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A164 topics
- · The Four Aspects of Tagalog (Neutral, Completed, Imperfective, Contemplated)
- · The Focus / Voice System — Conceptual Introduction
- · Neutral / Infinitive Form (Pawatas)
- · Reduplication for Aspect Marking — Introduction
A263 topics
- · Object Focus `-in` — Full Aspect Paradigm
- · Locative Focus `-an` — Full Aspect Paradigm
- · Benefactive / Conveyed-Theme Focus `i-` — Full Aspect Paradigm
- · Actor Focus `mang-` / `maN-` (mamili, mangisda, mangalap)
B163 topics
- · Full Aspect Review Across All Common Affixes
- · Aspect Marking in Combination with Enclitic Pronouns
- · Irregular Stem Changes
- · -um- vs mag- — Advanced (root-class behaviour, transitivity nuance)
B260 topics
- · Compound Aspect Marking
- · Recent vs Distant Past — Aspectual Distinctions
- · Extended Progressive (Ongoing State Through Time)
- · Iterative Aspect via Reduplication
C130 topics
- · Rare / Obscure Affixes
- · Archaic Aspect Forms in Older Literature
- · Layered Aspectual Distinctions
- · Advanced Modal Periphrases
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- The Four Aspects of Tagalog (Neutral, Completed, Imperfective, Contemplated)
- The Focus / Voice System — Conceptual Introduction
- Neutral / Infinitive Form (Pawatas)
- Reduplication for Aspect Marking — Introduction
- Actor Focus `-um-` — All Four Aspects
- Actor Focus `mag-` — All Four Aspects
- `-um-` vs `mag-` — Basic Semantic Distinction
- Object Focus `-in` — Basic (neutral + completed)
- Choosing Actor Focus vs Object Focus — Basic
- Stative `ma-` Verbs — Basic
- Existence with `may` / `mayroon` (Have / There is)
- Negative Existence with `wala` (Don't Have / There Isn't)
- Pseudo-Verbs `gusto` / `ayaw` — Like / Dislike / Want / Don't Want
- Pseudo-Verbs `puwede` / `maaari` — Can / May / Be Allowed To
- Pseudo-Verb `dapat` — Should / Must / Ought To
- Basic Motion Verbs (pumunta, umuwi, dumating, umalis, sumakay)
- `magkaroon` — Have / Acquire (Verbal Existential)
- `ang` — Topic / Nominative Marker
- `ng` — Non-Topic Marker (Genitive / Agent / Patient)
- `sa` — Oblique / Locative / Dative Marker
- `si` — Personal Name Topic Marker
- `ni` — Personal Name Non-Topic Marker
- `kay` — Personal Name Oblique Marker
- `mga` — Plural Marker
- ang-Pronouns (ako, ikaw/ka, siya, kami, tayo, kayo, sila)
- ng-Pronouns (ko, mo, niya, namin, natin, ninyo, nila)
- sa-Pronouns (akin, iyo, kanya, amin, atin, inyo, kanila)
- Inclusive `tayo` vs Exclusive `kami` (and natin/namin, atin/amin)
- `ikaw` (Sentence-Initial) vs `ka` (Post-Verbal Enclitic)
- Demonstratives for Things (ito, iyan, iyon)
- Locative Demonstratives (dito, diyan, doon; nandito, nandiyan, nandoon)
- Basic Question Words (ano, sino, saan, kailan, bakit)
- `magkano` — How Much (Price / Money)
- Adjective Formation with `ma-` Prefix
- The Linker `-ng` / `na` — Basic Use
- Linker for Adjective-Noun Attachment (Pre- and Post-Nominal Order)
- Enclitic `na` — Already / Now / Change of State
- Enclitic `pa` — Still / Yet / More
- Enclitic `ba` — Question Particle (Yes/No Questions and Beyond)
- Enclitic `lang` / `lamang` — Only / Just
- Enclitic `din` / `rin` — Also / Too
- Enclitic `naman` — Contrast / Softener (Basic)
- Second-Position Placement of Enclitic Particles
- Default Predicate-Initial Word Order (VSO / VOS)
- `ay`-Inversion — Subject-Initial Style
- Question Words in Initial Position
- Spatial Locative Phrases (sa loob ng, sa labas ng, sa harap ng, sa likod ng...)
