Tagalog verbs follow a complex system of affixes to create verbs with subtle differences in meaning, and are inflected for focus/trigger, aspect and number. As a Philippine language, Tagalog follows the Austronesian voice system to determine the focus/trigger of the verb in a sentence (which are indicated by ang or si)
Conjugations of Tagalog verbs are based on the Austronesian system, which is retained in the Philippine and Formosan languages, some northern Bornean languages, and Malagasy, but is lost in most other Malayo-Polynesian languages (e.g. Malay, Indonesian, Javanese, Chamorro, Māori, Hawaiian). The table below shows a non-exhaustive summary of commonly used verb conjugations, including dialectal ones (e.g. those used in Batangas, Tayabas and Marinduque dialects).
Tagalog verb conjugations can be analyzed through their trigger/focus and mood, or their morphology; the former primarily used in Tagalog grammar taught to Filipinos, and the latter to foreign learners:
Tagalog verb conjugations by focus and mood | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aspect (aspekto) | Complete (naganap) | Progressive (nagaganap) | Contemplative (magaganap) | Infinitive (pawatas) | Imperative (pautos) | Example | |
Trigger/focus (pokus) | Mood | ||||||
Actor | Indicative I (-um-) | C-um-V | C-um-CV na-CV* |
CV~ ma-CV* |
C-um-V | none | kumain (root: kain) |
Indicative II (mag-) | nag-CV | nag-C~V naga-CV* |
mag-C~V maga-CV* ga-CV* |
mag-CV | pag-CV* | magpuntá (root: puntá) | |
Indicative III (mang-) | nang-CV | nang-C~V | mang-C~V | mang-CV | none | manghalík (root: halík) | |
Indicative IV (ma-) | na-CV | na-C~V | ma--C~V | ma--CV | pa-CV* | matulog (root: tulog) | |
Causative I (magka-) | nagka-CV | nagka-C~V | magka-C~V | magka-CV | none | magkaroón (root: doón) | |
Causative II (maka-) | naka-CV | naka-C~V | maka--C~V | maka--CV | none | makagawâ (root: gawâ) | |
Instrumental (magpa-) | nagpa-CV | nagpa-C~V | magpa-C~V | magpa-CV | none | magpadalá (root: dalá) | |
Object | Indicative I (-in) | C-in-V | C-in-CV ina-CV* |
CV~-in a-CV* |
CV-in | root word or infinitive + mo | kunin (root: kuha) |
Indicative II (i-) | i-C-in-V | i-C-in-~V ina-CV* |
i-C~V a-CV* |
i-CV | CV-(h)an or CV-(h)i* | itapon (root: tapon) | |
Indicative III (-an) | C-in-V-(h)an | C-in-C~V-(h)an ina-CV-(h)an* |
C~V-(h)an a-CV-(h)an* |
CV-an | none | bilhán (root: bilí) | |
Instrumental I (ipa-) | ipina-CV | ipinapa-CV/ipina-C~V | ipapa-CV/ipa-C~V | ipa-CV | none | ipahirám (root: hirám) | |
Instrumental II (ipag-) | ipinag-CV | ipinapag-C~V/ipinag-C~V | ipapag-C~V/ipag-CV | ipag-CV | none | ipagbilí (root: bilí) | |
Locative (-an) | C-in-V-(h)an | C-in-C~V-(h)an ina-CV-(h)an* |
C~V-(h)an a-CV-(h)an* |
CV-an | none | bilhán (root: bilí) | |
Benefactive (i-) | i-C-in-V | i-C-in-~V | i-C~V | i-CV | none | ibilí (root: bilí) | |
Instrumental (ipang-) | ipinang-CV | ipinapang-C~V/ipinang-C~V | ipapang-C~V/ipang-C~V | ipang-CV | none | ipambukas (root: bukas) | |
Causative (ika-) | ikina-CV | ikinaka-CV/ipinapa-C~V | ikaka-CV/ika-C~V | ika-CV | none | ikahuli (root: huli) | |
Directional (-an) | C-in-V-(h)an | C-in-C~V-(h)an ina-CV-(h)an* |
C~V-(h)an a-CV-(h)an* |
CV-an | none | puntahán (root: puntá) | |
*Only used in dialects. |
Tagalog verb conjugations by morphology | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type | Complete (naganap) | Progressive (nagaganap) | Contemplative (magaganap) | Infinitive (pawatas) | Imperative (pautos) | Example | |
Type | Conjugation type | ||||||
