-in- + Reduplicated Root + -an

Progressive -An Form

Level 2

The Progressive -An Form (Imperfective Aspect) describes actions that are currently happening or happen regularly. Because it uses the -an suffix, the 'subject' of the sentence is usually the place where the action happens or the object being cleaned/called/given to.

How It Works

To form the progressive aspect of an -an verb, it helps to first look at the base neutral verb form (Root + -an, e.g., punasan). Then, follow these steps:

1. Reduplicate the first Consonant-Vowel (CV) or Vowel (V) of the root (e.g., punas → pu-).
2. Insert the infix -in-. If the root starts with a consonant, insert it after the first consonant of that new syllable (e.g., p-in-u-). For vowel-initial roots, see the special rules below.
3. Attach the -an suffix to the root (subject to the Special Formation Rules below, e.g., pinupunasan).

Special Formation Rules:

  • Vowel Deletion (Syncope): Many high-frequency roots drop the vowel of the final syllable when the suffix is added. For example, takip becomes tinatakpan. In cases like bili, the suffix used is actually -han, and dropping the final root vowel results in binibilhan.
  • D to R Shift: Roots ending in d often change the d to r when the suffix is added (e.g., bayad becomes binabayaran).
  • O to U Shift: Roots ending in o almost always change the o to u when a suffix is added (e.g., bato becomes binabatuhan, payo becomes pinapayuhan).
  • Roots starting with L, R, W, or Y: Roots starting with L and R usually take the prefix ni- instead of the -in- infix to avoid awkward consonant clusters (e.g., linis becomes nililinisan). Roots starting with W and Y traditionally take ni-, but in modern usage, they frequently take the -in- infix (e.g., wakas becomes winawakasan, yakap becomes yinayakapan).
  • Roots starting with a Vowel: Use the prefix in- before the reduplicated vowel (e.g., aral becomes inaaralan). Note that these words phonetically start with a glottal stop, which acts as the first consonant.
  • Suffix Variations: Roots ending in a vowel without a glottal stop regularly take -han instead of -an (e.g., basa 'to read' becomes binabasahan). However, roots ending in a vowel with a glottal stop take -an (e.g., basâ 'wet' becomes binabasaan).

Usage Nuance:
This form covers actions that are ongoing, habitual, or past progressive. Note that adding a suffix generally causes the primary stress to shift one syllable to the right.

Examples (5)

  1. Pinupunasan ni Maria ang salamin.

    Maria is wiping the mirror.

    Word by Word: Is-wiping by Maria the mirror.

    Here, 'salamin' (mirror) is the surface being acted upon, so it is marked with 'ang'.

  2. Binibilhan ko siya ng bulaklak.

    I am buying flowers for her.

    Word by Word: Is-buying-for by-me she of flowers.

    The root 'bili' takes the suffix '-han'. It undergoes vowel deletion, dropping the final 'i' to become 'binibilhan'.

  3. Nililinisan nila ang bakuran tuwing Sabado.

    They clean the yard every Saturday.

    Word by Word: Are-cleaning by-them the yard every Saturday.

    This shows a habitual action. Note the 'ni-' prefix because 'linis' starts with 'l'.

  4. Tinatakpan niya ang pagkain.

    He is covering the food.

    Word by Word: Is-covering by-him the food.

    The root 'takip' (cover) drops the 'i' when the suffix is added, resulting in 'tinatakpan'.

  5. Tinatawagan ko ang aking nanay.

    I am calling my mother.

    Word by Word: Is-calling by-me the my mother.

    The root is 'tawag'. The person being called is the 'direction' of the action, requiring the -an focus.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the reduplicated syllable.

    Pinunasan ni Maria ang mesa.
    Pinupunasan ni Maria ang mesa.

    'Pinunasan' is the completed aspect (wiped). To say 'is wiping,' you must repeat the first syllable of the root: 'pi-nu-punasan'.

  • Using 'si' for the actor instead of 'ni'.

    Pinupunasan si Maria ang mesa.
    Pinupunasan ni Maria ang mesa.

    In location focus, the actor is not the subject. The actor must be marked with ni or ng, while the location/object is marked with ang or si.

  • Failing to apply vowel deletion (syncope) in common verbs.

    Binibilihan niya ako ng kape.
    Binibilhan niya ako ng kape.

    Many common roots drop their final vowel when adding the -an suffix. For example, 'bili' becomes 'binibilhan' rather than 'binibilihan'.

How It Connects

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-in- + Reduplicated Root + -anLevel 2Progressive -An Form

Learn This First

To understand the progressive -an form, you need to know how the -an focus works, how to apply syllable reduplication for ongoing actions, and how the -in- infix is used to mark the initiated status of the action.

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Words in This Pattern

-an