ipinagawa

Had Something Done

Level 3

Use ipinagawa when you want to say that you (or someone else) arranged for an object to be made, repaired, or completed by another person in the past.

How It Works

The word ipinagawa is the completed form of ipagawa. It is used to express that an action was delegated to someone else.

1. Morphology:
It is formed by taking the causative prefix ipa- and inserting the infix -in- after the first consonant.
i-p-in-a- + gawa (root: 'do/make') = ipinagawa.

2. Focus and Sentence Structure:
Because it is object-focus, the thing being made or repaired is marked by ang. The person who ordered the action is marked by ng. The person actually performing the task (the worker) is marked by sa.
Example: Ipinagawa ko (ng-actor) ang sapatos (ang-object) sa sapatero (sa-worker).

3. Register:
In formal writing and standard speech, ipinagawa is the correct form. However, in casual conversation, Filipinos often drop the initial 'i', resulting in pinagawa. While common, you should use the full form in formal contexts.

4. Nuance:
Unlike the actor-focus nagpagawa, which emphasizes the person who gave the order, ipinagawa emphasizes the result or the object itself. It is often used when the identity of the worker is less important than the fact that the object is now finished.

Examples (4)

  1. Ipinagawa ko ang sirang sapatos sa sapatero.

    I had the broken shoes repaired by the shoemaker.

    Word by Word: Had-made by-me the broken shoe to-the shoemaker.

    Here, the focus is 'ang sirang sapatos' (the broken shoes). The speaker (ko) is the one who ordered the repair.

  2. Ipinagawa ni Maria ang kanyang gown para sa kasal.

    Maria had her wedding gown made for the wedding.

    Word by Word: Had-made by Maria the her gown for the wedding.

    The gown is the focus of the sentence. Maria is the one who commissioned the work.

  3. Ipinagawa ng gobyerno ang bagong tulay.

    The government had the new bridge constructed.

    Word by Word: Had-made by-the government the new bridge.

    This shows a formal use where an institution (the government) is the one causing the action to happen.

  4. Ipinagawa ko na ang kotse kahapon.

    I already had the car fixed yesterday.

    Word by Word: Had-made by-me already the car yesterday.

    The use of 'na' emphasizes that the delegation of the task is already complete.

Common Mistakes

  • Incorrect infix placement.

    Ipiginawa ko ang mesa.
    Ipinagawa ko ang mesa.

    Learners often try to put the '-in-' infix inside the root word (gawa). However, for 'ipa-' verbs, the infix must be placed inside the prefix, resulting in 'ipina-'.

  • Confusing causative with simple action.

    Ipinagawa ko ang takdang-aralin.
    Ginawa ko ang takdang-aralin.

    If you did the homework yourself, use 'ginawa'. Use 'ipinagawa' only if you had someone else do it for you.

  • Using the wrong focus marker for the person who ordered the action.

    Ipinagawa ako ang bahay.
    Ipinagawa ko ang bahay.

    Since 'ipinagawa' is object-focus, the person who ordered the work must be in the 'ng' case (ko), not the 'ang' case (ako).

How It Connects

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

ipinagawaLevel 3Had Something Done

Learn This First

To understand 'ipinagawa', you need to grasp how the theme focus prefix 'i-' combines with the causative prefix 'pa-' and the completed aspect infix '-in-'. This combination allows you to express that an object was caused to be acted upon by someone else.

Words in This Pattern

ipagawa