes

Patient focus affixes emphasize the object or recipient of an action. The patient becomes the topic marked with ang.

-in- (Suffix/Infix)

The suffix -in or infix -in- marks the patient as topic.

Placement

-in attaches as suffix to roots ending in vowels, or as infix -in- after first consonant for completed aspect.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
kain	kinain	kinakain	kakainin	eat (object focus)
sulat	sinulat	sinusulat	susulatin	write (object focus)
bili	binili	binibili	bibilhin	buy (object focus)
basa	binasa	binabasa	babasahin	read (object focus)

Examples:

• Kinain ni Jose ang mangga.
  (The mango was eaten by Jose.)
• Sinulat ni Ana ang liham.
  (The letter was written by Ana.)

i- (Prefix)

The prefix i- can mark patient or directional focus depending on the root.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
sulat	isinulat	isinusulat	isusulat	write (for/to)
bigay	ibinigay	ibinibigay	ibibigay	give
abot	iniabot	inaabot	iaabot	hand over
lagay	inilagay	inilalagay	ilalagay	place/put

Examples:

• Ibinigay ni Maria ang regalo.
  (The gift was given by Maria.)
• Isusulat ni Pedro ang pangalan.
  (The name will be written by Pedro.)

Locative Focus Affixes

Locative focus affixes emphasize the location or place where an action occurs.

-an (Suffix)

The suffix -an marks the location as topic.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
luto	nilutuan	nilulutuan	lulutuan	cook (location)
sulat	sinulatan	sinusulatan	susulatan	write on
bili	binilhan	binibilhan	bibilhan	buy from/at
tulog	tinulugan	tinutulugan	tutulugan	sleep in/on

Examples:

• Nilutuan ni Maria ang kalan.
  (The stove was cooked on by Maria.)
• Sinulatan ng bata ang pisara.
  (The board was written on by the child.)

pag-...-an (Circumfix)

The circumfix pag-...-an emphasizes location with certain roots.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
luto	pinaglutuan	pinaglulutuan	paglulutuan	place where cooked
trabaho	pinagtrabahuan	pinagtatrabahuan	pagtatrabahuan	work place
aral	pinag-aralan	pinag-aaralan	pag-aaralan	study at

Examples:

• Pinaglutuan niya ang kusina.
  (The kitchen was where he/she cooked.)
• Pinag-aralan niya ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.
  (He/She studied at the University of the Philippines.)

Benefactive Focus Affixes

Benefactive focus affixes emphasize the beneficiary or person for whom an action is done.

ipag- (Prefix)

The prefix ipag- marks the beneficiary as topic.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
luto	ipinagluto	ipinagluluto	ipagluluto	cook for
bili	ipinagbili	ipinagbibili	ipagbibili	buy for
gawa	ipinagawa	ipinagagawa	ipagagawa	make for
linis	ipinaglinis	ipinaglilinis	ipaglilinis	clean for

Examples:

• Ipinagluto ni Maria ang anak.
  (The child was cooked for by Maria.)
• Ipinagbili niya ang kapatid ng damit.
  (He/She bought clothes for the sibling.)

i- (Benefactive Use)

In some contexts, i- participates in benefactive constructions.

Examples:

• Sinulatan ni Ana ang kaibigan ng liham.
  (Ana wrote her friend a letter.)
• Ibinili niya ang nanay ng sapatos.
  (He/She bought mother some shoes.)

Instrumental Focus Affixes

Instrumental focus affixes emphasize the tool or instrument used to perform an action.

ipang- (Prefix)

The prefix ipang- marks the instrument as topic and undergoes similar phonological changes as mang-.

Phonological Rules

• Before p, b → ipam-: bili → ipambili
• Before t, d → ipan-: tali → ipantali
• Before k → ipang-: kuha → ipangkuha

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
sulat	ipinangsulat	ipinansusulat	ipangsusulat	use to write
hiwa	ipinanghiwa	ipinanhihiwa	ipanghihiwa	use to cut
bili	ipinambili	ipinambibili	ipambibili	use to buy
pukpok	ipinampukpok	ipinampupukpok	ipampupukpok	use to hammer

Examples:

• Ipinangsulat niya ang lapis.
  (The pencil was what he/she used to write.)
• Ipinambili niya ang pera ng pagkain.
  (The money was what he/she used to buy food.)

pang- (Prefix)

The prefix pang- can also mark instrumental focus in certain constructions.

Examples:

• Pansulat — writing implement
• Pangkain — utensils for eating

Causative Affixes

Causative affixes indicate that the subject causes someone else to perform an action.

pa-...-in (Circumfix)

The circumfix pa-...-in marks causative patient focus.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
kain	pinakain	pinapakain	pakakainin	cause to eat / feed
gawa	pinagawa	pinagagawa	pagagawa	cause to make
linis	pinalinis	pinalilinis	palilinisin	cause to clean

Examples:

• Pinakain niya ang aso.
  (He/She fed the dog.)
• Pinagawa niya ang bahay.
  (He/She had the house built.)

magpa- (Prefix)

The prefix magpa- marks causative actor focus.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
gawa	nagpagawa	nagpapagawa	magpapagawa	have something made
ayos	nagpaayos	nagpapaayos	magpapaayos	have something fixed

Examples:

• Nagpagawa siya ng sapatos.
  (He/She had shoes made.)
• Nagpaayos ng kotse ang lalaki.
  (The man had the car fixed.)

Reciprocal Affixes

Reciprocal affixes indicate mutual action between participants.

mag-...-an (Circumfix)

The circumfix mag-...-an marks reciprocal action.

Root	Completed	Ongoing	Contemplated	English
kita	nagkita	nagkikita	magkikita	see each other
usap	nag-usap	nag-uusap	mag-uusap	talk with each other
away	nag-away	nag-aaway	mag-aaway	fight with each other

Examples:

• Nagkita sina Ana at Pedro.
  (Ana and Pedro saw each other.)
• Nag-usap ang mga kaibigan.
  (The friends talked with each other.)

Summary Table

Affix Type	Focus	Common Affixes	Example Root	Example Form
Actor	Actor	-um-, mag-, ma-, mang-	kain	kumain
Patient	Object	-in, i-	kain	kinain
Locative	Location	-an, pag-...-an	luto	nilutuan
Benefactive	Beneficiary	ipag-, i-	luto	ipinagluto
Instrumental	Instrument	ipang-, pang-	sulat	ipinangsulat
Causative	Caused action	pa-...-in, magpa-	kain	pinakain
Reciprocal	Mutual	mag-...-an	kita	nagkita

See Also

• Focus System
• Aspect
• Conjugation
• Verb List