-in- + Root + -an

Completed -An Form

Level 2

The Completed -An Form is used for finished actions that focus on a place, surface, or person receiving the action. It is formed by adding the infix -in- and the suffix -an to a verb root.

How It Works

To form the completed aspect of an -an verb, follow these steps:

1. Standard Formation: For most roots, insert the infix -in- before the first vowel and add the suffix -an. If the root ends in a vowel, the suffix becomes -han.
Example: sulat (write) → sinulatan (wrote on/to); basa (read) → binasahan (read to).

2. Vowel-Initial Roots: If the root starts with a vowel, the infix -in- is placed at the very beginning as a prefix.
Example: alis (remove) → inalisan (removed from).

3. The 'ni-' Rule: If the root starts with l, r, w, or y, the infix -in- usually becomes the prefix ni-.
Example: linis (clean) → nilinisan (cleaned [the place]).

4. Vowel Dropping (Syncope): Some common roots drop their final vowel when the suffix is added. For example, bili (buy) becomes binilhan and bigay (give) becomes binigyan.

5. Stress Shift: When adding -an or -han, the stress usually shifts to the final syllable. For example, bása (read) becomes binasahán.

6. Focus and Meaning: Unlike the Completed -In Form which focuses on a direct object, the -an form focuses on the surface, location, or recipient. For example, binasa means you read the book itself, but binasahan means you read to someone.

7. Sentence Structure: Because this is a non-actor focus, the person doing the action is marked with ng or ni, while the location/recipient is marked with ang or si.

Examples (4)

  1. Pinunasan ni Maria ang mesa.

    Maria wiped the table.

    Word by Word: Wiped by Maria the table.

    The root is 'punas' (wipe). The table (mesa) is the surface being affected, so it is the subject marked with 'ang'.

  2. Binasahan ng tatay ng kuwento ang bata.

    The father read a story to the child.

    Word by Word: Read-to by father a story the child.

    The root is 'basa' (read). The child (bata) is the recipient of the action, so the -an form is used.

  3. Nilinisan nila ang bakuran kahapon.

    They cleaned the yard yesterday.

    Word by Word: Cleaned by-them the yard yesterday.

    The root 'linis' starts with 'l', so the infix '-in-' becomes the prefix 'ni-'. The yard (bakuran) is the location.

  4. Sinulatan ko siya ng liham.

    I wrote him/her a letter.

    Word by Word: Wrote-to by-me he/she a letter.

    The root is 'sulat'. Here, the person written to (siya) is the focus of the sentence.

Common Mistakes

  • Dropping the suffix -an in the completed aspect.

    Pinunas ko ang mesa.
    Pinunasan ko ang mesa.

    Learners often confuse this with -in verbs, where the suffix is dropped in the completed aspect. For -an verbs, the suffix must remain.

  • Using the wrong marker for the actor.

    Pinunasan si Maria ang mesa.
    Pinunasan ni Maria ang mesa.

    In -an focus sentences, the actor is not the subject. You must use 'ni' or 'ng' for the actor, not 'si' or 'ang'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-in- + Root + -anLevel 2Completed -An Form

Learn This First

To understand the completed aspect of -an verbs, you must first be familiar with the basic -an location focus suffix and how the -in- infix is used across different verb groups to signal that an action has been finished.

Words in This Pattern

-an-in-