In the previous post, we learned how to translate past tense verbs (simple past and past continuous) in English to Filipino. In this post, I’ll discuss how to translate English verbs in the simple present tense and present continuous tense to Filipino. Recall that Filipino has three main tenses: past, present, and future. For both the simple present tense and present continuous tense verbs in English, the present tense of Filipino action verbs is used.
There are a few ways to make the present tense form of Filipino action verbs. The first syllable or letter, or first two letters of the root word is reduplicated. Then a specific prefix or infix is added. The prefixes may be nag-, na-, or um-. The infix -um- is inserted between the first two letters reduplicated. Note that this rule applies for actor-focus verbs. In conjugating Filipino verbs, reduplication comes first before affixation.
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
In English, the root word form of the English verb is used to express the simple present tense, such as the word cook in “I/You/We/They cook”, except for third-person singular subjects when the suffix -s or -es is added to the root word, such as “He/She/It cooks”.
The simple present tense is used for facts or conditions that are always or almost always true.
1. Butterflies drink nectar. = Ang mga paruparo ay umiinom ng nektar. / Umiinom ng nektar ang mga paruparo. [root word: inom; um + i + inom]
The simple present tense is also used to describe events that happen often, and actions that are repeatedly regularly, including habits.
2. We drink coffee every day. = Kami ay umiinom ng kape araw-araw. / Umiinom kami ng kape araw-araw. [root word: inom; um + i + inom]
A shown in the translations above, English action verbs in the simple present tense are translated to Filipino using the present tense of the Filipino action verbs. (Verbs that denote a state, not an action, will be discussed in another post.) See more examples below.
3. I cook. (simple present tense) = Ako ay nagluluto. / Nagluluto ako. [root word: luto; nag + lu + luto]
The English sentence “I cook” means that the speaker knows how to cook and has the ability to do so. It does not mean that the speaker is cooking right this moment. However, the Filipino translation “Ako ay nagluluto. / Nagluluto ako.” can either mean that the speaker knows how to cook (but is not cooking right now), or the speaker is cooking right now.
I am cooking. (present continuous tense) = Ako ay nagluluto. / Nagluluto ako.
The same is true for the Filipino translations of the two sentences below.
4. I read novels. = Ako ay nagbabasa ng mga nobela. / Nagbabasa ako ng mga nobela. [root word: basa; nag + ba + basa]
5. She eats okra. = Siya ay kumakain ng okra. / Kumakain siya ng okra. [root word: kain; k(um)a + kain]
To provide more context, an adverb of time is used.
6. I cook every day. = Ako ay nagluluto araw-araw. / Nagluluto ako araw-araw. [root word: luto; nag + lu + luto]
7. He works here every Friday. = Siya ay nagtatrabaho dito tuwing Biyernes. / Nagtatrabaho siya dito tuwing Biyernes. [root word: trabaho; nag + ta + trabaho] The letter r is dropped when the first syllable tra is duplicated.
8. Patricia rides a bus every morning. = Si Patricia ay sumasakay ng bus tuwing umaga. / Sumasakay ng bus tuwing umaga si Patricia. [root word: sakay; s(um)a + sakay]
9. Ben wakes up early. = Si Ben ay nagigising nang maaga. / Nagigising nang maaga si Ben. [root word: gising; na + gi + gising]
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
The present continuous tense, also called the present progressive tense, expresses an action that is happening at the moment the statement is said, or actions in progress that aren’t necessarily being done at the moment.
In the present continuous tense, the English action verb would have the suffix -ing. The “to be” verbs used with the present continuous tense are am, is, and are.
The present tense of the Filipino action verb is used when translating an English action verb in the present continuous tense. There are no direct equivalents of the “to be” verbs am, is, and are, but the Filipino word ay can stand in their place when the subject comes before the predicate in the sentence.
The examples below describe actions or events happening at the moment the statement is uttered. The event is happening right now, or the doer is performing the action right now. They are in the present continuous tense.
10. I am cleaning in my room. = Ako ay naglilinis sa aking kuwarto. [root word: linis; nag + li + linis]
If the predicate comes before the subject in the Filipino sentence, the ay is dropped.
