Why So Long?

A Guest-post by Dennis Easton

If you are wondering why it is taking us more than 2 years to learn Tagalog--- this is why!  This is a list of most of the forms of one verb--- the root is "bili" which can mean "to buy" or "to sell" depending on the affix.  The form of the verb also changes depending on what part of the sentence you are trying to focus on.  This is almost like "emphasis" except you can also emphasize parts of the sentence by beginning the sentence with the part you are wishing to emphasize.   "Focus" is really about whether you are discussing the actor, the object, the location or the direction of the action.  Then when you change focus you will notice that all the pronouns change form too in the same way we might use "us" and "we."  That might be a bit confusing but welcome to our world.  I pause before every verb I say because I have to pick from all these forms!  Thankfully some are more common than others.

The bold word is the word being focussed on in the following examples.

Regular usage

Bumili ka ng saging sa palengke.                                           You buy a banana at the market!

Bumili ka ng saging sa palengke.                                           You bought a banana at the market.

Bumibili ka ng saging sa palengke.                                        You are buying a banana at the market.

Bibili ka ng saging sa palengke.                                             You will buy a banana at the market.

Binili mo ang saging sa palengke.                                        Buy the banana at the market!

Binili mo ang saging sa palengke.                                        You bought the banana at the market.

Binibili mo ang saging sa palengke.                                     You are buying the banana at the market.

Bibilhin mo ang saging sa palengke.                                    You will buy the banana at the market.

Bilhan mo ng saging si Juan.                                                Buy a banana from John!

Binilhan mo ng saging si Juan.                                             You bought a banana from John.

Binibilhan mo ng saging si Juan.                                          You are buying a banana from John.

Bibilhan mo ng saging si Juan.                                             You will buy a banana from John.

Pagbilhan mo ng saging ang palengke                               You buy a banana at the market!

Pinagbilhan mo ng saging ang palengke.                            You bought a banana at the market.

Pinagbibilhan mo ng saging ang palengke.                        You are buying a banana at the market.

Pagbibilhan mo ng saging ang palengke.                          You will buy a banana at the market.

Sample of shopping for many things (many other forms not included)

(mang+bili = mamili) Mamili ka ng mga saging sa palengke. You shop for many bananas at the market!

Namili ka ng mga saging sa palengke.                                  You shopped for many bananas at the market.

Namimili ka ng mga saging sa palengke.                               You are shopping for many bananas at the market.

Mamimili ka ng mga saging sa palengke.                               You will shop for many bananas at the market.

Pamilhin mo ang mga saging sa palengke.                        Shop for the many bananas at the market! 

Pinamili mo ang mga saging sa palengke.                          You shopped for the many bananas at the market! 

Pinamimili mo ang mga saging sa palengke.                      You are shopping for the many bananas at the market!

Pamimilhin mo ang mga saging sa palengke.                     You will shop for the many bananas at the market!

Pamilhan mo ng mga saging ang palenke.                         Shop for many bananas at the market!

Pinamilhan mo ng mga saging ang palenke.                       You shopped for many bananas at the market.

Pinamimilhan mo ng mga saging ang palenke.                    You are shopping for many bananas at the market.

Pamimilhan mo ng mga saging ang palenke.                      You will shop for many bananas at the market.

Potentiality (Able to...)

Nakabili ka ng saging sa palengke.      You were able to buy a banana at the market.

Nakakabili ka ng saging sa palengke.      You are able to buy a banana at the market.

Makakabili ka ng saging sa palengke.       You will be able to buy a banana at the market.

Nabili mo ang saging sa palengke      You were able to buy the banana at the market.

Nabibili mo ang saging sa palengke      You are able to buy the banana at the market.

Mabibili mo ang saging sa palengke      You will be able to buy the banana at the market.

Nabilhan mo ng saging si Juan.       You were able to buy a banana from John.

Nabiblhan mo ng saging si Juan.            You are able to buy a banana at from John.

Mabibilhan mo ng saging si Juan.            You will be able to buy a banana at from John.

Causitive (Cause someone to...)

Magpabili ka ng saging sa akin sa palengke.      You have me buy a banana at the market!

Nagpabili ka ng saging sa akin sa palengke.      You had me buy a banana at the market.

Nagpapabili ka ng saging sa akin sa palengke.      You are having me buy a banana at the market.

Magpapabili ka ng saging sa akin sa palengke.      You will have me buy a banana at the market.

