# Bumasa tayo ng isang kwento.



## Henfr01

I’m trying to learn Tagalog  and one of the text books I’m reading has “Bumasa tayo ng isang kwento.”  translated as “Let us read a story.” I would have translated this as “We read a story.”, using Bumasa as past tense.   I assume that the translation they came up with is using Bumasa as the imperative.  Is my assumption correct?  Also, what clues should I be looking for in order to make the correct translation?  There was no context to the sentence (i.e. it was not part of a larger text). It was a stand alone example.  Thank you for your time and help.


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## DotterKat

A good clue in a situation like this is the presence or absence of an adverb of time (_kahapon, kagabi, noong isang linggo, bukas,_ _mamaya_, etc.) or other indicator of tense in the other verbs used in the sentence. Lacking those, it will ultimately come down to semantic interpretation.

The root word is _basa_ (to read), plus the actor  infix _-um- _= _bumasa_, meaning that the verbal focus is the actor which in this case is the pronoun tayo (we). Now comes the tricky part, parsing the sentence:

1)It is not _We read a story_ (past participle [p.p.] _read_) as you interpreted bumasa to be the past/completed aspect of basa (to read). Without an adverb of time, it is more common to conjugate basa in the past tense using _nag-_ as in (_Nagbasa_ ako ng libro = I read [p.p.] a book). If used as a past/completed aspect verbal form, bumasa would normally have an adverb of time somewhere in the sentence as a clue that it is being used as a past tense (Bumasa siya ng libro _kahapon_). Again, _Nagbasa siya ng libro _would be more common.

2)In the sense that the speaker is exhorting the group to read a story, then one could say that this is indeed in the imperative mood. As it is written, _Bumasa tayo ng isang kwento_ connotes more an invitation to read rather than a command to do so.  If an exclamation point were used (as in _Bumasa tayo ng isang kwento!)_ then perhaps one could say that the speaker is strongly urging, if not commanding, the group to read a story. It is more common to use _mag-_ (_Magbasa tayo ng libro)_, which tends to give more of an implication of a command to do something even without the use of an exclamation point in the end. Thus, contextually it would be more in keeping for _Bumasa tayo ng isang kwento_ to be translated as _Let us read a story/ Let's read a story,_ that is an invitation for all to read a story (and not the other parsing possibility in the English translation of _Let_ us read a book, in which the speaker is begging _permission_ from someone for the group to be _allowed _to read a story).

In short, _bumasa _as used in your sentence is not in the past tense. For that, one would usually find an adverb of time to indicate a past tense (_kagabi, kahapon, kanina, noong isang araw, etc._) Also, the nag- prefix would be more commonly utilized to indicate the past tense (_nagbasa_). It is in the imperative mood in the sense of an exhortation or invitation for the group to do something (to read a story).


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## mataripis

One Story: Let's read!( Isang Kwento/Salaysay:Basahin Natin!


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## latchiloya

I wanted to get it straight to you Henfr01,



Henfr01 said:


> I’m trying to learn Tagalog  and one of the text books I’m reading has “Bumasa tayo ng isang kwento.”  translated as “Let us read a story.” I would have translated this as “We read a story.”, using Bumasa as past tense.



yup, it can be.



Henfr01 said:


> I assume that the translation they came up with is using Bumasa as the imperative.  Is my assumption correct?



your assumption is correct.



Henfr01 said:


> Also, what clues should I be looking for in order to make the correct translation?  There was no context to the sentence (i.e. it was not part of a larger text). It was a stand alone example.  Thank you for your time and help.



 In my standpoint, to say: _"magbasa"_ instead of _"bumasa"_ is my preference for the latter is ambiguous.

Magbasa ka ng matuto ka.
You read so you learn.

In the above context the _"magbasa"_ is in imperative statement. 

 I would strongly suggest you start learning the language by word of mouth. If ever relying on a book you need to compare it with another book that insights of authors may differ most of the time. ^^


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## DotterKat

latchiloya said:


> ....Magbasa ka ng matuto ka. You read so you learn.....



Just a slight correction to the text above, it should be:

Magbasa ka _nang _matuto ka.

We recall that _nang _as used in this sentence is standing for _para_ or _upang_ (_so that, in order that_), one of the uses that differentiates it from _ng_.


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## MarFish

DotterKat said:


> In short, _bumasa _as used in your sentence is not in the past tense. For that, one would usually find a adverb of time to indicate a past tense (_kagabi, kahapon, kanina, noong isang araw, etc._) Also, the nag- prefix would be more commonly utilized to indicate the past tense (_nagbasa_).



Is that common among past tense -um- verbs? To use nag- instead when there is no adverb of time?


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## DotterKat

MarFish said:


> Is that common among past tense -um- verbs? To use nag- instead when there is no adverb of time?



No, I was referring specifically to  _bumasa_ vs. _nagbasa_ only. For other -um- past tense verbs like_ kumain_, _bumalik_, _kumuha_, etc. the past tense is more self-evident even without the use of an adverb of time (when such words are used as the past tense; recall that these are also the infinitive forms).


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## Maginoo

As an aside here, ISTR that my Tagalog teacher told me that "bumasa" is used when one is reading silently, "magbasa" when reading aloud.  Is this right?


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## DotterKat

Maginoo said:


> As an aside here, ISTR that my Tagalog teacher told me that "bumasa" is used when one is reading silently, "magbasa" when reading aloud.  Is this right?



Absolutely not. One of the rules one would find for using a library is "_Magbasa nang tahimik_" (Read silently). One advice given to parents is "_Bumasa nang malakas sa inyong mga anak_" (Read aloud to your children). The reverse construction would also be correct: _Magbasa nang malakas. Bumasa nang tahimik._


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