Tagalog Recently Completed Aspect

Rules for indicating recently completed aspect:

affix	rule: remove affix, then add—	basic form	recently completed	recently completed (alternative)
(-)um- ma- mag-	kaka- or ka- +rep1*	lumapit mahulog magluto’	kakalapit kakahulog kakaluto’	kalalapit kahuhulog kaluluto’
mag-	kakapag-, kapapag- or kapag- +rep1	magluto’	kakapagluto’ kapapagluto’	kapagluluto’
mang-	kakapang-, kapapang- or kapang- +rep1	manggamit	kakapanggamit kapapanggamit	kapanggagamit
magpa-	kakapa-, kapapa-, kapagpapa- or kapa- +rep1	magpaluto’	kakapaluto’ kapapaluto’ kapagpapaluto’	kapaluluto’

affix	(-)um- ma- mag-
rule: remove affix, then add—	kaka- or ka- +rep1*
basic form	lumapit mahulog magluto’
recently completed	kakalapit kakahulog kakaluto’
recently completed (alternative)	kalalapit kahuhulog kaluluto’

affix	mag-
rule: remove affix, then add—	kakapag-, kapapag- or kapag- +rep1
basic form	magluto’
recently completed	kakapagluto’ kapapagluto’
recently completed (alternative)	kapagluluto’

affix	mang-
rule: remove affix, then add—	kakapang-, kapapang- or kapang- +rep1
basic form	manggamit
recently completed	kakapanggamit kapapanggamit
recently completed (alternative)	kapanggagamit

affix	magpa-
rule: remove affix, then add—	kakapa-, kapapa-, kapagpapa- or kapa- +rep1
basic form	magpaluto’
recently completed	kakapaluto’ kapapaluto’ kapagpapaluto’
recently completed (alternative)	kapaluluto’

* See also: Syllable repetition (p. 27)

Note:

1. Verbs in the recently completed form are followed by either lang (p. 319) or pa lang (p. 313).

Kakakain lang ni Chris.

Kakakain pa lang ni Chris.

Chris has just eaten.

Chris just ate.

2. The doer of the action is expressed as a Ng phrase (p. 59).

Kakakain lang ni Chris.

Chris has just eaten.

Chris just ate.

Kakakain lang nila.

They have just eaten.

They just ate.

3. The object of the action may be expressed as a Ng phrase (indefinite/definite) or a Sa phrase (p. 59) (definite).

*Kakakain lang ni Chris ng mangga.*	Chris just ate a/the mango.
*Kakakain lang ni Chris sa mangga.*	Chris just ate the mango.

Please respect copyright. Learn more

This grammar guide is part of the Learning Tagalog Course.
Do you want to speak Tagalog fluently?