1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences
- Part of speech
- Typical predicate order
The conjugated verb begins the predicate and any short actor pronoun follows it: Mo-hatag ko ug kwarta karon.
I will give money now. - Example sentences (bullet list; English translations and full parts-of-speech breakdown)
2 Principal verb derivations
| Form | Focus & aspect | Standard translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-hatag | Actor focus, habitual / future | “be (regularly) giving” | Mag-hatag sila ug tabang kada bulan. – They give assistance every month. |
| mo-hatag | Actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will give; give!” | Mo-hatag ta og report karon. – Let’s provide a report now. |
| nag-hatag | Actor focus, progressive / recent past | “is / was giving” | Nag-hatag siya sa detalye sa miting. – She is giving the details in the meeting. |
| mi-hatag / ni-hatag | Actor focus, completed past | “gave” | Ni-hatag ko sa bayad gahapon. – I gave the payment yesterday. |
| gi-hatag | Patient focus, completed past | “was given (by …)” | Gi-hatag sa guro ang homework. – The homework was given by the teacher. |
| hatagon (-on) | Patient focus, future / imperative | “to be given / give it” | Hatagon nato ang premyo karong hapon. – We will award the prize this afternoon. |
| hatagan (-an) | Locative / addressee focus | “to give to someone; place of giving” | Hatagan tika ug regalo sa imong adlaw-ng-natawhan. – I’ll give you a present on your birthday. |
3 Common phrases
- hatag ug regalo — give a present
- hatag og tabang — give help
- mo-hatag og opinion — give an opinion
- gi-hatag sa gobyerno — granted by the government
- hatagan og higayon — give (someone) a chance
4 Detailed usage notes
- Actor focus in daily use — Forms like mo-hatag and nag-hatag dominate ordinary conversation.
- Object markers — Use ug/og before an indefinite thing (hatag og tubig), sa before a definite one (hatag sa tubig nga imong gihangyo).
- Addressee focus (-an) — hatagan emphasizes the recipient rather than the item: Hatagan ko siya ug kwarta — “I will give her money.”
- Reduplication — hatag-hatag can imply distributing small amounts or giving casually.
- Imperative endings — hataga! (patient-focus “give it!”) and hatagi! (addressee-focus “give someone!”) are common polite commands.
5 Common mistakes and things to look out for
| Mistake | Issue | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-hatag ako ug advice. | Actor clitic mis-positioned. | Mo-hatag ko ug advice. |
| Gi-hatag ko ang dokumento. | With gi-, the actor must be in a genitive phrase (ni / sa). | Gi-hatag ni ko ang dokumento. |
| Hatagon ta siya! | Wrong imperative suffix for addressee focus. | Hatagi siya! |
6 Short everyday conversations
- A: Unsay imong ihatag sa iyang kasal? – What will you give for her wedding?
B: Mo-hatag ko ug sobre nga may kwarta. – I’ll give an envelope with money. - A: Nag-hatag ba sila og snacks sa miting? – Are they handing out snacks in the meeting?
B: Oo, libre ra tanan. – Yes, everything is free. - A: Hatagi ko palihog og kopya sa file. – Please give me a copy of the file.
B: Sige, ihatag nako karon via email. – Sure, I’ll send it now via email. - A: Nganong wala ka ni-hatag sa resibo? – Why didn’t you give the receipt?
B: Nakalimot ko, akong dalhon ugma. – I forgot; I’ll bring it tomorrow. - A: Mag-hatag ta og donasyon para sa eskuylahan? – Shall we donate to the school?
B: Sige, hatagon nato sila ug libro. – Okay, let’s give them books.
