Aspect instead of tense
English asks 'when did it happen?' Tagalog asks 'what state is the action in?' Three aspects cover it:
| Aspect | Meaning | kain 'eat' example |
|---|---|---|
| Completed (perfective) | the action is done — kumain 'ate' | kumain |
| Ongoing (incompleted) | happening now / habitually — kumakain 'is eating, eats' | kumakain |
| Contemplated | hasn't begun — kakain 'will eat' | kakain |
Time words like kahapon 'yesterday' or bukas 'tomorrow' supply the calendar reading the verb itself doesn't carry.
Focus — the verb spotlights a noun
Tagalog verbs also change shape to say which role the ang-marked noun plays. If the actor is the focus, you use an actor-focus form (-um-, mag-); if the object is the focus, an object-focus form (-in) — and the actor moves into ng. English approximates this with active vs. passive, but Tagalog uses object-focus in ordinary, unmarked sentences.
| Tagalog | Focus | English |
|---|---|---|
| Kumain ang bata ng isda. | actor (the child) | The child ate fish. |
| Kinain ng bata ang isda. | object (the fish) | The child ate the fish. / The fish was eaten by the child. |
| Gumagawa ang panadero ng tinapay. | actor (the baker) | The baker makes bread. |
| Binili ng nanay ko ang isda. | object (the fish) | My mother bought the fish. |
Common verb shapes
Before the full map, take one verb end-to-end. The aspect column order below is always Completed / Ongoing or habitual / Contemplated:
| Aspect | Tagalog sentence | English |
|---|---|---|
| Completed | Kumain ako. | I ate. |
| Ongoing or habitual | Kumakain ako. | I'm eating / I eat. |
| Contemplated | Kakain ako. | I will eat. |
| Completed — non-actor focus | Kinain ko ang isda. | I ate the fish. |
Kinain ko ang isda: kinain = completed object-focus form of kain; ko = the actor 'I'; ang isda = 'the fish' — the noun in the spotlight. Same roles, different spotlight than 'Kumain ako'.
| Root | Actor focus | Non-actor focus | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| kain | kumain / kumakain / kakain | kinain / kinakain / kakainin | eat |
| inom | uminom / umiinom / iinom | ininom / iniinom / iinumin | drink |
| bili | bumili / bumibili / bibili | binili / binibili / bibilhin | buy |
| sulat | sumulat / sumusulat / susulat | sinulat / sinusulat / susulatin | write |
| gawa | gumawa / gumagawa / gagawa | ginawa / ginagawa / gagawin | make · do |
| punta | pumunta / pumupunta / pupunta | pinuntahan / pinupuntahan / pupuntahan (location focus) | go (to) |
| bigay | nagbigay / nagbibigay / magbibigay | ibinigay / ibinibigay / ibibigay | give |
| luto | nagluto / nagluluto / magluluto | niluto / niluluto / lulutuin | cook |
Column order inside each cell: Completed / Ongoing or habitual / Contemplated. -um- marks many actor-focus verbs, mag- others; the non-actor column uses -in / -in-an / i- families — object focus for most roots, location focus for punta (pinuntahan = went TO a place).
Which focus do I use?
Beginner rule of thumb: when the doer is the natural subject of your English sentence and the thing affected is indefinite, use actor focus (Kumain ako ng isda — 'I ate fish'). When the thing affected is definite — 'the fish', 'this gift' — Tagalog strongly prefers object focus (Kinain ko ang isda). Tagalog speakers reach for object-focus far more than English uses the passive — it's not formal, it's normal.
Mini practice
Q1. Tagalog verbs mark:
- past/present/future tense
- aspect (completed/ongoing/contemplated)
- gender
- singular/plural only
Answer: aspect (completed/ongoing/contemplated)
Q2. kumakain is which aspect?
- completed
- ongoing
- contemplated
- command
Answer: ongoing
Q3. In 'Kinain ng bata ang isda', the ang-marked noun is:
- the child (actor focus)
- the fish (object focus)
- the place
- unspecified
Answer: the fish (object focus)
Q4. CV-reduplication (kakain, kumakain) signals:
- completed aspect
- ongoing or contemplated aspect
- past tense
- negation
Answer: ongoing or contemplated aspect
Q5. For a definite object like 'the fish', natural Tagalog prefers:
- actor focus
- object focus
- no verb
- Taglish
Answer: object focus
