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Intermediate

Aspect

Completed / incompleted / contemplated

Tagalog marks aspect, not tense

completed, incompleted, contemplated.

📊 Aspect (kumain, actor focus)
Aspect Form Meaning
completed kumain ate (done)
incompleted kumakain is/was eating
contemplated kakain will eat
infinitive kumain to eat
💬 Examples
kumain / kumakain / kakain
ate / is eating / will eat
📝 Three aspects (actor focus)
naglaro / naglalaro / maglalaro
played / is playing / will play
📝 mag- verb across aspects
Reduplication marks ongoing/future

A repeated syllable.

💬 Examples
kumakain
is eating
📝 Reduplicated ka- = incompleted
kakain
will eat
📝 Reduplication (no -um-) = contemplated
One root spans all three aspects

Aspect comes from affix + reduplication.

💬 Examples
Naglaro ako kahapon.
I played yesterday.
📝 Completed (naglaro)
Maglalaro ako bukas.
I will play tomorrow.
📝 Contemplated (maglalaro)