Page 282 - Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines

(literally, Will sing with marker Maria plural marker Juan, Pedro, and
Clara.)

Let us now conjugate the makipag- verbs we have used in this unit. Again, try
to conjugate these verbs on your own using your notebook or a separate sheet of
paper. This will allow you to remember the verbs better. Then check what you have
against the chart below.

Root Wood Completed Incompleted Contemplative
Sayaw Nakipagsayaw Nakikipagsayaw Makikipagsayaw
Laro Nakipaglaro Nakikipaglaro Makikipaglaro
Usap Nakipag-usap Nakikipag-usap Makikipag-usap
Away Nakipag-away Nakikipag-away Makikipag-away
Nakipagbati Nakipagbati Nakikipagbati Makikipagbati
Dueto Nakipag-dueto Nakikipag-dueto Makikipag-dueto
Kanto Nakipagkantahan Nakikipagkantahan Makikipagkantahan
Tugtog Nakipagtugtugan Nakikipagtugtugan Makikipagtugtugan

II. The affix nakiki to connote sharing with someone as a favor
The special affix nakiki is a concept that is easier to understand when one
contextualizes it in Philippine culture. It is explained further in the cultural note
below. It is used when one asks a relative, friend, a roommate, a neighbor, a
classmate, or even a stranger to share with what he/she is doing.

When is this used? Let us pretend, for example, that you don’t have food for
lunch. Your friend asks you to share his/her food because he/she brought two
sandwiches. Later, another friend asks you if you have eaten. You can reply by
saying:
“Kumain na ako kasama si Maria. Kinain ko ang isang sandwich

niya.”
I ate already with Maria. I ate one of her sandwiches.

However, you can say this in a clearer and more concise manner by:
“Nakikain na ako sa mga sandwich ni Maria.”

Other instances when the affix nakiki is applicable would be when you cook
in someone else’s house as a favor; share a book in class because you forgot your
own book; cook at someone else’s house because you ran out of gas for your
stove; or even take a shower at someone else’s house. For people living in some
countries, the latter is unthinkable. But, think of this in the Filipino context. It
used to be that in remote areas in the countryside, people relied on water pumps
for their water supply. What happens when the water pump is broken?
“Makikiligo ka.” (You will ask to take a shower.) Or what if you don’t have your