I am cleaning in my room. = Naglilinis ako sa aking kuwarto. [root word: linis; nag + li + linis]
When the word ay is attached to the Filipino action verb in the present continuous tense, it becomes a helping or auxiliary verb (pantulong na pandiwa). Used this way, ay acts like the English helping verbs am, is and are since it can be used for singular and plural subjects.
11. You are playing volleyball. = Ikaw ay naglalaro ng volleyball. / Naglalaro ka ng volleyball. [root word: laro; nag + la + laro]
12. Mother is sewing. = Si Nanay ay nagtatahi. / Nagtatahi si Nanay. [root word: tahi; nag + ta + tahi]
13. The baby is crying. = Ang sanggol ay umiiyak. / Umiiyak ang sanggol. [root word: iyak; um + i + iyak]
14. They are working. = Sila ay nagtatrabaho. / Nagtatrabaho sila. [root word = trabaho; nag + ta + trabaho; the r is dropped when tra is duplicated]
15. The children are bathing in the river. = Ang mga bata ay naliligo sa ilog. / Naliligo sa ilog ang mga bata. / Naliligo ang mga bata sa ilog. [root word: ligo; na + li + ligo]
16. The dogs are running on the grass. = Ang mga aso ay tumatakbo sa damo. / Tumatakbo sa damo ang mga aso. / Tumatakbo ang mga aso sa damo. [root word = takbo; t(um)a + takbo]
The statements below describe actions that are in progress (not yet completed) but are not necessarily happening right now. They are also in the present continuous tense.
17. I am writing a novel. = Ako ay nagsusulat ng nobela. / Nagsusulat ako ng nobela. [root word: sulat; nag + su + sulat]
18. Paula is saving money for a laptop. = Si Paula ay nag-iipon ng pera para sa laptop. / Nag-iipon ng pera para sa laptop si Paula. [root word: ipon; nag- + i + ipon]
19. Richard and William are training to become athletes. = Sina Richard at William ay nagsasanay para maging mga atleta. / Nagsasanay para maging mga atleta sina Richard at William. [root word: sanay; nag + sa + sanay]
IN FILIPINO, SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE = PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
The Filipino translations for the sentences in the present continuous tense (sentences 10 to 16 above) are the same for sentences in the simple present tense.
20. I clean in my room. = Ako ay naglilinis sa aking kuwarto. / Naglilinis ako sa aking kuwarto.
21. You play volleyball. = Ikaw ay naglalaro ng volleyball. / Naglalaro ka ng volleyball.
22. Mother sews. = Si Nanay ay nagtatahi. / Nagtatahi si Nanay.
23. The baby cries. = Ang sanggol ay umiiyak. / Umiiyak ang sanggol.
24. They work. = Sila ay nagtatrabaho. / Nagtatrabaho sila.
25. The children bathe in the river. = Ang mga bata ay naliligo sa ilog. / Naliligo sa ilog ang mga bata. / Naliligo ang mga bata sa ilog.
26. The dogs run on the grass. = Ang mga aso ay tumatakbo sa damo. / Tumatakbo sa damo ang mga aso. / Tumatakbo ang mga aso sa damo.
To summarize, English action verbs in the simple present tense or present continuous/present progressive tense are translated to Filipino using the present tense forms of the Filipino action verbs.
ACTIVE VOICE VS. PASSIVE VOICE IN THE PRESENT TENSE
Let’s distinguish the active voice from the passive voice in the simple present tense. In the active voice, the subject or doer of the action comes first, followed by the base form of the verb and the object that receives the action.
27. ACTIVE VOICE-SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Ben washes the dishes. [Subject + base form of the verb + object]
ACTIVE VOICE-SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Si Ben ay naghuhugas ng mga pinggan. [root word: hugas; nag + hu + hugas]
The Filipino verb naghuhugas is an actor-focus verb in the present tense.
Converting the sentence to the passive voice in the simple present tense, the object comes first, followed by the appropriate “to be” verb, the past participle of the verb, the word by, and lastly, the subject in the active voice sentence.
28. PASSIVE VOICE-SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: The dishes are washed by Ben. [Object + am/is/are + past participle of the verb + by + subject]
Object-focus Filipino verbs are used in the passive voice. To form the present tense of object-focus Filipino action verbs, the first syllable or letter, or the first two letters of the root word are reduplicated. Then the prefix in- or the infix -in- is added. In some object-focus verbs, aside from the reduplication and affix, the suffix -an is used.
