1 Part of speech, core meaning, and sentence position
- Part of speech
- Typical predicate order
The conjugated verb starts the predicate and any short actor pronoun follows it: Mo-buhat ko ug kape karon.
I will make coffee now.
Example sentences (bullet list with English translations and full parts-of-speech breakdown)
- Mo-buhat ko ug assignment pagkahuman sa klase. – I will do the assignment after class.
- Mo-buhat – Verb, actor focus, future aspect
- ko – Personal pronoun, first-person singular clitic (actor)
- ug – Object-marker particle
- assignment – Common noun (patient, indefinite)
- pagkahuman – Relational noun “after”
- sa – Linker particle
- klase – Common noun (time reference)
- Nag-buhat sila sa proyekto tibuok adlaw. – They were working on the project all day.
- Gi-buhat ni Ana ang cake kagahapon. – The cake was made by Ana yesterday.
2 Principal verb derivations
| Form | Focus & aspect | Usual translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-buhat | Actor, habitual / future | “be doing; usually make” | Mag-buhat sila ug plano ugma. – They will draw up a plan tomorrow. |
| mo-buhat | Actor, non-past / imperative | “will do; do it!” | Mo-buhat ta sa lista una. – Let’s make the list first. |
| nag-buhat | Actor, progressive / recent past | “is / was doing” | Nag-buhat siya sa kusina. – She is working in the kitchen. |
| mi-buhat / ni-buhat | Actor, completed past | “did, made” | Ni-buhat ko sa report gahapon. – I did the report yesterday. |
| gi-buhat | Patient, completed past | “was done / made (by …)” | Gi-buhat sa inhenyero ang disenyo. – The design was made by the engineer. |
| buhaton (-on) | Patient, future / imperative | “to be done / do it” | Buhaton nato ang proyekto karon. – Let’s do the project now. |
| buhatan (-an) | Locative / addressee | “to make for/at; workplace” | Buhatan nako siya ug tsaa. – I will make her some tea. |
3 Common phrases
- buhat ug kape – make coffee
- buhat sa proyekto – work on a project
- mag-buhat og plano – create a plan
- gi-buhat sa pabrika – made in the factory
- buhatan og balay – build a house
4 Detailed usage notes
- Actor focus dominates conversation – Everyday speech favors mo-buhat, nag-buhat, etc.
- Object markers – Use ug for indefinite things you make (buhat ug sud-an “cook a dish”), sa for definite ones (buhat sa report).
- Addressee / locative focus – buhatan highlights for whom or where something is done: Buhatan tika ug kape “I’ll make you coffee.”
- Reduplication – buhat-buhat can imply pretending to do something or light activity.
- Spelling of imperatives – Correct forms: buhata! (patient) and buhati! (addressee).
5 Common mistakes and things to watch out for
| Mistake | Issue | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-buhat ako ug trabaho. | Actor clitic misplaced. | Mo-buhat ko ug trabaho. |
| Gi-buhat ko ang report. | Actor must appear in genitive with gi-. | Gi-buhat ni ko ang report. |
| Buhaton ta siya! | Wrong imperative suffix for addressee. | Buhati siya! |
6 Short everyday conversations
- A: Unsay imong buhaton karong hapon? – What will you do this afternoon?
B: Mo-buhat ko ug cookies para sa mga bata. – I’ll bake cookies for the kids. - A: Nag-buhat ba sila sa dekorasyon? – Are they making the decorations?
B: Oo, hangtod karon nag-buhat pa sila. – Yes, they’re still working on them. - A: Buhati ko palihog ug kape. – Please make me coffee.
B: Sige, buhaton nako karon dayon. – Sure, I’ll make it right away. - A: Nganong wala ka ni-buhat sa homework? – Why didn’t you do the homework?
B: Na-busy ko sa trabaho kagabii. – I was busy with work last night. - A: Mag-buhat ta ug plano para sa biyahe? – Shall we make a plan for the trip?
B: Sige, buhaton nato ugma sa buntag. – Okay, we’ll do it tomorrow morning.
