Conflicts Between Acceptable the root TULONG as an example --

Fixed the post.

Verb family: tumulong , magtulungán , tulungan , matulong , matulungan , makatulong , maitulong , magtulongThese appear to be the verb family on TLDC.

Ahhh..good point...I was working down from dictionary...you need to work down from roots to get the full verb family.Salamat!

@BoraMac This is actually a really complicated question to answer for a non-native speaker... I've noticed a lot of times there is a rule, but sometimes it seems to just comes down to habit/custom for what is used more commonly.Some of these are just rules about affixes that make things more clear when you learn them...For example:magtulungan: the mag- -an verbs often have a sense of doing the verb together or in unison or with one another...so that verb might be more appropriate in that type of context. tumulong: the -um- verbs are often more "self contained" with no object involved...so it might be more appropriate for something like "I'd like to help!"makatulong: the maka- verbs are often to indicate being "able" to help. Ex: "I am not able to help you because my leg is broken."tulungan: the -an verbs are more often location/direction specific, and this one particularly has the focus on the person/thing you're helping. So, for example, "John is helping Tom learn Tagalog."Anyway...
I built the "Text Search Tool" here for this very reason...you can use it to search the database to do your own research to see how other people use different words in different contexts. You might have also noticed the green boxes next to the words when you do a search, too...this indicates how frequent a word is seen in our 24 million word text corpus...this can also be a good guide when trying to pick the best verb for your context, and to avoid archaic or uncommon words.

@TLDCAdminThanks for a thoughtful answer to a question I didn't fully reference to your great resource here.The "rules" for some affixes...you nailed in one...they make :"...things more clear when you learn them..."There are no "rules" that RULE the use of any affix...where rule means "CONTROL a meaningful class."So let's call them for what they are...mnemonic guidance...So for foreigners...why doesn't someone just construct a mnemonic device for all verbs with MAG- affixes...for all verbs with -IN affixes...or for all verbs with MAG- and -IN combinations.This would never occur as necessary to native Tagalogs.But if world class conjugators from Korea or Japan had such a tool...Tagalog verbs would instantly become a snap. Deterministic affixes would also greatly enable Chinese speakers. Tagalog conjugation is HIGHLY regular -- affix applicability is the ONLY real sticking point. MALABO!And...more AABCs would come along for the Tagalog deep dive too. And second / third generation immigrants from the Philippines.These days...I only hear Chinese spoken in my elevator from the lobby to floor 59...I'd like to get back to a bit more Tagalog.

@TLDCAdmin magtulungan: the mag- -an verbs often have a sense of doing the verb together or in unison or with one another...so that verb might be more appropriate in that type of context.

tumulong: the -um- verbs are often more "self contained" with no object involved...so it might be more appropriate for something like "I'd like to help!"*************************************************************************************************Great examples...but when counter examples SWAMP the so called rules...we have no RULE. All languages end up with a book full of irregular verbs...BUT they don't OVERWHELM the so called regular forms.So simple question...for verbs falling outside the above "rule" guidance...As a non-native...how do you decide between...-UM- or MAG- ??? Which is to ask...why is UM more useful than mag in a particular sentence. OR...why does MAG better communicate your core idea. No Tagalog I know has ever offered any guidance. Makes sense they primarily learn from context. Probably the best way for natives to learn.But natives must have other tools than only context -- if we are to ever convert SIGNIFICANT numbers to decent speakers. A million Chinese entering every year...more staying...seemingly many more to come. Does anyone want more non-native Tagalog speakers.Meeeh....na ko naman.Filipinos should care too if they are to fully exploit exploding economic opportunities for the rest of this century.

@BoraMac In this case, (-um- vs mag-)...one is correct, or the other is incorrect...and it just comes down to learning/memorizing, verb by verb.Personally, I think context and mass exposure is the answer. It's tempting to think of learning the language like solving a math problem, but as you probably know, it just doesn't work that way. A lot of times when you ask why something is said or written a certain way and not another way, the answer is simply "just because,...that's how it's done..." English is notoriously arbitrary in its rules when foreigners are trying to learn the language.In my opinion, the best way to learn a language is to...1.) Learn the basic grammar points of the language, while you...
2.) Build up a substantial vocabulary, to the point where you can...
3.) Read and listen to a TON of content in the target language, so you absorb the language and how it's used by people.This raw exposure to a very large volume of native content, in my opinion, is the best way to "acquire" the language in a practical way.