Pag- and Pagka-: Tagalog Affixes

when, as soon as

Pag- and pagka- can be combined with a root expressing an action to mean when….

pag-alis nila

when they leave/left

pagkaalis nila

when they have/had left

after they leave/left

pagbalik nila

when they return/returned

pagkabalik nila

when they have/had returned

after they return/returned

The word starting with pag-/pagka- can be repeated to mean as soon as…. Na/-ng (p. 28) is placed after the first pag-/pagka- word.

pag-alis na pag-alis nila

as soon as they leave/left

pagkaalis na pagkaalis nila

as soon as they have/had left

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