Directional Focus: The '-an' Verbs

01

Spotlighting the Receiver

This is the use to master first. With -an, the one who gets something takes ang.

• Binigyan ko ng regalo ang tatay ko.

  I gave a present to my father. (my father is spotlighted)

• Para sa kanyang kaarawan, binigyan ko ang aking amo ng isang bote ng whisky.

  For his birthday, I gave my boss a bottle of whiskey.

• Bibigyan kita ng aspirin para sa sakit ng ulo mo.

  I will give you an aspirin for your headache.

Note what happens to the gift itself: it drops to a ng phrase. Only one participant can hold the spotlight, and here it is the person.

02

The Contrast That Makes It Click

Many roots build both an -in form and an -an form. The pair differ in who gets the spotlight, and the English translations diverge accordingly.

• bilhin — to buy something (the goods are spotlighted)
• bilhan — to buy for someone (the person is spotlighted)
• dalhin — to bring something
• dalhan — to bring to someone

• Bilhin mo ang tinapay.

  Buy the bread.

• Bilhan mo ako ng tinapay.

  Buy me some bread.

03

Spotlighting a Surface or Place

The other main use is for actions applied to a thing's surface or interior — washing it, opening it, cleaning it, signing it.

• hugasan — to wash something
• buksan — to open something
• pirmahan — to sign something
• tawagan — to call someone (on the phone)

• Hugasan mo ang mga pinggan.

  Wash the dishes.

• Buksan mo ang bintana.

  Open the window.

• Tawagan mo ako mamaya.

  Call me later.

04

Attaching the Suffix

• Root ends in a consonant → plain -an: hugas → hugasan
• Root ends in a vowel → -han: sabi → sabihan, pirma → pirmahan

As with -in, several everyday verbs contract when the suffix lands: bigay → bigyan, bukas → buksan, bili → bilhan, dala → dalhan. Learn these as fixed forms rather than trying to derive them each time.