In widespread contemporary Filipino, incompleted maka- uses nakaka- + root: nakakakita, nakakarinig, nakakatulog, nakakaalis. More formal or literary variants may instead repeat root-initial material, as in nakaririnig and nakatutulog. The form commonly presents recurring perception, repeated successful attainment, or continuing access to an opportunity. Unlike an ordinary progressive, an ability state need not be an action visibly underway.
Formation
| Root | Completed | Common incompleted | Contemporary structure | Common reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kita | nakakita | nakakakita | naka + ka + kita | can see / sees repeatedly |
| rinig | nakarinig | nakakarinig | naka + ka + rinig | can hear / hears repeatedly |
| tulog | nakatulog | nakakatulog | naka + ka + tulog | is able to sleep habitually |
| alis | nakaalis | nakakaalis | naka + ka + alis | can leave repeatedly |
| abot | nakaabot | nakakaabot | naka + ka + abot | regularly reaches |
The displayed forms repeat ka, the second syllable of the prefixed word. Formal or literary root-copy variants include nakakikita, nakaririnig, nakatutulog, nakaaalis, and nakaaabot. The vowels remain joined in both patterns; no hyphen or accent is added. See reduplication in verb formation.
Nakakakita na si Lola nang malinaw dahil sa bagong salamin.
Grandmother can now see clearly because of her new glasses.
Nakakaalis si Niko nang maaga tuwing Biyernes.
Niko is able to leave early every Friday.
Recurring perception and opportunity
Nakakarinig kami ng kampana tuwing alas sais ng umaga.
We hear a bell every morning at six.
Nakakapasok ang mga residente sa aklatan kahit Linggo.
Residents can enter the library even on Sundays.
The first is habitual perception. The second describes regularly available access. Neither verb agrees with plural kami or ang mga residente.
Past reference is also possible:
Nakakatulog ako nang maayos noong mas tahimik pa ang paligid.
I was able to sleep well when the neighborhood was quieter.
Noong supplies past time. Incompleted morphology presents a repeated ability during that period.
Completed versus incompleted
Nakaabot si Dalia sa palengke bago ito nagsara kahapon.
Dalia managed to reach the market before it closed yesterday.
Nakakaabot si Dalia sa palengke bago magsara kapag maaga siyang umaalis.
Dalia manages to reach the market before closing when she leaves early.
Completed nakaabot reports one success. Incompleted nakakaabot describes a repeatable pattern. Actor pivot si Dalia is unchanged.
For perception, compare actor and patient voice:
Nakakakita si Emil ng mga bangkang dumaraan sa malayo.
Emil can see boats passing in the distance.
Nakikita ni Emil ang parola mula sa kaniyang bintana.
Emil can see the lighthouse from his window.
Nakakakita selects Emil; patient-oriented nakikita selects the lighthouse. Both can express continuing perception.
Negation and questions
Hindi na ako nakakarinig nang maayos sa kaliwang tainga.
I can no longer hear properly in my left ear.
Hindi na says a previous continuing ability has ceased. Nang maayos is adverbial.
—Nakakapasok pa ba kayo sa lumang sistema? —Hindi na, pero nakakabasa pa kami ng mga lumang mensahe.
—Can you still access the old system? —Not anymore, but we can still read the old messages.
The exchange contrasts lost access with a remaining ability. Pa ba and pa occupy natural enclitic positions.
Lexical limits and variation
A root is a family of constructions. Rinig has actor nakakarinig, patient naririnig, and causative nagpaparinig with different pivots and meanings. One English word hear hides this network.
A developing ability versus a stable routine
The incompleted form can describe a newly available ability as well as a long-established pattern. Particles and time expressions distinguish the readings; the morphology itself says that the ability is currently unfolding or repeatedly available.
Nakakalakad na si Berto nang walang tungkod, pero maikli pa ang kaniyang mga hakbang.
Berto can now walk without a cane, but his steps are still short.
Nakakabasa pa ng maliliit na titik si Aling Sela kapag maliwanag.
Aling Sela can still read small print when the light is bright.
In the first example, na presents a newly reached stage in recovery. In the second, pa says that an ability continues. English may use can for both and leave the change-of-state contrast implicit.
In careful analysis, do not force a sharp boundary between an ability state and repeated successful events. Nakakaakyat siya rito tuwing Sabado can mean that the person is regularly able to climb here, with each climb also counting as an attained result. Context legitimately activates both parts of the construction.
Nakaririnig illustrates the accepted root-copy alternative to nakakarinig, especially in (formal) or (literary) usage. Contemporary conversation strongly favors nakakarinig for many speakers. Root-copy variants must still be checked family by family.
Some strings beginning nakaka- are lexical adjectives or evaluative formations, as in nakakatuwa “delightful.” They are not automatically incompleted ability verbs. Clause structure and root family determine the analysis.
Common Mistakes
❌ Nakikikita ni Mara ng bundok mula rito.
Incorrect formation and markers — nakikikita is not the ability form, and the actor pivot requires si.
✅ Nakakakita si Mara ng mga bundok mula rito.
Mara can see mountains from here.
❌ Nakakakita si Mara ang bundok mula rito.
Incorrect actor-voice alignment — the perceived entity takes ng.
✅ Nakakakita si Mara ng mga bundok mula rito kapag maaliwalas.
Mara can see mountains from here when the sky is clear.
❌ Nakakarinig-ing kami ng ugong gabi-gabi.
Incorrect — English -ing cannot attach to Filipino aspect morphology.
✅ Nakakarinig kami ng ugong gabi-gabi.
We hear a hum every night.
❌ Nakarinig ako nang maayos araw-araw.
Wrong for the intended recurring ability — nakarinig presents one bounded perception.
✅ Nakakarinig ako nang maayos kapag suot ko ang pantulong sa pandinig.
I can hear well when I am wearing my hearing aid.
Key Takeaways
- The widespread contemporary incompleted pattern is nakaka- + root; formal or literary usage may instead repeat root-initial material.
- It often expresses recurring perception or continuing/repeated opportunity rather than visible progress.
- Past, present, and habitual readings come from context.
- Actor voice keeps the experiencer or achiever as pivot.
- Verify lexical status because not every nakaka- word belongs to this paradigm.
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Start learning Filipino →Related Topics
- The maka- ability: Function and DistributionB1 — Understand how maka- expresses actor-oriented ability, opportunity, attainment, and lexicalized perception without reducing it to English can.
- The maka- ability: Completed-Aspect FormationB1 — Form completed maka- verbs with naka- for achieved perception, successful attainment, and realized opportunity.
- The maka- ability: Contemplated-Aspect FormationB1 — Form contemplated maka- verbs with makaka- to express an ability, opportunity, or successful result that has not yet begun.
- Incompleted AspectA2 — Use incompleted or imperfective verb forms for events viewed as unfolding, repeated, or habitual across past and present contexts.
- Reduplication in Verb FormationA2 — Recognize partial and full reduplication in Filipino verbs without confusing aspect marking, lexical derivation, and standard hyphenation.