PASSIVE VOICE-SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Ang mga pinggan ay hinuhugasan ni Ben. [root word: hugas; h(in)u + hugas + an]
The word hinuhugasan is an object-focus verb in the present tense.
Let’s look at the difference between the active voice and the passive voice in the present continuous tense. In the active voice, the subject or doer of the action comes first, followed by the -ing form of the verb and the object that receives the action.
29. ACTIVE VOICE-PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Ben is washing the dishes. [Subject + am/is/are + -ing verb + object]
ACTIVE VOICE-PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Si Ben ay naghuhugas ng mga pinggan. [root word: hugas; nag + hu + hugas]
Converting the sentence to the passive voice in the present continuous tense, the object comes first, followed by the appropriate “to be” verb, the word being, the past participle of the verb, the word by, and lastly, the subject in the active voice sentence.
30.PASSIVE VOICE-PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: The dishes are being washed by Ben. [Object + am/is/are + being + past participle of the verb + by + subject]
PASSIVE VOICE-PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Ang mga pinggan ay hinuhugasan ni Ben. [root word: hugas; h(in)u + hugas + an]
As expected, the translations are the same as the ones in the simple past tense above. However, the Filipino verbs used are different for the active voice and the passive voice. The active voice uses an actor-focused Filipino verb (naghuhugas), while the passive voice uses an object-focus Filipino verb (hinuhugasan).
OBJECT-FOCUS FILIPINO VERBS IN THE PRESENT TENSE
Object-focus Filipino verbs are used in the passive voice. Let’s take a look at some sentences in the passive voice and the present tense (both simple and continuous).
31. ACTIVE VOICE-SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Gina arranges the books. = Si Gina ay nag-aayos ng mga aklat. / Nag-aayos ng mga aklat si Gina. [root word: ayos; nag- + a + ayos]
32. ACTIVE VOICE-PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Gina is arranging the books. = Si Gina ay nag-aayos ng mga aklat. / Nag-aayos ng mga aklat si Gina. [root word: ayos; nag- + a + ayos]
Note that the Filipino translation is the same for the active voice in both simple present tense and present continuous tense. The actor-focus Filipino verb in the present tense nag-aayos is used in the active voice sentence.
In the passive voice sentence, the object-focused Filipino verb in the present tense inaayos is used. Note the use of the prefix in- instead of nag- to indicate the change in the focus of the verb.
33. PASSIVE VOICE-SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: The books are arranged by Gina. = Ang mga aklat ay inaayos ni Gina. / Inaayos ni Gina ang mga aklat. [root word: ayos; in + a + ayos]
34. PASSIVE VOICE-PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: The books are being arranged by Gina. = Ang mga aklat ay inaayos ni Gina. / Inaayos ni Gina ang mga aklat. [root word: ayos; in + a + ayos]
Let’s look at other examples of object-focus Filipino verbs in the present tense and passive voice.
35. This book is read by James. / This book is being read by James. = Ang aklat na ito ay binabasa ni James. or Binabasa ni James ang aklat na ito. [root word: basa; b(in)a + basa]
36. The bread is eaten by the birds. / The bread is being eaten by the birds. = Ang tinapay ay kinakain ng mga ibon. or Kinakain ng mga ibong ang tinapay. [root word: kain; k(in)a + kain]
37. The plants are watered by Grandmother. / The plants are being watered by Grandmother. = Ang mga halaman ay dinidiligan ni Lola. or Dinidiligan ni Lola ang mga halaman. [root word: dilig; d(in)i + dilig + an]
38. The poor are helped by the government. / The poor are being helped by the government. = Ang mahihirap ay tinutulungan ng pamahalaan. or Tinutulungan ng pamahalaan ang mahihirap. [root word: tulong; t(in)u + tulong + an]
Actor-focus Filipino verbs are used in sentences in the active voice. Object-focus Filipino verbs are used in sentences in the passive voice. The verbs are conjugated differently based on the focus of the verb.
In the next post, we’ll learn to translate future tense verbs in English to Filipino.