- Negation with `hindi` — Basic
- Negation with `wala` — Existential
- Coordination `at` — And
- Coordination `pero` — But
- Coordination `o` — Or
- `po` / `opo` — Politeness Particle and Yes-Response (Basic)
- Basic Greetings (Kumusta?, Magandang umaga/hapon/gabi, Salamat, Paalam)
- `kayo` / `sila` as Honorific (Plural-as-Respect)
- Modern Filipino Alphabet (28 Letters, incl. ñ and the Digraph ng)
- The Digraph `ng` (Letter vs Marker — Disambiguation)
- Glottal Stop Awareness (No Orthographic Symbol in Everyday Writing)
- Native Tagalog Numbers 1-10 (isa, dalawa, tatlo... sampu)
- Spanish-Derived Numerals (uno, dos, tres... — for time/money)
- Native Numbers 11-1000 (labing-isa, dalawampu, sandaan, sanlibo)
- Days and Months
- Telling Time with Spanish Numerals (Alas-dos ng hapon)
- Relative Time Adverbs (ngayon, kanina, mamaya, bukas, kahapon, noon)
- Object Focus `-in` — Full Aspect Paradigm
- Locative Focus `-an` — Full Aspect Paradigm
- Benefactive / Conveyed-Theme Focus `i-` — Full Aspect Paradigm
- Actor Focus `mang-` / `maN-` (mamili, mangisda, mangalap)
- Morphophonemic Changes with `mang-` (mang+bili → mamili, mang+kuha → manguha)
- Choosing the Right Focus — Introductory Heuristics
- Recently Completed Aspect (`kaka-` + reduplication: kakakain lang)
- Basic Causative `pa-` (cause / let someone do X)
- Causative Actor `magpa-` (Magpa-ahit siya sa barbero.)
- `gusto` / `ayaw` + Verb Clause (Gusto kong mag-aral.)
- `kailangan` — Need / Must (with linker construction)
- `alam` — Know (Information / Facts)
- `kilala` — Know (Person / Place)
- Basic Imperative Forms (Kain na! / Mag-aral ka!)
- Aspectual Periphrases (simulan, tapusin, ituloy)
- State / Posture with `naka-` (nakaupo, nakatayo, nakahiga)
- `ng` Marking the Actor in Object Focus (Kinain ng bata ang mangga.)
- `sa` for Time, Indirect Object, and Recipient
- `para sa` / `para kay` — For (Someone)
- `mula sa` / `hanggang sa` — From / Until
- Complex Prepositional Phrases (tungkol sa, kasama ng/ni, bukod sa, ayon kay)
- Order of Double Clitic Pronouns (Ibibigay ko sa iyo. / Binigay niya sa akin.)
- `kaninong` — Whose
- `alin` / `aling` — Which (With/Without Linker)
- `ilan` — How Many
- `paano` / `papaano` — How (Manner / Method)
- Plural Adjective Forms via CV-Reduplication (magaganda, mababait, malalaki)
- Linker in Chained Modifiers (mabait na guwapong lalaki)
- Linker with Intensifiers (sobrang ganda, masyadong mahal, napakaganda)
- Linker in Complement Clauses (Gusto kong mag-aral. / Alam kong matalino siya.)
- `daw` / `raw` — Hearsay / Reported Speech
- `pala` — Realisation / Mild Surprise
- `kasi` — Because (Causal Enclitic)
- `naman` — Contrast / Mild Reproach / Softener (Advanced)
- `yata` — Seems / I Think (Uncertain)
- `sana` — Hopefully / Wishful (Sana umulan.)
- `ay`-Inversion — When to Use (Formal / Written, Contrastive Topic)
- Negative Imperative `huwag` (Huwag kang umalis!)
- `hindi` with Different Aspects (hindi kumakain / hindi pa kumain / hindi kakain)
- Question Tags (`di ba?`, `hindi ba?`, `ano?` at Sentence End)
- Basic Quantifiers (marami, kaunti, ilang, lahat, bawat, kakaunti)
- `kahit` + Question Word — 'Any-' Indefinites (kahit sino, kahit ano, kahit saan)
- Direct Quotation (Sabi niya, '...')
- Indirect Quotation with `na` (Sabi niyang darating siya.)
- Basic Relative Clauses (with Linker, ang-focus only)
- Comparison with `mas ... kaysa` (Mas mataas siya kaysa sa akin.)
