1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences
- Part of speech
- Sentence-position rule
The conjugated pangita form goes first in the predicate, then the clitic actor-pronoun:
Mo-pangita ko og trabaho karong tuiga.
I will look for a job this year.
- Example sentences • Mo-pangita ko sa susi unya sa sala. — I’ll look for the key later in the living room.
• Nag-pangita sila og barato nga hotel. — They are looking for an affordable hotel.
• Gi-pangita sa pulis ang nawagtang nga bata. — The missing child was being searched for by the police.
2 Verb derivations of pangita
| Form | Voice & aspect | Typical translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-pangita | Actor focus, habitual / future | “will habitually search” | Mag-pangita siya og bargains kada sale. |
| mo-pangita | Actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will search; search!” | Mo-pangita ta ron ug sakyanan. |
| nag-pangita | Actor focus, progressive / recent past | “is / was searching” | Nag-pangita ko pag-text nimo. |
| ni-pangita / mi-pangita | Actor focus, completed past | “searched” | Ni-pangita sila sa ruta kagahapon. |
| gi-pangita | Patient focus, completed past | “was looked for (by …)” | Gi-pangita sa HR ang CV nimo. |
| pangita-on (-on) | Patient focus, future / imp. | “to be sought / look for it” | Pangita-on nato ang pinakamaayo nga presyo. |
| pangita-an / pangita-i (-an / -i) | Locative / beneficiary focus | “to look for someone / look at” | Pangita-i siya og taxi, palihog. |
3 Common phrases
- pangita og trabaho — look for work
- mag-pangita og kwarta — seek money (look for ways to earn)
- walay pangita — nothing to look for / jobless
- gi-pangita sa pamilya — sought by the family
- pangita-on nga solusyon — solution to be looked for
4 Detailed usage notes
- Actor-focus (mo-, nag-, ni-pangita) centers on the searcher.
- Patient-focus (gi-pangita, pangita-on) makes the object sought the grammatical subject: gi-pangita ang resibo.
- Locative / beneficiary (pangita-an / pangita-i) shows where or for whom: pangita-i ko og upa “find me a rental.”
- Object markers — og/ug for indefinite (mo-pangita og trabaho), sa for definite (nag-pangita sa susi).
- Noun use — pangita as “search”: taas ang pangita “the search is long.”
- Reduplication — pangita-pangita can mean casual browsing or half-hearted searching.
5 Common mistakes & things to watch out for
| Mistake | Issue | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-pangita ako og libro. | Clitic pronoun misplaced. | Mo-pangita ko og libro. |
| Gi-pangita ko ang papel. | With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa). | Gi-pangita ni ko ang papel. |
| Pangita-on ta siya! | Beneficiary command needs pangita-i. | Pangita-i siya! |
| Nag-pangita sa tindahan | Missing actor pronoun or subject. | Nag-pangita ko sa tindahan. |
6 Short everyday conversations
- A: Asa ka mo-pangita og kape nga barato? — Where will you look for cheap coffee?
B: Sa public market, daghan dito. — At the public market, there are many there. - A: Nag-pangita pa ba ka sa imong phone? — Are you still searching for your phone?
B: Oo, murag nahulog sa jeep. — Yes, I think it fell in the jeepney. - A: Pangita-i ko palihog og reference book. — Please find me a reference book.
B: Sige, molakaw ko sa library karon. — Sure, I’ll go to the library now. - A: Ni-pangita diay ka og lain trabaho? — You already looked for another job?
B: Ni-pangita ko kay gusto ko mas dako’g sweldo. — Yes, because I want a higher salary. - A: Mag-pangita ta ug lugar para sa outing? — Shall we look for a place for the outing?
B: Sakto, para maka-reserve ta sayo. — Right, so we can reserve early.
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