Tagalog “Um” Verbs (Actor-focus)

“Mag” and “ma” attach to the root verb as a prefix. In this chapter, we will learn about conjugating Tagalog actor-focus verbs with infixes. So, without further ado, let’s proceed with the conjugation rules for Tagalog “um” verbs vocabulary! ✨

Vocabulary

• lolo → grandfather, old man
• tita → aunt
• estudyante → student
• lumpia → a popular Filipino dish (fried rolls)
• sardinas → sardines
• kape → coffee
• alak → alcoholic drink
• manok → chicken
• bangko → bench
• kalsada → street
• daanan → street, road, or anything that you walk along to reach a destination
• kain → eat
• takbo → run
• inom → drink
• upo → sit

Tagalog “Um” Verbs

“Um” verbs are quite different from “mag” and “ma” verbs in terms of conjugation. These affixes are attached to the root word as infixes. You insert them into the root word. Verbs associated with the “um” affix are like “mag” verbs — intentional and deliberate.

Base Form (Infinitive Form / Imperative Form)

To get the infinitive form / imperative form, follow these steps:

1. Take the root word. → kain
2. For words beginning with a consonant, insert “um” after the first consonant of the word. → k(um)ain
3. For words beginning with a vowel, attach “um” as a prefix. → (um)inom

Phonetics-wise, treat the newly conjugated word as one whole word. Do not put emphasis on the affix.

• kumain → /ku • ma • in/ not /kum • ain/
• uminom → / u • mi • nom/ not /um • i • nom/

Completed Action

Thankfully, the infinitive / imperative form is also the completed action form for “um” verbs.

Root word	New affix	Modification	Result
kain (eat)	-um-	k + um + ain	kumain (ate)
takbo (run)	-um-	t + um + akbo	tumakbo (ran)
inom (drink)	um-	um + inom	uminom (drank)
upo (sit)	um-	um + upo	umupo (sat)

Examples:

• Kumain sina Claire at Almira ng lumpia. → Claire and Almira ate lumpia.
• Tumakbo ang manok sa daanan. → The chicken ran along the street.
• Uminom si Jane ng Coke. → Jane drank Coke.
• Umupo ang lolo. → The grandfather sat.

Ongoing Action

To express the ongoing action form, follow these steps:

1. Take the root word. → kain
2. Get the first syllable of the root word. → ka
3. Insert “um” after the first consonant. → k(um)a
4. Attach the new affix before the root word. → (kuma)kain

Same goes for words beginning in a vowel:

1. Take the root word. → inom
2. Get the first syllable of the root word. → i
3. Place the “um” before the first syllable. → (um)i
4. Attach the new affix before the root word. → (umi)inom

For words that have its first syllable ending with a consonant:

1. Take the root word. → takbo
2. Get the first syllable WITHOUT the last consonant. → ta
3. Place the “um” depending on the word starting with a vowel or a consonant. → t(um)a
4. Attach the new affix before the root word. → (tuma)takbo

Root word	Affix	1st syllable	New affix	Modification	Result
kain (eat)	-um-	ka	k + um +a	kuma + kain	kumain (ate)
takbo (run)	-um-	ta	t + um + a	tuma + takbo	tumakbo (ran)
inom (drink)	um-	i	um + i	umi + inom	uminom (drank)
upo (sit)	um-	u	um + u	umu + upo	umupo (sat)

Taking out the last consonant of the first syllable of the root word, as in the case of “takbo” boils down to ease of speaking. “tumatakbo” /tu • ma • tak • bo/ is a lot easier to say than “tumaktakbo” /tu • mak • tak • bo/

Examples:

• Kumakain si Monica. → Monica is [currently] eating.
• Tumatakbo ang runner sa kalsada. → The runner is running along the street.
• Umiinom si Jane ng alak. → Jane drinks alcohol.
• Umuupo ang lolo sa bangko. → The grandfather is sitting on the bench.

Upcoming Action

To express the upcoming action form, follow these steps:

1. Take the root word. → kain, takbo
2. Take the first syllable. → ka, ta
3. Attach it before the root word. → (ka)kain, tatakbo

Same goes for vowel-starting words.

1. Take the root word. → inom
2. Take the first syllable. → i
3. Attach it before the root word. → (i)inom

Notice that the “um” is not placed at all. For future tense, only the first syllable is repeated.

Examples:

• Kakain ang mga estudyante ng sardinas. → The students will eat sardines.
• Tatakbo ang tita sa treadmill. → The aunt will run on the treadmill.
• Iinom si Jane ng kape. → Jane will drink coffee.
• Uupo ang bata sa upuan. → The child will sit on the chair.

Conclusion

Here is your cheat sheet for this affix group.

Root word	Base form (Infinitive)	Past Tense	Present Tense	Future Tense
	(*)um(…)— / um(…)—	(*)um— / um—	(*)um(…)— / um(…)—	(…)—
kain	kumain	kumain	kumakain	kakain
inom	uminom	uminom	umiinom	iinom

NOTE: (*) represents the first consonant of the first syllable of the root word.

(…) represents the 1st syllable of the root word.

You now have learned conjugating verbs with infixes. “Mag”, “ma”, and “um” verbs make the actor-focus verbs. In the next chapter, we will discuss object-focus verbs!