- Superlative with `pinaka-` (pinakamaganda, pinakamabait)
- Cause Connectors (dahil, kasi, sapagkat)
- `kaya` — So / Therefore (Consequence Connector)
- `kapag` / `pag` — When / Whenever (Real Condition / Habitual Time)
- `kung` — If (Conditional — Basic)
- `dahil sa` — Because of (with Noun)
- Placement of `po` in Sentence (After First Stressed Word; with Enclitics)
- Kinship-Based Address Terms (kuya, ate, tito, tita, lolo, lola, manong, manang)
- Basic Formal Letter / Email Conventions (Mahal na...; Lubos na gumagalang)
- Spelling Spanish Loans (kotse, silya, biyahe; k vs c, w vs v)
- Spelling Common English Loans (kompyuter? computer? Taglish basics)
- Hyphenation: mag-aral, pag-asa, mag-isa (Vowel-Initial Roots)
- Common Spanish Loanwords (mesa, silya, kotse, sapatos, pamilya)
- Common English Loans (Taglish Basics)
- Filipino Kinship Vocabulary (nanay, tatay, ate, kuya, lolo, lola, pinsan)
- Ordinal Numbers
- Full Date Expressions
- Full Aspect Review Across All Common Affixes
- Aspect Marking in Combination with Enclitic Pronouns
- Irregular Stem Changes
- -um- vs mag- — Advanced (root-class behaviour, transitivity nuance)
- Review: Actor / Object / Locative / Benefactive Focus — Choice Heuristics
- Instrument Focus ipang- / ipan-
- Causative pa- + -in / pa- + -an
- Causative System Overview (pa-, ipa-, magpa-, papagpa-)
- Reciprocal mag- ... -an
- Social/Participative maki- / makipag-
- Potentive / Accidental ma-
- Ability with maka- / nakaka-
- Distributive magka- / magsi-
- Intensive / Equative kasing- / sing-
- Focus Choice in Discourse — Topicality Heuristics
- Pseudo-Verbs Overview (kaya, puwede, maaari, dapat, kailangan)
- Ability Periphrases
- Aspectual Periphrases (simulan, tapusin, ituloy, hinto)
- Giving/Receiving Verbs
- State Verbs with naka- — Advanced
- Perception Verbs (makita, marinig, maramdaman, mahalata)
- Inverse-Like Constructions (Gusto ko siya. / Mahal ko siya.)
- Happening Verbs (nangyari, natupad, naganap, nasapit)
- Relative Constructions with na / -ng — Subject and Object Heads
- Emphatic / Contrastive Pronouns
- Indefinite Pronouns (sinuman, kahit sino, kung sino, isang tao)
- Reflexive Construction with sarili
- Linker in Subordinate Clauses
- Multi-Modifier Descriptive Chains
- Linker + Adverb / Manner
- The nang Linker for Adverbs of Manner
- nga — Indeed / Polite Request
- pala — Advanced Realisation Uses
- din / rin — Phonological Distribution Rules
- Stacking Multiple Enclitics
- man — Even / Although (Concessive)
- Relative Clauses on Non-Actor Focus
- Cleft Construction (Si Maria ang nagluto.)
