balik

1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences

Part of speech
- Verb (root): balik — “to return, come/go back, repeat”
- Common noun (occasionally): balik — “return, recurrence”
Sentence-position guideline
A conjugated form of balik normally begins the predicate, followed immediately by any clitic actor-pronoun: Mo-balik ko ugma sa buntag.
I will come back tomorrow morning.
Example sentences (each shows the verb’s place in the clause)
- Mo-balik ko sa opisina pagkahuman sa panihapon. — I will return to the office after dinner.
  - Mo-balik – Verb, actor focus, future aspect
  - ko – Personal pronoun, first-person singular clitic (actor)
  - sa – Locative-marker particle
  - opisina – Common noun (location)
  - pagkahuman – Relational noun “after”
  - sa – Linker particle
  - panihapon – Common noun “dinner”
- Nag-balik sila sa daang ruta kay naay aksidente. — They are going back to the old route because there is an accident.
  - Nag-balik – Verb, actor focus, progressive aspect
  - sila – Personal pronoun, third-person plural (actor)
  - sa – Locative-marker particle
  - daang ruta – Noun phrase (location)
  - kay – Subordinating conjunction “because”
  - naay – Existential verb “there is”
  - aksidente – Common noun
- Gi-balik ni Ana ang libro sa librarya gahapon. — The book was returned by Ana to the library yesterday.
  - Gi-balik – Verb, patient focus, past aspect
  - ni – Genitive marker for personal names
  - Ana – Proper noun (actor)
  - ang – Subject-marker particle
  - libro – Common noun (patient)
  - sa – Locative-marker particle
  - librarya – Common noun (destination)
  - gahapon – Adverb of time “yesterday”

2 Principal verb derivations

Form	Voice / aspect	Typical clause slot	Sample use
mag-balik	Actor focus, habitual / future	Predicate head	Mag-balik sila ug Cebu kada tuig. — They return to Cebu every year.
mo-balik	Actor focus, non-past / imperative	Predicate head	Mo-balik ta karon. — Let’s go back now.
nag-balik	Actor focus, progressive	Predicate head	Nag-balik siya sa gawas sa tindahan. — She is heading back outside the shop.
mi-balik / ni-balik	Actor focus, completed past	Predicate head	Ni-balik ko kagabii. — I came back last night.
gi-balik	Patient focus, completed past	Predicate head	Gi-balik sa mekaniko ang piyesa. — The part was reinstalled by the mechanic.
balikon (-on)	Patient focus, future / imperative	Predicate head	Balikon nato ang eksperimento. — Let’s repeat the experiment.
balikan (-an)	Locative / beneficiary focus	Predicate head	Baliki ko sa pintuan, palihog. — Please come back for me at the door.

3 Common phrases

balik sa balay — return home
balik-balik — keep coming back / repeatedly
balikon ang istorya — repeat the story
balikan ang trabaho — resume the work
gi-balik sa supplier — sent back by the supplier

4 Detailed usage notes

Core senses — physical return (mo-balik sa balay), figurative repetition (balikon ang leksyon), or restoration (gi-balik ang setting).
Actor vs. patient focus — use actor-focus forms when the returning party is highlighted; patient-focus when the thing being returned/repeated is subject.
Locative/beneficiary focus — balikan / baliki emphasises the place or person revisited: balikan nako ka ugma “I’ll come back for you tomorrow.”
Reduplication — balik-balik can suggest persistence or iteration: Balik-balik nag error “It keeps erroring repeatedly.”

5 Common mistakes and avoidance tips

Mistake	Why it’s wrong	Correct form
Mo-balik ako unya.	Clitic actor pronoun must directly follow the verb.	Mo-balik ko unya.
Gi-balik ko ang bayad.	With gi-, actor must appear in genitive form.	Gi-balik ni ko ang bayad.
Balikon ta siya!	For beneficiary/locative imperative, use baliki.	Baliki siya!

6 Short everyday conversations

A: Kanus-a ka mo-balik sa Japan? — When will you return to Japan?
B: Mo-balik ko sunod buwan. — I’ll be back next month.
A: Nag-balik ba siya sa tindahan? — Did she go back to the shop?
B: Oo, naay kulang sa iyang gipalit. — Yes, something was missing from what she bought.
A: Baliki ko palihog diri sa lobby. — Please come back for me here in the lobby.
B: Sige, mga alas tres ko mo-balik. — Okay, I’ll return around three.
A: Nganong balikon pa man nimo ang exam? — Why will you retake the exam?
B: Gusto ko makakuha ug mas taas nga grado. — I want to get a higher score.
A: Balikon nato ang presentation alang sa rehearse? — Shall we run through the presentation again for rehearsal?
B: Oo, aron dili ta ma-palpak ugma. — Yes, so we don’t mess up tomorrow.

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