# babasa, bumasa



## Valkyr

nagbabasa ka ng libro = you are reading a book
binabasa mo ang libro = the book is being read by yo

This is my first post,

The reason I am confused is because to translate I used an English to Tagalog converter and it said that

reading is Pagbasa; babasahín.
read is Bumasa.

Why is there this slight difference as those who have posted before me seem to accept that babasa is read not bumasa?

P.s I am very new to Tagalog so please don't think that I am in any way implying that you's guys are wrong:0


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## niernier

> Why is there this slight difference as those who have posted before me seem to accept that babasa is read not bumasa?


Make a note of the fact that verbs are conjugated using a root word. I don't know if there has been a standard dictionary form of the Tagalog verbs but do remember that basa is the root verb which means "to read". Babasa and bumasa are already conjugated forms(have a look at the chart below).

Pagbasa is a gerund, a verb transformed to a noun similar to the -ing form in English
Basahin is the imperative/command form of the verb
Babasahin is the future tense of the verb and depending on the pronunciation, it can also take the meaning of "reading material" such as a book, magazine, newspaper.

And for your convenience, here is a chart of the verb conjugations of the root verb basa(to read).

                                 Past                - Present                - Future
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  bumasa            - bumabasa            - babasa (Actor focused)          

nagbasa           - nagbabasa           - magbabasa (Actor focused) 

binasa             - binabasa              - babasahin (Object focused) 

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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## rockjon

Watch out for the translations give by the online translation services.  In the examples, you used from the translation web site:

nagbabasa ka ng libro = you are reading a book
binabasa mo ang libro = the book is being read by you

The second translation means that but the Tagalog object focus is not the same as the English passive voice.  A lot of Tagalog for English speaker books will describe the object focus tense as being the same as English passive voice. It's not the same.   

Ex:
Kumain ako ng mansanas. I ate an apple.
Kinain ko yung mansanas. I ate an apple (English active). Though, I guess you can also translate this to the apple was eaten by me (English passive) though Tagalog speakers don't consider the English passive meaning.   

The meaning is more or less the same.  However, the usage of these two conjugations depends on the situation.  The actor focus verbs usually concentrate on the actor.  The object focus verbs concentrate on what's happening to the object.


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## mataripis

Valkyr said:


> nagbabasa ka ng libro = you are reading a book
> binabasa mo ang libro = the book is being read by yo
> 
> This is my first post,
> 
> The reason I am confused is because to translate I used an English to Tagalog converter and it said that
> 
> reading is Pagbasa; babasahín.
> read is Bumasa.
> 
> Why is there this slight difference as those who have posted before me seem to accept that babasa is read not bumasa?
> 
> P.s I am very new to Tagalog so please don't think that I am in any way implying that you's guys are wrong:0


1.)when read in Tagalog= sa pagbasang Tagalog 2.) going to read= babasahin   3.)  i read books yesterday= bumasa ako ng mga aklat kahapon.


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