Reduplicated Root + -an

In Filipino, the contemplated aspect describes actions that are not yet started. When using the -an focus, the sentence highlights the where or to whom of the action.

1. Conjugation Rules:

• Reduplication: Repeat the first syllable of the root. For vowel-initial roots, repeat only the vowel (e.g., abot → aabutan). For consonant-vowel roots, repeat the CV (e.g., punas → pupunasan). For borrowed words starting with a consonant cluster, you can repeat either just the first consonant and vowel (e.g., plantsa → paplantsahan) or the entire consonant cluster and vowel (e.g., plaplantsahan); both are correct and accepted standard forms (meaning "will iron on [a surface]" or "will iron for [someone]", unlike the -in form paplantsahin or plaplantsahin which means "will iron [the clothes]"). Note that the vowel in the reduplicated syllable is usually lengthened in pronunciation.
• Suffix Choice: Use -an if the root ends in a consonant or a glottal stop (e.g., sulat → susulatan). Use -han if the root ends in a vowel without a glottal stop (e.g., basa → babasahan). Keep in mind that standard Filipino spelling does not write the final glottal stop, so you must know the pronunciation of the root word.
• Irregular -nan Suffix: Some roots ending in a vowel take an irregular -nan suffix instead of -han (e.g., tawa → tatawanan).
• No Infix: Do not use the -in- infix in the contemplated aspect. It is reserved for completed and progressive forms.
• With Pag- Prefix: For verbs that use the pag- prefix, reduplication usually happens to the root (e.g., pag-aaralan). Note that forms like papag-aralan, where the prefix is reduplicated instead of the root, are also recognized as standard alternative forms.
• With Ma- Prefix: For verbs using the ma- ... -an circumfix, reduplication also happens to the root, not the ma- prefix (e.g., matututuhan, though the irregular form matututunan is also widely accepted).

2. Phonological Changes:

• Stress Shift: Adding the -an or -han suffix almost always shifts the word's stress one syllable to the right (e.g., sulat → susulAtan).
• Vowel Shift: If a root ends in 'o', it often changes to 'u' (e.g., tapon → tatapunan).
• Syncope (Vowel Deletion): Some roots drop their last vowel when the suffix is added (e.g., bili → bibilhan, dala → dadalhan).
• Metathesis / Consonant Assimilation: Sometimes, when a vowel is dropped (syncope), the remaining consonants swap places or change to make pronunciation easier (e.g., tanim → tatamnan, silid → sisidlan).
• Irregular Contractions: Some common roots undergo irregular reductions, such as kuha becoming kukunan or bigay becoming bibigyan.
• D to R Alternation: When a root word ends in 'd', it changes to 'r' when the -an suffix makes it sit between two vowels (e.g., bayad → babayaran). However, if vowel deletion (syncope) occurs and the 'd' ends up next to a consonant, it remains 'd' (e.g., sunod → susundan).

3. Syntax Markers:

• Actor/Doer: Uses the ng set of markers (e.g., ng, ni, ko, mo).
• Location/Recipient: Uses the ang set of markers (e.g., ang, si, ako, ka) because it is the focus of the sentence.

For example, in Susulatan ko siya (I will write to him/her), ko is the actor and siya is the location/recipient.

4. Focus Nuance:
Unlike -in verbs which focus on an object being moved or consumed, -an verbs focus on the surface (like a table being wiped) or the direction (like a person being given something). Additionally, -an verbs can also highlight the beneficiary (for whom an action is done, e.g., bibilhan - will buy for someone) or the source (from whom something is taken).