The MAG Verbs

Some of the most-used verbs in Filipino or Tagalog are the MAG verbs. These are called MAG verbs
because they all feature the prefix MAG at the beginning. MAG helps indicate the tense of the verb: It's
used to form the future tense, as well as the basic and imperative forms of the verb.

Below is a table of MAG verbs and their tenses. MAG verbs are actor-focus verbs, and the conjugation of
these verbs is explained next.

MAG Verbs

Examples of MAG verb tenses in Tagalog/Filipino.

Root Verb Future Tense Present Tense Past Tense Imperative

lakad (walk) maglalakad naglalakad naglakad maglakad

laba (wash maglalaba naglalaba naglaba maglaba

clothes)

salita magsasalita nagsasalita nagsalita magsalita

(talk/speak)

hugas maghuhugas naghuhugas naghugas maghugas

(wash)

linis (clean) maglilinis naglilinis naglinis maglinis

luto (cook) magluluto nagluluto nagluto magluto

dilig (water magdidilig nagdidilig nagdilig magdilig

plants)

tanim magtatanim nagtatanim nagtanim magtanim

(plant)

tupi (fold magtutupi nagtutupi nagtupi magtupi

clothes)
Examples of MAG verb tenses in Tagalog/Filipino.

Root Verb Future Tense Present Tense Past Tense Imperative

tago (hide) magtatago nagtatago nagtago magtago

hain (setting maghahain naghahain naghain maghain

table ready)

basa (read) magbabasa nagbabasa nagbasa magbasa

suklay magsusuklay nagsusuklay nagsuklay magsuklay

(comb)

sipilyo magsisipilyo nagsisipilyo nagsipilyo magsipilyo

(brush)

laro (play) maglalaro naglalaro naglaro maglaro

mumog magmumumog nagmumumog nagmumog magmumog

(gurgle)

bihis magbibihis nagbibihis nagbihis magbihis

(change
clothes)

benta (sell) magbebenta nagbebenta nagbenta magbenta

laro (play) maglalaro naglalaro naglaro maglaro

saing (cook magsasaing nagsasaing nagsaing magsaing

rice)
 Examples of MAG verb tenses in Tagalog/Filipino.

Root Verb Future Tense Present Tense Past Tense Imperative

sayaw magsasayaw nagsasayaw nagsayaw magsayaw

(dance)

tinda (sell) magtitinda nagtitinda nagtinda magtinda

maneho magmamaneho nagmamaneho nagmaneh magmaneho

(drive) o

saliksik magsasaliksik nagsasaliksik nagsaliksik magsaliksik

(research or
read up on
something
to get
information
)

padala (to magpapadala nagpapadala nagpadala magpadala

send)

Conjugating MAG Verbs in Tagalog

Don't worry—MAG verbs are easy to form. Using the table above as your guide, let's start with
the future tense of the MAG verbs. Follow these steps:

1. Place MAG at the beginning of the verb.

2. Identify the first syllable of the verb and write it after MAG. (It gets repeated within the
conjugated verb.)

3. Follow that with the full root verb.

Let's look at the verb lakad. Its future tense, maglalakad, is a perfect example:

mag is the prefix used,

la is the first syllable of the root verb, which is repeated,

and lakad is the full root verb.

When forming the present tense, NAG takes the place of MAG—for example, naglalakad, which means
'walking'. Nothing else changes. The first syllable of the root verb is still repeated, followed by the full
root verb.

The MA Verbs

The MA verbs are also actor-focus verbs, and it's not that hard to form their tenses, either.

Let's use the table of MA verbs below as a guide. The future tense is formed using the MA prefix. The
first syllable of the root verb comes next, then the root verb follows—just like with the MAG verbs. Let's
take the first one in the table as an example—maliligo:

 ma is the prefix,

 li is the first syllable of the root verb,

 and ligo is the full root verb.

The present and past tenses of MA verbs are formed in the same way as the MAG verbs, but with NA
rather than NAG. For example, naliligo is the present tense of ligo, and naligo is the past tense.

To form the imperative of Tagalog MA verbs, you use the prefix MA plus the root verb. Maligo is the
imperative form.

MA Verbs

MA verbs and tenses: future, present, past and imperative forms.

Root Present Past

Future Tense Imperative
Verb Tense Tense

ligo maliligo naliligo naligo maligo

(bath)

tulog matutulog natutulog natulog matulog

(sleep)

galit magagalit nagagalit nagalit magalit

(angry)

nood manonood nanonood nanood manood

(watch)

huli mahuhuli nahuhuli nahuli mahuli

MA verbs and tenses: future, present, past and imperative forms.

Root Present Past

Future Tense Imperative
Verb Tense Tense

(catch)

lito malilito nalilito nalito malito

(confuse)

dulas madudulas nadudulas nadulas madulas

(slip)

nginig manginginig nanginginig nanginig manginig

(shiver)

panatag mapapanatag napapanatag napanatag mapanatag

(at ease)

sisi masisisi nasisisi nasisi masisi

(blame)
TAGALOG ANGELUS PRAYER

Ang Anghel ng Panginoon ay nagbalita kay Santa Maria.

At siya'y naglihi, lalang ng Espiritu Santo.

Aba Ginoong Maria...

Narito ang alipin ng Panginoon.

Maganap sa akin ang ayon sa wika mo.

Aba Ginoong Maria...

At ang Salita ay nagkatawang-tao.

At nakipamuhay sa atin.

Aba Ginoong Maria...

Ipanalangin mo kami, Santang Ina ng DIyos.

Nang kami'y maging dapat makinabang sa mga pangako ni Kristo.

Manalangin tayo.

Panginoon naming Diyos,

kasihan mo nawa

ang aming mga kaluluwa

nang iyong mahal na grasiya

at yayamang dahilan

sa pamamalita ng anghel

ay nakilala namin

ang pagkakatawang-tao

ni Jesukristong Anak mo,

pakundangan sa mahal na sakit

at pagkamatay niya sa Krus,

papakinabangin mo kami

ng kanyang pagkabuhay na mag-muli,

sa kaluwalhatian sa langit.

Alang-alang kay Jesukristo

na aming Panginoon.
Amen.

Luwalhati sa Ama,

sa Anak at sa Espiritu Santo.

Kapara noong unang-una,

ngayon at magpakailanman.

Amen.