- Topicalisation Strategies
- Conditional Sentences with kung (Type 1 — Real)
- Conditional/Temporal kapag for Real/Habitual
- Active / Passive Alternation via Focus Change
- Advanced Negation (hindi pa, hindi rin, hindi naman, hindi man lang)
- Embedded Questions
- Comparison (kaysa, gaya, parang, tulad ng)
- Superlative pinaka- — Advanced
- madali / mahirap + Linker + Infinitive — Easy / Hard to Do
- Purpose para + Verb / para + Clause
- Purpose upang (Formal Register)
- Concession kahit, kahit na
- habang — While / During
- pagkatapos / bago — After / Before
- noong — When (Past)
- paki- Politeness Affix for Requests
- Softening Strategies
- Intermediate Letter Writing
- Looking Up Roots vs Affixed Forms in a Filipino Dictionary
- Hyphenation: nag-aral, mag-isa, ipa-aral, do-do-doon
- Common False Friends
- Compound Words
- pag- Nominalisation
- Word Family Awareness
- When to Use Native vs Spanish Numbers (Time/Money/Age)
- Compound Aspect Marking
- Recent vs Distant Past — Aspectual Distinctions
- Extended Progressive (Ongoing State Through Time)
- Iterative Aspect via Reduplication
- Marking Secondary Objects in Multi-Argument Verbs
- When Either Focus Works — Discourse Nuance
- paN- Distributive / Habitual
- maki- / makipag- — Participate / Engage with — Advanced
- pang- as Instrument / Purpose Nominaliser
- pagka- — After / Upon
- kapag, kapagka, pag — Subtle Distinctions
- magka- Have / Acquire
- makaka- — Will Be Able To (Future Potential)
- Advanced Potentive (na-, naka-, nakaka-) — Subtle Differences
- Emphatic Focus Constructions
- Focus Choice — Advanced Discourse Cohesion
- Full Pseudo-Verb System (gusto, ayaw, dapat, kailangan, puwede, maaari, ibig)
- may / mayroon / wala — Advanced
- Aspectual Periphrases — Advanced
- Compound Verb Constructions
- Common Metaphorical Verb Usage
- Inceptive / Continuous — Advanced
- Causative Nuance: pa- + -in vs pa- + -an vs magpa- vs ipa-
- Advanced Relative Constructions
- Anaphoric Demonstratives in Discourse
- Advanced Emphatic / Contrastive Pronoun Use
- kaya — Inferential / Speculative
- daw / raw — Advanced Hearsay
- Complex Particle Combinations
- lang / lamang — Limitative / Polite Diminisher (Advanced)
- Advanced Clitic Placement
- Counterfactual Conditional with sana
- Conditional kung sakali — In Case / If It Should Happen
- Complement Clauses with na
- Advanced Purpose Clauses
- Concessive Clauses — Advanced
- Advanced Temporal Clauses
- Pseudo-Cleft Construction
- Full Topicalisation System
- Relative Clause on Existential
- Formal Contrast (subalit, ngunit, datapwa't)
- Result / Consequence — Formal (samakatuwid, kung gayon)
- Although / Even Though (bagaman, gayong)
- Manner Subordination with kung paano
- Unless / As Long As (maliban kung, basta)
- In Case / Should It Happen (sakaling, kapag sakali)
- Thankfully / Luckily (buti na lang, mabuti na lang)
- Addition (pati, at saka, bukod dito, isa pa)
- Avoiding Taglish in Formal Writing
- Classical / Literary Register Awareness
- Business Filipino Register
- Oral vs Written Filipino — Advanced
- Compound Hyphenation — Advanced
- Diacritics / Tuldík
- Baybayin Script Awareness (Recognition Only)
- Common Tagalog Idioms
- Register-Sensitive Synonyms
- Word Formation by Reduplication and Affixation — Advanced
- False Friends — Advanced
- Money, Measure, Quantities — Advanced
- Rare / Obscure Affixes
- Archaic Aspect Forms in Older Literature
- Layered Aspectual Distinctions
- Advanced Modal Periphrases
- Lexical Aspect / Aktionsart
- Focus Marked Beyond Topic — Stylistic Emphasis
- Aspect for Distance / Perspective / Politeness
- Advanced Fronting & Information Structure
- Ellipsis Patterns in Tagalog
- Stylistic Reduplication
- Left Dislocation with Resumptive Pronoun
- Right Dislocation (Colloquial Emphasis)
- Literary Inversion Strategies
- Text-Structuring Connectors for Extended Discourse
- Advanced Evidentiality Markers
- Literary Register (Balagtasan, Klasikong Tagalog)
- Journalistic / Press Register
- Legal / Administrative Filipino
- Speech & Oration Conventions
- Irony, Understatement, Hyperbole in Filipino
- Classical Tagalog Lexicon (Sanskrit, Malay, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese)
- Register-Based Synonym Selection — Advanced
- Neologisms & Recent Loanword Integration
- Precision in Clitic Placement
- Subtle Meaning Differences in Focus Choice
- Advanced Punctuation Conventions
- Formal Capitalisation Rules
- Paronyms / Near-Homonyms
- Proverbs (Salawikain) & Advanced Idiomatic Expressions
- Metaphoric Extensions of Core Verbs
What the tagalog guide covers
Syntax (45) · Verb focus (40) · Verb usage (29) · Particles (24) · Connectors (24) · Pronouns (20) · Register politeness (18) · Vocabulary usage (17) · Verb aspect (16) · Orthography (13) · Markers (12) · Linker (10) · Numbers dates time (10) · Adjectives (2)
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