# makasulat Vs makapagsulat



## Qcumber

Here are two examples taken from an old bilingual grammar book.

1) *Si G. Bernal ay hindî pá nakasúsúlat.*
= Mr. Bernal cannot write yet.
[my interpretation: Mr. Bernal is still unable to write. (probably after an accident)]

2) *Si Raul ay hindî ná makapág-sulát.*
= Raul cannot write.
[my interpretation: Now Raul has no time to write. (because he is too busy)]

Is the contrast *makasúlat Vs makapág-sulát* still used in today’s Tagalog? Ditto for other verbs.


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## epistolario

Qcumber said:


> Here are two examples taken from an old bilingual grammar book.
> 
> 1) *Si G. Bernal ay hindî pá nakasúsúlat.*
> = Mr. Bernal cannot write yet.
> [my interpretation: Mr. Bernal is still unable to write. (probably after an accident)]
> 
> 2) *Si Raul ay hindî ná makapág-sulát.*
> = Raul cannot write.
> [my interpretation: Now Raul has no time to write. (because he is too busy)]
> 
> Is the contrast *makasúlat Vs makapág-sulát* still used in today’s Tagalog? Ditto for other verbs.



Your examples sound Old Tagalog and are mainly used in writing, I suppose. Your interpretations are correct but there are other possibilities. 

1. I usually hear it applied to very young children who still do not know how to write (*pa* means still or yet). And we usually use marunong + magsulat: 

*Si Bitoy ay hindi pa marunong magsulat. *
Bitoy still doesn't know how to write. 

In your example, it's obvious that it's an adult, so it may be after an accident or for any other reasons. 

2. *Na* means anymore. Raul cannot write _anymore_. There are other possibile reasons why it is so: his hand was cut, paralyzed or injured.


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## Qcumber

ffrancis said:


> Your examples sound Old Tagalog and are mainly used in writing, I suppose. Your interpretations are correct but there are other possibilities.
> 1. I usually hear it applied to very young children who still do not know how to write (*pa* means still or yet). And we usually use marunong + magsulat:
> *Si Bitoy ay hindi pa marunong magsulat. *
> Bitoy still doesn't know how to write.
> In your example, it's obvious that it's an adult, so it may be after an accident or for any other reasons.
> 2. *Na* means anymore. Raul cannot write _anymore_. There are other possibile reasons why it is so: his hand was cut, paralyzed or injured.


Thanks a lot, Ffrancis, for your explanations.
In brief, you no longer use these forms.
The grammar book I was referring to was published in the 1950s. It's not that old. It's amazing the Tagalog of that period has become obsolete only half a century later.


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## jay19grace

Makasulat and makapagsulat is your original question right? 

well here is how i understand your question, 

are both forms still used?  

Yes they are, the example you used from an old dictionary used different forms.  But they were lacking details.  

So to completely answer you, how would you like to use makasulat vs makapagsulat? 

Makasulat for example is:  
Hindi ako makasulat sa iyo kasi marami akong ginagawa. 
I can't write to you because I'm too busy. 

The same meaning is upheld with: 
Hindi ako makapagsulat kasi marami akong ginagawa. 
I am unable to write anything because I'm too busy. 


The is the slight difference - you cannot use makapagsulat to someone but you can use makasulat to someone.  

Same goes with the Dictionary examples, just the form that changes.


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## epistolario

I agree with jay19grace. When I said that your examples sounded like Old Tagalog, I didn't mean that the forms are not use anymore. Sorry, I made a mistake; I should have said that it's used in written Tagalog. The formula *maka + verb* and *makapag + verb* is used but usually, only one of the two is applicable to all verbs, though. If you're not a native, it will take experience to learn when to use *maka *and* makapag*. It so happened that both of these two forms work for *sulat*. I can't think of any other verbs at this time. For other verbs, it's either of the two: 

*makakain 
makapagkain 

maka-aral 
makapag-aral 

makatulog 
makapagtulog *

etc


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## Qcumber

ffrancis said:


> The formula *maka + verb* and *makapag + verb* is used but usually, only one of the two is applicable to all verbs, though. If you're not a native, it will take experience to learn when to use *maka *and* makapag*. It so happened that both of these two forms work for *sulat*. I can't think of any other verbs at this time. For other verbs, it's either of the two:





ffrancis said:


> *makakain *
> *makapagkain *
> 
> *maka-aral *
> *makapag-aral *
> 
> *makatulog *
> *makapagtulog *
> 
> etc



Thanks a lot Jay19Grace and Ffrancis. 
From the examples your provide, FFrancis, it's obvious you use maka- when the reference verb is an -um- verb, eg. *kumáin* "eat" > *makakáin* "can eat". When it is a mag- verb, you use makapag-, e.g. *mag-áral* "study" > *makapag-áral* "can study".
So, when a verb has two conjugations - like *súlat* "write" - one with -um- and the other with mag-, it has both maka- and makapag-.
What puzzled me is that in the 1950s grammar book I was referring to (not a dictionary, and not that old, at least from a Westerner's point of view), was the sharp contrast between "opportunity to do sth." Vs "ability to do sth." ... which neither of you seems to take into account ... which boils down to saying - if I understand you (pl.) well - this contrast is no longer in current spoken usage, but could survive in current written usage.


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## mataripis

They are still in use nowadays. Tagalog has many forms and style in every Tagalog Provinces and areas.But Take note too that 1.) makasusulat should be " Makasulat" . Makapagsulat is  in standard form.


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