Tagalog Unstarted Aspect

Rule: Take the basic form and repeat the first syllable of the root (rep1).

See also: Syllable repetition (p. 27), Sound changes when combining roots and affixes (p. 25)

Exception 1: If the affix is (-)um-, remove it.

basic form	unstarted
magluto’	magluluto’
maibigay mabigay	maibibigay mabibigay
kumain	kakain
umalis	aalis
lutuan	lulutuan
sabihin	sasabihin
iabot	iaabot

Exception 2: In the case of a few affixes, a syllable of the affix is repeated instead of the first syllable of the root.

basic form	unstarted
makikain affix: maki-	makikikain
magpakain affix: magpa-	magpapakain
magkakotse affix: magka-	magkakakotse
magsikain affix: magsi-	magsisikain
magsipagbasa affix: magsipag-	magsisipagbasa

Alternative: In the case of a few prefixes containing a /ka/ or a /pa/, these syllables may be repeated instead of the first syllable of the root. This option is commonly used in spoken Tagalog.

basic form	unstarted (usually formal)	unstarted (usually informal)
makabasa affix: maka-	makababasa	makakabasa
makapagbasa affix: makapag-	makapagbabasa	makakapagbasa
papuntahin affix: pa-…-in	papupuntahin	papapuntahin
pagbawalan affix: pag-…-an	pagbabawalan	papagbawalan
ipagbawal affix: ipag-	ipagbabawal	ipapagbawal

basic form

makabasa

affix: maka-

unstarted (usually formal)

makababasa

unstarted (usually informal)

makakabasa

basic form

makapagbasa

affix: makapag-

unstarted (usually formal)

makapagbabasa

unstarted (usually informal)

makakapagbasa

basic form

papuntahin

affix: pa-…-in

unstarted (usually formal)

papupuntahin

unstarted (usually informal)

papapuntahin

basic form

pagbawalan

affix: pag-…-an

unstarted (usually formal)

pagbabawalan

unstarted (usually informal)

papagbawalan

basic form

ipagbawal

affix: ipag-

unstarted (usually formal)

ipagbabawal

unstarted (usually informal)

ipapagbawal

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See notes on Terminology and Pronunciation Marks