THE TENSES OF TAGALOG

Ah, the three basic tenses: Present, Past, and Future. In English, things would look like this:

Infinitive: to Write

Present: Writes

Past: Wrote

Future: Will Write

OR

Infinitive: to Sing

Present: Sings

Past: Sang

Future: Will Sing

OR

Infinitive: to Live

Present: Lives

Past: Lived

Future: Will Live

As you may have already noticed, in English, the verbs may or may not change its form and/or spelling, all depending on the word. Now imagine having to learn these rules for each and every word!

Tagalog is different as almost all the verbs in Tagalog are regular (with some exceptions, of course). You only have to learn a few, simple rules and you can change the tense of Tagalog verbs easily!

Note: Tagalog verbs are regular. They never change (in a sense) and you only have to remember the small rules that come with changing hem. Let's give it a try!

TENSE RULES:

1. To turn a verb into FUTURE TENSE, all you have to do is double the first two letters! For example, the verb TALON (JUMP), the first two letters are"T" and "A" (TA-LON), so how do you suppose we change this to future tense? Yup, double the TA.

TA-TA-LON = TATALON! Easy, right?

2. To turn a verb into PAST TENSE, all you have to do is insert "UM" between the first and second letter of the word! For example, still using the word "TALON," we will insert "UM" between T and A -- so: 

T - UM - A -LON = TU-MA-LON = TUMALON. Now you have the word in past tense!

3. To turn the verb into PRESENT TENSE, all you have to do is put the rules for the Future Tense and Past Tense together! First you double the first two letters, and then add the "UM" between them. 

Step 1: TA-TA-LON (great! we've doubled it!). Now we have TATALON.

Step 2: What next? Right, add the "UM!"

T-UM-A-TA-LON = TU-MA-TA-LON = TUMATALON. Perfect! Now it's in present tense.

Now try it on these three Tagalog words:

1. TAKBO (RUN)

2. KAIN (EAT)

3. SULAT (WRITE)

ANSWERS BELOW!

*************************

*************************

Infinitive: TAKBO (to RUN)

Present: TUMATAKBO

Past: TUMAKBO

Future: TATAKBO

Infinitive: KAIN (to EAT)

Present: KUMAKAIN

Past: KUMAIN

Future: KAKAIN

Infinitive: SULAT (to WRITE)

Present: SUMUSULAT

Past: SUMULAT

Future: SUSULAT

Tagalog is not the easiest language, but it's not the hardest either. Give this language a try and you'll be hooked!