Pabilhin mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      Have me buy a banana at the market!

Pinabili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You had me buy a banana at the market.

Pinabibili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You are having me buy a banana at the market.

Pabibilhin mo ako ng saging sa palengke.          You will have me buy a banana at the market.

Ipabili mo ang saging sa akin sa palengke.      Have me buy the banana at the market!

Ipinabili mo ang saging sa akin sa palengke.      You had me buy the banana at the market.

Ipinabibili mo ang saging sa akin sa palengke.      You are having me buy the banana at the market.

Ipabibili mo ang saging sa akin sa palengke.      You will have me buy the banana at the market.

Pabilhan mo ng saging ang palengke sa akin.                  Have me buy a banana at the market!

Pinabilhan mo ng saging ang palengke sa akin.      You had me buy a banana at the market.

Pinabiblhanmo ng saging ang palengke sa akin.            You are having me buy a banana at the market.

Pabibilhanmo ng saging ang palengke sa akin.            You will have me buy a banana at the market.

Potentiality Causitive

Nakapagpabili ka ng saging sa akin sa palengke.      You were able to have me buy a banana at the market.

Nakakapagpabili ka ng saging sa akin sa palengke.      You are able to have me buy a banana at the market.

Makakapagpabili ka ng saging sa akin sa palengke.         You will be able to have me buy a banana at the market.

Napabili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You were able to have me buy a banana at the market.

Napabili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.            You were able to have me buy a banana at the market.

Napabili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.                You were able to have me buy a banana at the market.

Beneficiary

Ibili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      Buy a banana for me at the market!

Ibinili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You bought a banana for me at the market.

Ibinibili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You are buying a banana for me at the market.

Ibibili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You will buy a banana for me at the market.

Naibili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You were able to buy a banana for me at the market.

Naibibli mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You are able to buy a banana for me at the market.

Maibibili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.      You will be able to buy a banana for me at the market.

Ipamili mo ako ng mga saging sa palengke.             Shop for many bananas for me at the market!

Ipinamili mo ako ng mga saging sa palengke.             You shopped for many bananas for me at the market.

Ipinamimili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.             You are shopping for many bananas for me at the market.

Ipamimili mo ako ng mga saging sa palengke.             You will shop for many bananas for me at the market.

Naipamilii mo ako ng saging sa palengke.       You were able to shop for many bananas for me at the market.

Naipamimilii mo ako ng saging sa palengke.       You are able to shop for many bananas for me at the market.

Maipamimili mo ako ng saging sa palengke.       You will be able to shop for many bananas for me at the market.

Causitive Beneficiary

Ipagpabili mo ako ng saging kay Juan sa palengke.          Have John buy a banana for me from the market!

Ipinagpabili mo ako ng saging kay Juan sa palengke.      You had John buy a banana for me from the market. 

Ipinagpapabili mo ako ng saging kay Juan sa palengke.    You are having John buy a banana for me from the market. 

Ipagpapabili mo ako ng saging kay Juan sa palengke.       You will have John buy a banana for me from the market. 

Ipagpabili mo ako ng saging kay Juan sa palengke.           Have John buy a banana for me from the market!

Ipinagpabili mo ako ng saging kay Juan sa palengke.        You had John buy a banana for me from the market. 

Ipinagpapabili mo ako ng saging kay Juan sa palengke.    You are having John buy a banana for me from the market. 

Instrument Causitive

Ipagpabili mo ng saging kay Juan ang 20 pesos sa palengke.        Have John use this 20 pesosto buy a banana from the market! 

Ipinagpabili mo ng saging kay Juan ang 20 pesos sa palengke.     You had John use this 20 pesos to buy a banana from the market. 

Ipinagpapabili mo ng saging kay Juan ang 20 pesos sa palengke. You are having John use this 20 pesos to buy a banana from the market. 

Ipagpapabili mo ng saging kay Juan ang 20 pesos sa palengke.    You will have John use this 20 pesos to buy a banana from the market. 

Instrument Potentiality Causitive

Naipagpabili mo ng saging kay John ang 20 pesos sa palengke.     You were able to have John buy a banana with this 20 pesos at the market.

Naipagpapabili mo ng saging kay John ang 20 pesos sa palengke.    You are able to have John buy a banana with this                                                                                                 20 pesos at the market.

Maipagpapabili mo ng saging kay John ang 20 pesos sa palengke.   You will be able to have John buy a banana with  this 20 pesos at the market.

