tawag

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

  • Part of speech
    • Verb (root): tawag — “to call, summon, phone”
    • Common noun: tawag — “call, phone call, summons”
  • Sentence-position rule
    The conjugated tawag form normally heads the predicate and any clitic actor-pronoun follows it: Mo-tawag ko nimo unya.
    I’ll call you later.
  • Example sentences
    • Mo-tawag ko ug doktor kung mosamot ang sakit. — I will call a doctor if the pain gets worse.
    • Nag-tawag sila sa customer service karon. — They are calling customer service now.
    • Gi-tawagan sa HR ang aplikante kagahapon. — The applicant was called by HR yesterday.

2 Verb derivations of tawag

FormVoice & aspectTypical translationSample sentence
mag-tawagActor focus, habitual / future“will habitually call”Mag-tawag siya ug kliyente kada buntag. — She calls clients every morning.
mo-tawagActor focus, non-past / imperative“will call; call!”Mo-tawag ta karon, ha. — Let’s call now, okay.
nag-tawagActor focus, progressive“is / was calling”Nag-tawag ko pag-abot nimo. — I was on the phone when you arrived.
ni-tawag / mi-tawagActor focus, completed past“called”Ni-tawag sila sa polisiya kagabii. — They called the police last night.
gi-tawagPatient focus, completed past“was called (by …)”Gi-tawag sa maestro ang estudyante sa unahan. — The student was called to the front by the teacher.
tawgon (-on)Patient focus, future / imp.“to be called / call it”Tawgon nato ang meeting inig alas-dos. — We will call the meeting at two.
tawagan / tawagi (-an / -i)Beneficiary / locative focus“to call for / call someone”Tawagi ko palihog kung naay update. — Please call me if there’s an update.

3 Common phrases

  • tawag sa telepono — phone call
  • mag-tawag og taxi — call a taxi
  • walay tawag — no call / no signal
  • gi-tawag sa stage — called on stage
  • tawgon nga pangalan — name to be called

4 Detailed usage notes

  1. Actor-focus forms (mo-, nag-, ni-tawag) emphasize who is making the call.
  2. Patient focus (gi-tawag, tawgon) highlights who/what is being called or summoned: gi-tawag ang doktor.
  3. Beneficiary / locative focus (tawagan / tawagi) points to the recipient: tawagi siya “call him/her.”
  4. Markers — use ug/og for an indefinite object (mo-tawag ko og taxi), sa for definite (nag-tawag siya sa nurse).
  5. Noun use — tawag meaning “phone call”: na-miss nimo ang akong tawag — “you missed my call.”
  6. Reduplication — tawag-tawag may suggest repeated ringing or casual phone chatting.

5 Common mistakes & things to look out for

MistakeIssueCorrect form
Mo-tawag ako sa opisina.Clitic pronoun misplaced.Mo-tawag ko sa opisina.
Gi-tawag ko ang driver.With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa).Gi-tawag ni ko ang driver.
Tawgon ta siya!Beneficiary/locative command needs tawagi.Tawagi siya!
Nag-tawag sa hotlineMissing actor pronoun or subject.Nag-tawag ko sa hotline.

6 Short everyday conversations

  1. A: Mo-tawag ka ba unya sa banko? — Will you call the bank later?
    B: Oo, mo-tawag ko around 3 PM. — Yes, I’ll call around 3 PM.
  2. A: Nag-tawag pa ba si Mama? — Is Mom still on the phone?
    B: Wala na, ni-tawag lang siya og mubo. — No, she just made a short call.
  3. A: Tawagi ko palihog kung naka-abot ka na. — Please call me when you arrive.
    B: Sige, diretso dayon ko’g tawag. — Sure, I’ll call right away.
  4. A: Gi-tawag diay ka sa HR office? — HR called you?
    B: Oo, tawgon daw ko para interview ugma. — Yes, they’ll call me for an interview tomorrow.
  5. A: Mag-tawag ta og delivery? — Shall we call for delivery?
    B: Sakto, gutom na ko. — Right, I’m hungry already.
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