Common Tagalog Prefixes

Question 1

ga-

Answer 1

1. As big (large) as a + noun

ga + bahay (gabahay - As big as a house)
ga + bundok (gabundok - As large as a mountain)

2. Like as, similar to + noun, pronoun

ga + nito (ganito - like this)
ga + niyan (ganiyan - like that)

Question 2

gaga-

Answer 2

As small as a + noun

gaga + butil (gagabutil - as small as a grain_

As tiny as a + noun, pronoun

Question 3

ka-

Answer 3

1. implies companionship or partnership when prefixed to a root‎ka- + ‎sama (“to accompany”) → ‎kasama (“partner”)
   ‎ka- + ‎opisina (“office”) → ‎kaopisina (“coworker”)
2. implies similarity or interaction when prefixed to a root noun‎ka- + ‎mukha (“face”) → ‎kamukha (“someone/something similar; look-alike”)
   ‎ka- + ‎away (“fight”) → ‎kaaway (“enemy”)
3. implies repeated action when prefixed to a root that repeats the first syllable‎ka- + ‎sigaw (“shout”) → ‎kasisigaw (“repeatedly shouting”)
   ‎ka- + ‎isip (“mind, thought”) → ‎kaiisip (“thinking a lot”)
4. implies causing or producing something in an extreme degree when prefixed to a root that repeats the first two syllables‎ka- + ‎galang (“respect”) → ‎kagalang-galang (“inspiring great respect”)
   ‎ka- + ‎paniwala (“belief”) → ‎kapani-paniwala (“very plausible”)
5. implies recent action when prefixed to a root that repeats the first syllable and followed by lang or lamang‎ka- + ‎punta (“going”) → ‎kapupunta (“recently went”)
   ‎ka- + ‎luto (“cooking, cuisine”) → ‎kaluluto (“recently cooked”)

Source Wikitionary

Question 4

kaka-

Answer 4

1. prefix denoting repeated action‎kaka- + ‎sigaw (“shout”) → ‎kakasigaw (“repeatedly shouting”)
   ‎kaka- + ‎isip (“mind, thought”) → ‎kakaisip (“thinking a lot”)
2. prefix denoting the recently completed aspect‎kaka- + ‎punta (“going”) → ‎kakapunta (“recently went”)
   ‎kaka- + ‎luto (“cooking, cuisine”) → ‎kakaluto (“recently cooked”)

Source Wiktionary

Question 5

kawalang-

Answer 5

(added to nouns) lack or absence of something.

kawaláng-pag-asa -> hopelessness; despair

Question 6

i-

Answer 6

1. benefactive trigger: to perform the action of the verb for someone or something (expresses various kinds of actions)‎i- + ‎bili (“buy”) → ‎ibili (“to buy something for someone”)
   Ibili mo ako ng saging.

      Buy me bananas.

2. object trigger: to do something to a person or a thing (expresses various kinds of actions)‎i- + ‎tapon (“throw”) → ‎itapon (“to throw”)
   Itapon mo iyan sa basurahan.

     Throw that to the garbage.

3. instrumental trigger: to use something for a certain purpose (expresses various kinds of actions)‎i- + ‎sulat (“write”) → ‎isulat (“to use something for writing”)
   Isulat mo ng listahan ang lapis.

     Use the pencil to write a list.

Source Wiktionary

Question 7

ika-

Answer 7

Etymology 1:

1. used to form ordinal numbers‎ika- + ‎dalawa (“two”) → ‎ikalawa (“second”)
2. used to express o’clockSynonym: alas
   ‎ika- + ‎lima (“five”) → ‎ikalima (“five o’clock”)

Etymology 2:

1. used to form verbs with causative focus‎ika- + ‎galit (“anger”) → ‎ikagalit (“to cause one’s anger”)