Language/Tagalog/Grammar/Regular-Verbs
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
As a Tagalog language teacher for over 20 years, I always start off with the basics. We have already covered the basic pronouns, sentence structures, and tenses including past, present, and future. Now we're moving on to verbs. In this lesson, we'll be talking about regular verbs in Tagalog and its tenses.
With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Pronouns & Question Words.
What are Regular Verbs?[edit | edit source]
Regular verbs are verbs whose past tense and past participle are formed by adding a suffix to the base form of the verb. This suffix depends on the first letter of the verb root. For regular verbs in Tagalog, the suffix "-um-" is used for verbs that start with a vowel while the suffix "-in-" is used for verbs that start with a consonant.
Present Tense[edit | edit source]
The present tense in Tagalog is simply the base form of the verb. For regular verbs, the base form can either start with a vowel or a consonant. Here are some examples:
| Tagalog | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| tawa | ta-wah | laugh |
| kain | kah-een | eat |
| lakad | lah-kad | walk |
Past Tense[edit | edit source]
In Tagalog, the past tense of a regular verb is formed by adding the prefix "nag-" to the base form of the verb for verbs that start with a vowel, and the prefix "nag-" and infix "-um-" for verbs that start with a consonant. Here are some examples:
| Tagalog | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| nagtawa | nahg-ta-wah | laughed |
| naglakad | nahg-lah-kad | walked |
| nagkain | nahg-kah-een | ate |
Future Tense[edit | edit source]
The future tense of regular verbs in Tagalog is formed by adding the prefix "mag-" to the base form of the verb, for both vowel and consonant-initial verbs. Here are some examples:
| Tagalog | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| magtawa | mag-ta-wah | will laugh |
| maglakad | mag-lah-kad | will walk |
| magkain | mag-kah-een | will eat |
Commands[edit | edit source]
Tagalog commands for regular verbs are the same as the present tense. Simply use the base form of the verb for both vowel and consonant-initial verbs. Here are some examples:
| Tagalog | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| tawa | ta-wah | laugh! |
| lakad | lah-kad | walk! |
| kain | kah-een | eat! |
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Regular verbs are the most common type of verbs in Tagalog. With the right prefixes and suffixes, you can easily form the different tenses of the verb. I hope this lesson has helped you understand Tagalog verbs better. In the next lesson, we'll be discussing irregular verbs.
Impressive work on finishing this lesson! Explore these additional pages to enhance your understanding: 0 to A1 Course & Modal Verbs.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- 0 to A1 Course
- Past and Present Tenses
- Conditional Mood
- Asking Questions
- Basic Sentence Structure
- Basic Pronouns
- How to Use Have
- Plurals
- Questions
Sources[edit | edit source]
Videos[edit | edit source]
Regular and Irregular Verbs Explained in Tagalog! - YouTube[edit | edit source]
| ◀️ Asking for Directions — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Irregular Verbs ▶️ |