Type I (um- and -um-) | C-um-V | C-um-V~ na-CV~ |
CV~ ma-CV |
C-um-V | none | kumain (root: kain) | |
Type II (ma-, mag- and mang-, m to n in complete and progressive) | 1st conjugation (reduplication in root on progressive and contemplative) |
na-CV | na-CV~ | ma-CV~ | ma-CV | pa-CV | matulog (root: tulog) |
nag-CV | nag-CV~ | mag-CVCV~ | mag-CVCV~ | pag-CV~ | magbigay (root: bigay) | ||
nang-CV | nang-CV~ | mang-CV~ | mang-CV | none | mamili (root: bili) | ||
na- -anCV | na- -anCV~ | ma- -anCV~ | ma- -anCV | none | mabigyan (root: bigay) | ||
nag- -anCV | nag- -anCV~ | mag- -anCV~ | mag- -anCV | none | magsayawan (root: sayaw) | ||
2nd conjugation (reduplication on prefix in progressive and contemplative) |
naka-CV | nakaka-CV | makaka-CV | maka-CV | none | makakita (root: kita) | |
nakapag-CV | nakakapag-CV | makakapag-CV | makapag-CV | none | magkaroon (root: doon) | ||
nagka-CV | nagkaka-CV | magkaka-CV | magka-CV | none | makakita (root: kita) | ||
naki-CV | nakiki-CV | makiki-CV | maki-CV | none | makisama (root: sama) | ||
nakipag-CV | nakikipag-CV | makikipag-CV | makipag-CV | none | makipagkita (root: kita) | ||
nagma-CV | nagmama-CV | magmama-CV | magma-CV | none | magmalaki (root: laki) | ||
napa-CV | napapa-CV | mapapa-CV | mapa-CV | none | mapasama (root: sama) | ||
nagpa-CV | nagpapa-CV~ | magpapa-CV~ | magpa-CV | none | magpagawa (root: gawa) | ||
Type III | 1st conjugation | C-in-V-(h/n)an | C-in-V~-(h/n)an | CV~-(h/n)an | CV-(h/n)an | CV-(h/n)an mo | bigyan (root: bigay |
i-C-in-V | i-C-in-V~ | i-CV~ | i-CV | none | isulat (root: sulat | ||
C-in-V | C-in-V~ | CV~-(h/n)in | CV-(h/n)in | CV-(h/n)in mo | basahin (root: basa | ||
ikina-CV | ikina-CV~ | ika-CV~ | ika-CV | ikalungkot (root: lungkot |
Tagalog verbs are conjugated by aspect, which rather conveys the completion of the act and the time the action is done. The verb aspects are the complete (naganap), progressive (nagaganap), contemplative (magaganap), and the recently complete (kagaganap).
The agent focus or active voice (tinig tahasan) places the focus of the sentence on the agent of the verb.
The patient focus or passive voice (tinig balintiyak) places the focus of the sentence on the patient or object of the verb.
The common form is used the agent is singular.
This verb form is used with plural agents.
Tagalog verbs use the Austronesian system to indicate the thematic role of the subject (indicated by ang) in a sentence. The Tagalog system uses these triggers: actor, object, locative, benefactive, instrumental, causative, directional, and reciprocal. Tagalog verbs are formed from adding affixes to a root word, and is very intricate, as they also convey moods.
1.) Actor trigger
2.) Object trigger
3.) Locative trigger
4.) Benefactive trigger
5.) Instrumental trigger
6.) Causative trigger
Tagalog verbs can also be conjugated for moods, including indicative, causative, distributive, social, and potential. Affixes also have nuances on the mood they indicate, as given
Tagalog also has verbs lacking inflection, such as the existential particles may and mayroon, and the particle hala, which has no exact English translation and is used to indicate a plea or a warning. These are not true verbs, but are particles.
Tagalog also has irregular verbs, like:
The number in Tagalog agent-focus verbs is determined by the subject, where:
The inflection of Tagalog patient-focus verbs also must agree with the object it focuses on.
Certain actor-trigger verb conjugations also give a verbal noun form.