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I have a question (two really): I recently read of a constructio

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Author Photo by: Diegocorry Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious Supporter
Jul 29 2019, 5:25pm CST ~ 4 years ago. 
I have a question (two really): I recently read of a construction where "kaka" is prefixed to a verb to denote an action in the very recent past, e.g., "kakagisig" = "to have just awakened." Question 1: How common is this usage? Question 2: What would be a commonly used syntax, "Kakagisig ako." "Kakagisig na ako." Kakagisig na ako ngayon"? Or something different? Thank you.
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Author Photo TLDCAdmin Badge: AdminBadge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP Supporter
Jul 29 2019, 8:36pm CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Diegocorry
Usually you'll see "ko lang" follow a "kaka+root" word...
Ex: Kakagising ko lang. = I just woke up.
 
I'd say it's fairly common, maybe just as common as saying "I just woke" or "I just ate" or "I just finished" in English would be.
 
( also for future reference, the root for "waking" is "gising," you missed the "n" in your text above... )
 
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Author Photo Tagamanila Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP SupporterBadge: Native Tagalog Speaker
Jul 30 2019, 12:41am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Diegocorry
 
1. It is commonly used.
 
2. It is normally followed by “lang” or “pa lang” which translates to “just”.
 
The prefix is “ka” and it is used with an “event” that is not necessarily a verb. It functions like the adverb “just” in relation to time. It is attached to a root word and its first syllable is repeated. However, I think in some Tagalog regions they tend to repeat the prefix instead and that would make it look like the prefix is “kaka-”.
 
When relating the event to someone, the possessive form of the noun or pronoun is used.
 
KaGIGIsing = KAKAgising = to have just awakened
 
Kagigising/Kakagising ko lang (ngayon). = I just woke up (now).
Kaaalis/Kakaalis lang ni Peter. = Peter has just left.
Kakakain mo lang ba? = Have you just eaten?
Kabe-birthday mo lang noong isang buwan. = You just had your birthday last month.
Kaa-alas singko lang nang dumating si John. = It was just a little past five o’clock when John arrived.
- In the last example, since time can’t be owned, no possessive noun or pronoun was used.
 
This “ka” prefix gives a recentness meaning to an event, although the meaning is relative. It may not also be referring to the present.
 
Kagigising ko lang nang dumating si John. = I just woke up when John arrived.
- The waking up is in relation to John’s arrival, whenever that was in the past.
 
Kakakasal lang nila noong 2015. = They just got married in 2015.
- Although the event took place four years ago, it was considered “recent” by the speaker.
 
The “pa” is sometimes added before “lang” to add emphasis to the real or relative recentness of the event.
 
Kagigising ko pa lang ngayon. - The speaker wanted to emphasize that he just woke up maybe like a few seconds ago.
 
Kakakain mo pa lang nagugutom ka na naman? = You just ate and now you’re hungry again?
 
Kakakasal pa lang nila noong 2015 nang huli ko silang nakita. = They were newly married in 2015 the last time I saw them.
 
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Author Photo Diegocorry Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious Supporter
Jul 30 2019, 5:04am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@TLDCAdmin Thank you.
 
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Author Photo Diegocorry Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious Supporter
Jul 30 2019, 5:07am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Tagamanila Thank you for a very instructive lesson - much appreciated.
 
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Author Photo Tagamanila Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP SupporterBadge: Native Tagalog Speaker
Jul 31 2019, 6:06am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Diegocorry You're welcome!
 
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Author Photo Diegocorry Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious Supporter
Aug 02 2019, 9:34am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Tagamanila So your reply leads me to another question: are there numerous constructions where "the possessive form of the noun or pronoun is used?" That is, is it common to have a sentence that seems to lack an "actor" or a "subject"? I know one that I've encountered is, "Gusto mo ba ng tubig?" In my ignorance, I would guess it "should" be "Gusto mo ba ang tubig?" Thank you.
 
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Author Photo TLDCAdmin Badge: AdminBadge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP Supporter
Aug 02 2019, 10:20am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Diegocorry
That is, is it common to have a sentence that seems to lack an "actor" or a "subject"? I know one that I've encountered is, "Gusto mo ba ng tubig?" In my ignorance, I would guess it "should" be "Gusto mo ba ang tubig?" Thank you.
 
@Diegocorry
I think it may help to consider pseudo verbs like "gusto" (and ayaw, puwede, kailangan, dapat, etc.) as different animals, with different rules and constructs than normal verbs...
 
Also, I've noticed sometimes in object-focus verbs the actor may be omitted if the actor was just mentioned elsewhere in the sentence or in a recent prior sentence.
 
"Gusto mo ba ng tubig?" In my ignorance, I would guess it "should" be "Gusto mo ba ang tubig?"
 
"ng tubig" tends to translate to "some water," where "ang tubig" translates to "the (specific) water." So typically you'd ask if someone would like "some (non-specific) water."
 
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Author Photo Diegocorry Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious Supporter
Aug 02 2019, 10:43am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@TLDCAdmin Thank you - again, very helpful!
 
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Author Photo Tagamanila Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP SupporterBadge: Native Tagalog Speaker
Aug 05 2019, 1:10am CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Diegocorry
 
>>are there numerous constructions where "the possessive form
>> of the noun or pronoun is used?"
 
The possessive form of the noun or pronoun is used to indicate the actor of the verb when an object-focus verb is used.
 
SI Mary ay NAGBABASA ng libro. = Mary is reading a book. - “Nagbabasa” (reading) is actor/subject focus and the object is “libro” (book).
 
If we are to use an object-focus verb instead, the sentence becomes:
 
Ang libro ay BINABASA NI Mary. = The book is being read by Mary. - The verb “binabasa” (reading) is object-focus. The subject now is “libro” and Mary as the actor is preceded by the possessive “ni”. If we are to replace “NI Mary” with a pronoun, this becomes:
 
Ang libro ay BINABASA NIYA. = The book is being read by HER.
 
Note though that although the structural translation of the sentence with an object-focus verb comes out in the passive voice in English, to us it is just like how it is in the active voice with only a change in the verb used.
 
>> is it common to have a sentence that seems to lack an "actor" or a "subject"?
 
As long as the actor or subject is already understood, it would be possible to omit them in a sentence. I believe that it’s the same thing in English.
 
Nagawa na. = Done already.
Baka mamaya. = Maybe later.
 
“Gusto mo ba ng tubig?” has “mo” (you) as the actor. As TLDCAdmin said, “gusto” is one of those few words that behave differently. It is actually the short and almost always preferred form of the verb “ginugusto”, which is object-focus. It is that focus that makes the pronoun “mo” and not “ikaw” as the actor.
 
The sentence becomes “abnormal” with “gusto” because if we are to use “ginugusto” instead, “Ginugusto mo ba ng tubig?” literally translates to “Are you liking of water?” which sounds quite unnatural in Filipino. It has to be stated as “Ginugusto mo bang uminom ng tubig?”, which literally becomes “Are you liking the drinking of water?” and will be correctly understood as “Would you like some water?”. “Gusto”, therefore, may follow a different syntax as compared to that of a “normal” verb.
 
“Gusto mo ba ANG tubig?” would mean “Would you like the water?”. It will make sense to ask it if, for example, you’re offering someone a drink and you have a glass of water in one hand and beer in the other. It is about making a choice.
 
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Author Photo Diegocorry Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious Supporter
Aug 05 2019, 4:41pm CST ~ 4 years ago. 
@Tagamanila Once again, thank you very much. I really appreciate the time and effort that you all put into answering these questions!
 
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