-an (pokus sa ganapan)

Location or Goal Focus with -An

Level 2

In Filipino, the -an suffix is used when the most important part of the sentence (the ang phrase) is the place, direction, or surface of the action.

How It Works

The -an focus is one of the most common verb forms in Filipino. It is used when the location or goal is the grammatical subject.

Key Characteristics:

  • Surface vs. Object: Use -an when an action affects the surface of something (e.g., wiping a table) rather than the object itself (e.g., wiping away a spill).
  • Recipients and Sources: It often marks people as the 'goal' or source of an action, such as writing to someone or buying from someone. (Note: Buying for someone uses a different focus).
  • Stress Shift: Adding -an usually moves the word stress one syllable to the right (e.g., larô becomes laruán).
  • Spelling Changes: If a root ends in 'o', it often changes to 'u' (e.g., tagó + -an = taguan). If the root ends in a plain vowel (without a glottal stop), an 'h' is inserted (e.g., basa + -an = basahan).

This focus is essential to become proficient in Filipino because it allows you to highlight the context or destination of your actions.

Examples (4)

  1. Pinunasan ko ang mesa.

    I wiped the table.

    Word by Word: Wiped by-me the table.

    The focus is on the table's surface. Using -an implies the table was the location of the wiping action.

  2. Binilhan ko ng bulaklak si Maria.

    I bought flowers from Maria.

    Word by Word: Bought-from by-me some flowers the Maria.

    In this sentence, Maria is the source or 'goal' of the transaction. The -an suffix indicates that the action was directed toward her as the seller.

  3. Sulatan mo ako.

    Write to me.

    Word by Word: Write-to by-you I.

    The person being written to (ako) is the focus, which requires the -an suffix on the root 'sulat'.

  4. Pinaglutuan ni Nanay ang bagong kawali.

    Mom cooked in the new pan.

    Word by Word: Cooked-in by Mom the new pan.

    The pan is the location where the cooking happened, making it the focus of the sentence using the pag-...-an structure.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -in instead of -an for surfaces.

    Punasin mo ang mesa.
    Punasan mo ang mesa.

    'Punasin' would mean you are trying to wipe the table away (like a spill), whereas 'Punasan' correctly means you are wiping the surface of the table.

  • Using the wrong case marker for the location.

    Pinunasan ko sa mesa.
    Pinunasan ko ang mesa.

    When the verb uses the -an focus, the location must be the subject, marked by 'ang' (or 'si' for people), not the 'sa' marker.

How It Connects

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

-an (pokus sa ganapan)Level 2Location or Goal Focus with -An

Learn This First

To understand the -an location focus, you first need to grasp the general concept of Austronesian alignment (how Filipino verbs 'point' to different parts of the sentence). You also need to be familiar with the 'ang' marker, as the -an affix specifically designates the location or goal as the 'ang' phrase of the sentence. Finally, a basic understanding of how roots and affixes combine is necessary to recognize the verb forms.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-an