Verb Aspect: The Four Forms

01

The Four Forms

• Infinitive — the bare form, no aspect at all. Used after other verbs and in commands. kumain
• Completed — begun and finished. Usually translates as English past. kumain
• Progressive — begun but not finished. Covers English present and "was ...ing". kumakain
• Contemplated — not begun. Usually translates as English future. kakain

• Kumakain ang lalaki.

  The man is eating. (progressive)

• Bumili ako ng isang dosenang itlog.

  I bought a dozen eggs. (completed)

• Bibili ako ng isang saging.

  I am buying / will buy one banana. (contemplated)

• Kailangan ko nang umalis.

  I have to go now. (infinitive after another verb)

02

Why It Is Not Tense

The progressive form covers any action in progress, whatever the time frame. The same word can mean "is eating" and "was eating" — the difference comes from context or a time word, not from the verb.

• Kumakain ako ngayon.

  I am eating now.

• Kumakain ako kahapon nang tumawag ka.

  I was eating yesterday when you called.

Equally, the contemplated form covers plans and predictions alike, and English will render it as "will", "am going to", or a plain present depending on the sentence.

03

The Habitual Trap

Habits — things you do regularly — use the progressive, not the infinitive. This surprises English speakers, who expect a plain form for "I work in an office".

• Nagtatrabaho ako sa opisina.

  I work in an office. (progressive, though the habit is not literally in progress)

• Nagbabasa kami ng libro.

  We read books. / We are reading a book.

04

Infinitive and Completed Can Look Identical

For -um- verbs the infinitive and the completed form are the same word. Kumain is both "to eat" and "ate". Context disambiguates, and in practice this causes far less trouble than it sounds like it should.

• Kumain kayo ng mabuti.

  Enjoy your meal. (infinitive, as a command)

• Kumain ako ng mansanas.

  I ate an apple. (completed)

05

Two Mechanisms Build Everything

All four forms are made with only two tools, combined in different ways:

• Starting the action is marked by changing m- to n- in the prefix, or by inserting -in-.
• Not finishing the action is marked by reduplication — repeating the first consonant-plus-vowel of the root.

How the two combine depends on the affix. A prefix carries the change itself, so magtrabaho becomes nagtatrabaho once the action has started and is still going. The infix -um- has no m- to turn, so there the contemplated form is marked by dropping the infix instead: kumain becomes kakain.