The root alam connects a state of knowledge with events of finding out, investigating, and informing. Bare alam means that knowledge already holds; malaman presents knowledge as attained or possible; alamin presents a deliberate effort to find something out; and ipaalam presents information as made known to someone.
English often uses know or find out without revealing the Filipino participant frame. Filipino also has no ordinary actor-voice form such as umalam for everyday “know.” The root-centered network is partly irregular and lexicalized, so its complete constructions are more useful than a mechanically filled conjugation chart.
Core forms and functions
| Family and selected participant | Basic | Completed | Incompleted | Contemplated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| existing knowledge state | alam | |||
| knowledge attained or possible | malaman | nalaman | nalalaman | malalaman |
| information deliberately sought, patient voice | alamin | inalam | inaalam | aalamin |
| information made known, causative patient/conveyance voice | ipaalam | ipinaalam | ipinaaalam | ipaaalam |
| person taking leave or requesting permission, actor voice | magpaalam | nagpaalam | nagpapaalam | magpapaalam |
Bare alam is a state predicate and does not itself alternate for completed, incompleted, and contemplated aspect. The other rows add distinct event meanings. This difference is part of the wider pattern described under aspect with stative predicates. Magpaalam is historically transparent enough to recognize but highly lexicalized: it normally means ask permission, say goodbye, or take one's leave—not simply “cause knowledge.”
Alam: knowledge that already holds
In the common predicate frame, the knower takes an ng/ni form and the known fact, answer, or identifiable item takes an ang form. English reverses the apparent alignment by making the knower its subject.
Alam ni Tessa ang daan papunta sa lumang pantalan.
Tessa knows the way to the old port. (neutral knowledge state)
Hindi ko alam kung bakit isinara nang maaga ang tanggapan.
I do not know why the office was closed early. (neutral negative)
Time expressions can locate this state without aspect morphology.
Alam na namin ang problema bago pa nagsimula ang pagpupulong.
We already knew about the problem before the meeting began. (exclusive we; past state from context)
This does not mean “we found out.” It says the knowledge was already present. Completed nalaman would instead profile the transition into knowing.
Linking a proposition: alam kong and alam ko na
Before a following proposition, an ng-form pronoun normally carries the linker: alam ko + -ng → alam kong.
Alam kong darating si Mina bago magtanghali.
I know that Mina will arrive before noon. (linked proposition)
By contrast, Alam ko na can be a complete clause meaning “I know now/already.” A following na can also introduce a proposition, but the result may be ambiguous between linker/complementizer and the phase particle. Alam kong... is the compact dependable choice when the intended meaning is simply “I know that...”
Questions often take kung, sino, saan, or another interrogative complement: alam ko kung saan, “I know where.” Do not translate English know how word for word in every skill context; ability often uses marunong or kaya, depending on meaning.
Malaman and alamin: discovery versus inquiry
The ma-...-an family presents knowledge as attained, emerging, or possible. The person who learns normally appears in an ng/ni form, while what becomes known is the pivot.
Nalaman ni Cora ang bagong iskedyul sa mensaheng ipinadala ng kalihim.
Cora learned the new schedule from the message sent by the secretary. (completed attainment)
Malalaman natin ang resulta kapag natapos na ang huling pagsusuri.
We will learn the result when the final examination is complete. (contemplated attainment; inclusive we)
Patient-voice alamin adds deliberate inquiry, checking, or investigation.
Inalam ni Cora ang bagong iskedyul sa tanggapan bago siya bumili ng tiket.
Cora checked the new schedule at the office before buying a ticket. (completed deliberate inquiry)
The controlled comparison keeps Cora and the schedule constant. Nalaman presents the knowledge as an attained result, possibly incidental. Inalam says Cora actively sought the information. These are two common frames, not a simple active/passive pair. Forcing an English voice opposition here would erase the lexical difference.
Incompleted inaalam presents an inquiry under way or repeated. Nalalaman can present knowledge that becomes available progressively or repeatedly, though bare alam is more natural for a stable fact already known.
