Ever feel like Filipino verbs are like shape-shifters? You see the word kain (eat), and then suddenly it’s kumain, kinain, pinakain, or nagpakain. It can be confusing, I know!

This “shape-shifting” is one of the most unique and powerful features of the Filipino language. It’s called verb focus.

Don’t let the grammar term scare you. It’s actually a very logical system. Think of it like using a camera. You can point your camera at different people or objects in a room to make them the “star” of your photo. Filipino verbs do the same thing for sentences.

Today, we’re going to break down the four most common verb focuses in a simple, easy-to-understand way. We’ll look at Mag-, -Um-, -In, and I- verbs.

What is verb focus, really?

In English, we mostly show who is doing what with word order. For example: “The boy ate the apple.” We know the boy did the eating because he comes first.

Filipino is more flexible. The verb itself changes to tell you what the most important part of the sentence is. This “most important part” is called the focus or the topic. You can always spot the focus because it’s marked by the word ang (or si for names).

There are two main types of focus we’ll cover:

• Actor Focus: The focus is on the person or thing doing the action (the “actor”).
• Object Focus: The focus is on the person or thing receiving the action (the “object”).

The verb you choose depends on what you want to emphasize in your sentence.

Actor focus verbs: When the doer is the star (Mag- and -Um-)

When you want to highlight the person or thing doing the action, you use actor-focus verbs. The two most common types are mag- and -um-.

The Mag- prefix

The mag- prefix is attached to the beginning of a root word. It’s often used for actions that are intentional or involve moving something.

Let’s take the root word luto (cook).

Notice how in every sentence, ang nanay (the mother) is the focus. She is the “star” of the sentence. The thing being cooked, adobo, is marked with ng.

The -Um- infix

The -um- affix is an infix, which means it’s inserted into the root word, usually after the first consonant. It’s often used for natural actions, movements, or weather phenomena.

Let’s take the root word kain (eat).

Note: In the future tense, -um- disappears, and the first syllable is repeated.

Here, ang bata (the child) is the focus—the one doing the eating.

Choosing between mag- and -um- can be tricky. There’s no perfect rule, and it often comes down to memorizing which verbs take which affix. A general tip: mag- verbs often imply an external action on an object (magluto ng adobo), while -um- verbs can often stand alone (umalis - to leave).

Object focus verbs: When the receiver is the star (-In and I-)

When you want to highlight the thing that the action is being done to, you use object-focus verbs. The most common are -in and i-.

The -In suffix/infix

The -in affix is very common. It can be a suffix (at the end) or an infix (in the middle), depending on the tense and root word.

Let’s go back to kain (eat), but this time, let’s focus on the food.

See the switch? Now, ang mansanas (the apple) is the star of the sentence. The actor, bata, is now marked with ng. The meaning is similar to the English passive voice: “The apple was eaten by the child.”

The I- prefix

The i- prefix is often used when something is moved, transferred, or done for someone. It puts the focus on the object being acted upon.

Let’s use the root word sulat (write).

The focus here is ang liham (the letter).

Putting it all together: A side-by-side comparison

The best way to understand focus is to see it in action. Let’s use the root word bili (to buy) and see how the sentence changes.

The key takeaway: The ang phrase is always the focus, and the verb must match it!

A note on regional variations

The concept of verb focus is the backbone of Tagalog grammar, so it’s consistent across Manila and other Tagalog-speaking regions. You’ll find these four affixes used everywhere Filipino is spoken.

Where you might see variation is in verb preference. For example, in some areas, a certain action might be more commonly expressed with a mag- verb, while in another, an -um- verb might be more popular for the same root word.

However, the grammatical rule of focus remains the same. If the verb is mag-, the focus is the actor. If the verb is -in, the focus is the object. This consistency is great news for learners!

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Verb focus is the biggest hurdle for most Filipino learners, but once it clicks, the whole language opens up.

Don’t try to memorize every rule at once. Instead, pay attention when you listen to native speakers.

Ask yourself: “What is the ang word in this sentence? What form is the verb in?”