Gerund

Nakakapagod ang pagbili (The act of) shopping is tiring.

Polite Pattern

Pabili ko ng saging. Please let me buy a banana.

Pakibili mo ako ng saging. Please buy me a banana.

Pakibili mo ang saging sa palengke. Please let me buy the banana at the market.

Pakibili mo ng saging ang sampung piso Please let me buy a banana with this 10 pesos.

Participational Pattern

Makibili ako ng saging. May I buy a banana with you.

NOW... "To sell"...  just a few only...

Regular Pattern

Magbili ka ng mga saging sa palengke.      You sell some bananas at the market!

Nagbili ka ng mga saging sa palengke.      You sold some bananas at the market.

Nagbibili ka ng mga saging sa palengke.     You are selling some bananas at the market.

Magbibili ka ng mga saging sa palengke.     You will sell some bananas at the market.

Ipagbili mo ang mga saging sa palengke.      Sell the bananas at the market!

Ipinagbili mo ang mga saging sa palengke.      You sold the bananas at the market.

Ipinagbibili mo ang mga saging sa palengke.      You are selling the bananas at the market.

Ipagbibili mo ang mga saging sa palengke.      You will sell the bananas at the market.

Pagbilhan mo ng mga saging si Juan.      Sell some bananas to John!

Pinagbilhan mo ng mga saging si Juan.      You sold some bananas to John.

Pinagbibilhan mo ng mga saging si Juan.      You are selling some bananas to John.

Pagbibilhan mo ng saging si Juan.      You will sell some bananas to John.

Potentiality

Napagbilhan mo ng saging ang palengke.                 You were able to sell a banana at the market.

Napagbibilhan mo ng saging ang palengke.              You are able to sell a banana at the market.

Mapagbibilhan mo ng saging ang palengke.                     You will be able to sell a banana at the market.

Gerund

Nakakapagod ang pagbibili   (The act of) selling is tiring.

I would show all the forms of the verb to sell too but I think you get the point and I am exhausted...........

Not Exactly What I Meant... (take 2)

Language Helping

Here is a glimpse into my language helping session recently. First I told this story to my language helper in Tagalog. Then she repeated it back to me, sentence by sentence, with corrections and I recorded that. I put the story into my listening collection so I'm able to listen to it over and over. (Earlier I also had her record her version of the story which includes more advanced Tagalog for me to listen to.)

But just for fun, I decided to put my story (in correct and very simple Tagalog) into Google translate to see what it thinks I said. The story you see below is the translator's final product. I don't think I'd use Google translate for anything too important! ;)

I also drew pictures of this "culture event" so that I could use them to learn the Tagalog nouns, verbs and other phrases that are associated with taking someone to the doctor.

Helping language session on us, we go by the guesthouse to pick Quinnie We Ate Beth. Then we rode the FX. We cross across the street and there we rode the FX onto the Megamol. But before we come down we have Megamol St. Francis Square and kinarga Ate Beth was pregnant because I Quinnie.

Then we walked over to Megamol Clinica Manila. And there I signed informatiyon concerning Quinnie. We waited there for the doctor's chair. But the doctor came there long. So, Ate Beth returned to school because she has class.

So, I Quinnie and just waited there. The doctor looks at the wounds of Quinnie and he prescribes medication for his wounds. Then, we bought prescription drugstore. And then we buy the prescription the doctor we go inside Megamol.

But, tired with so complaining that he Quinnie. So, we went and we tricyle and get home, we rested because we are tired.

This is the real translation of the story I told:

Awhile ago when we had our language session, Quinnie and I went to the guest house to fetch Ate Beth. After that we took an FX. We crossed to the other side of the road and there we took an FX going to Mega Mall. But before we arrived at Mega Mall we got off the FX at St. Francis Square and Ate Beth carried Quinnie because I was pregnant.

After that we walked inside Mega Mall to Clinica Manila. And there I registered Quinnie's information. We waited there on the chairs for the doctor, but it took a long time for the doctor to arrive. So Ate Beth returned to the school because she had class.

So it was only Quinn and I waiting there. The doctor looked at Quinnie's wounds and prescribed medicine for her sores. After that we bought her prescription at the drugstore. After we bought the doctor's prescription we walked around inside of Mega Mall.

But Quinnie was very tired so she complained. So we took a taxi and went home. When we went home we rested because we were very tired.