Ipaalam: make information known
Ipaalam selects the information, decision, or event communicated. The informer takes ng/ni, and the recipient takes sa/kay.
Ipinaalam ni Cora sa buong pangkat ang pagbabago sa oras ng pag-alis.
Cora informed the whole group about the change in departure time. (completed information transfer)
Ipaaalam ko sa inyo ang bagong petsa kapag sumagot na ang tagapamahala.
I will let you know the new date once the administrator replies. (contemplated information transfer)
Careful morphological spelling distinguishes ipinaaalam and ipaaalam, preserving the adjacent vowels of ipa- + alam. Widespread ipinapaalam/ipapaalam also occurs, especially where the meaning approaches requesting permission. Shorter pinaalam/pinapaalam is common (informal). Because the information and permission families overlap in modern usage, context is more reliable than a claim that every speaker maintains a perfect formal distinction.
Magpaalam and nominal expressions
Actor-voice magpaalam selects a person asking permission, saying goodbye, or announcing departure. The person consulted normally takes sa/kay.
Nagpaalam muna si Dindo sa kaniyang superbisor bago umuwi nang maaga.
Dindo asked his supervisor's permission before going home early. (actor voice; permission or leave-taking interaction)
Ipinaalam ni Dindo sa kaniyang superbisor ang maaga niyang pag-uwi.
Dindo informed his supervisor of his early departure. (information pivot)
These examples keep Dindo, his supervisor, and the early departure constant but do not express a mechanical active/passive alternation. Nagpaalam selects Dindo and presents an interaction of requesting permission or taking leave. Ipinaalam selects the information made known and asserts notification without itself saying that permission was requested. For an unambiguous transfer of factual information, use ipaalam ang impormasyon sa...
Useful related expressions include kaalaman “knowledge,” pag-alam “finding out,” alam na alam “know very well,” and walang kaalam-alam “completely unaware.” Alam mo... also introduces shared or personal background in conversation (informal), much like “you know...” in English.
—Alam mo ba kung sino ang may hawak ng susi? —Hindi, pero aalamin ko ito sa tagapangasiwa.
—Do you know who has the key? —No, but I will find out from the administrator. (neutral conversation)
Common Mistakes
Giving the knower an English-style ang form
❌ Ako alam ang daan papunta sa lumang pantalan.
Incorrect neutral structure — the knower takes the ng-form ko in this predicate frame.
✅ Alam ko ang daan papunta sa lumang pantalan.
I know the way to the old port.
Using nalaman for a state that already held
❌ Nalaman ni Tessa ang lihim mula pa noong bata siya.
Wrong for the intended long-standing state — nalaman profiles the event of finding out.
✅ Alam ni Tessa ang lihim mula pa noong bata siya.
Tessa has known the secret since childhood.
Omitting the linker before a proposition
❌ Alam ko magsisimula ang pagpupulong sa alas-diyes.
Incorrect in careful standard Filipino — ko must link to the following proposition.
✅ Alam kong magsisimula ang pagpupulong sa alas-diyes.
I know that the meeting will begin at ten o’clock.
Using magpaalam for an ordinary factual notification
❌ Nagpaalam si Cora sa pangkat ang bagong oras ng biyahe.
Incorrect for the intended factual notification — magpaalam selects a person taking leave or requesting permission and does not license this frame.
✅ Ipinaalam ni Cora sa pangkat ang bagong oras ng biyahe.
Cora informed the group of the new travel time.
Key Takeaways
- Alam describes an existing knowledge state and does not carry verbal aspect.
- Malaman/nalaman presents knowledge as possible or attained; alamin/inalam presents deliberate inquiry.
- Ipaalam makes selected information known to a sa/kay recipient.
- Magpaalam is a lexicalized actor-voice family for permission, goodbye, or taking leave.
- The root network has real lexical and spelling variation; store whole constructions rather than manufacturing an English-style paradigm.
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