Naka/Nakaka

@calingaerta
The prefixes/infixes/suffixes can be confusing...And they all seem to use the same letters m,n,g,a,p,k,i...which makes them all sound alike. Maka conjugations can be used to creat the “abilitive form”, so you got that right. Able to eat, able to sleep, able to go, etc. Also note that the prefix “nakaka” can be added to an adjective to mean it causes or produces something...Ex:
“Nakakatakot ang multo.” - The ghost is scary. (or maybe more literally, the ghost causes fear).

glad there's a "bookmark" feature for comments/messages 😃✨
I have bookmarked your answer, sir @FilipinoChatAdmin 😊

just to add..I may be wrong with my English translation/explanation,
But if I'm going to literally translate "naka-"
it is also like "is/was in the state of- "
ex.
"Nakaupo" = sitting (in the state of sitting) 😅🙈hehe.. I'm not expert with explaining things and with grammar stuffs, I just answer it based on my understanding as a native speaker 😊😅

@calingaerta You are correct. The prefix “maka” can mean “to be able to”. Your conjugation of the prefix is also correct: naka-, nakaka-, makaka-.Your sentence: “I will be able to go tomorrow” => “Makakapuntá ako bukas” However, this ”maka” prefix does not only give that meaning. There are a few more, which can be confusing to learners. I will try to explain the other possible meanings that the prefix can give. The explanation might be long and may be overwhelming altogether. You need not understand everything for now, but just be aware that there are a number of meanings that this “maka” or “naka” prefix can give. Basically, there's the tenseless “naka” and there’s the regular “maka” verb prefix that is conjugated.A. The tenseless “naka”:This prefix is used to indicate “having something on”, like additional features or accessories. It is also used as a modifier (adjective or adverb) to indicate position or placement of a thing.Examples:naka-makeup = having makeup on
nakasapatos = wearing shoes
nakabihis = wearing clothes
nakasalamín = wearing eyeglasses
nakapayong = using an umbrella (to prevent sunburn or because it is raining)
nakakotse = riding in a car
nakaupô = to be in a sitting position
nakapamaywang = with arms akimbo
nakatingkayád = standing on tiptoes
nakaakbáy = with an arm over someone’s shoulders
nakasabit = in a hanging position
nakasakáy = riding in/on somethingB. The regular “maka” verb prefix:There are a number of ways this prefix is used and their differences depend on whether a stress is used or not. Moreover, it would depend on which syllable the stress is placed. There’s the plain (no stress) “maka” which means “to be able to”. This is where the verb “makakapunta” falls under. Examples:makakain (to be able to eat) - “Nakakain na ako” (I have already eaten/I was already able to eat)
mákatulog (to be able to sleep)
makabasa (to be able to read) - “Nakabasa na ako ng libro ni Charles Dickens” (I have read/I was already able to read a book by CD).
makalakad (to be able to walk)
makaakyát (to be able to climb)
makatakot (to be able to frighten/incite fear) = “Nakakatakot ang lindól” = Earthquake is scary.
makapuntá (to be able to go to a specific place)

(continuation 1)Then there’s “maká” (with stress on “ka”), which could mean either: 1. “to decide to do something at that moment”“Makákain na ngâ” = I’ll go ahead and eat now/I think I should eat now (because it’s about dinner time anyway; because I’m a bit hungry already; etc.)“Makálakad na ngâ” = I should already go now/I have decided to go now (because it’s already late; because I’m already bored; etc.)Such verbs are always (theoretically “always”, as I can’t think of an exception right now) followed by “na ngâ” which gives them that “already now” meaning. Also, since it is used only to indicate the decision to act at that moment, these verbs have no conjugation, i.e., they will only use “maká” as their prefix. 2. “to have done something unintentionally or that should not have been done” “makákain” (to have eaten something unintentionally) - “Nakákain ako ng marami at ngayon masakit ang tiyan ko” = I ended up eating too much and now I have a stomachache.“nakálakad” (to have gone out at the wrong time) - “Nakálakad ako at nakalimutan kong pupunta sa amin si Mary” = I went out and forgot that Mary was coming over (to our place).

Finally, there’s the “maka”, which gives the same meaning as the “maká”(2) above, except that the stress is on “ma”. mákatulog (to fall asleep unintentionally) - “Nákatulog si James habang nanonood ng TV” = James fell asleep while watching TV.mákasakáy (to be riding in the same vehicle with someone by chance) = “Nákasakáy ko si Angelina Jolie sa eroplano kahapon” = AJ and I were on the same plane yesterday. The plain “maka”, the “maká”(2), and “maka” verbs are conjugated. There appears though an inconsistency with the standard conjugation patterns in their present and future tenses. For example, with other prefixes like “ma”, “mag” and “ipag + in”, the conjugations will be:matulog (to go to sleep): natulog, naTUTUlog, maTUTUlog
mag-alis (to remove something): nag-alis, nag-AAlis, mag-AAlis
ipagluto (to cook for someone): ipinagluto, ipinagLULUto, ipagLULUtoThe standard pattern is that, in the present and future tenses, the first syllable or vowel of the root word is repeated.That is not the case with the prefix “maka”. Based on usage, what gets repeated is the second syllable of the prefix, which is “ka”. It’s with these verbs that you will encounter “nakaka”. We may actually follow the “standard” repetition of the first syllable or vowel of the root word, but very rarely is it done that way. It would even sound awkward if we repeat the first syllable or vowel of the root word because hardly anyone does it that way.makakain: nakakain, naKAKAkain, maKAKAkain
makákain (2): nakákain, naKÁKÁkain, maKÁKÁkain (yes, all the “ka” are stressed) (Note: Since the first syllable of “kain” is “ka”, then it may seem like it’s that “ka” that is being repeated, but the conjugation of the other verbs will show that it’s the other “ka” that is being repeated). makatulog: nakatulog, NAKAKAtulog, makakatulog
mákatulog: nákatulog, NÁKAKAtulog, mákakatulogmakabasa: nakabasa, NAKAKAbasa, makakabasa
makábasa: nakábasa, NAKÁKÁbasa, makákábasa

makaakyát: nakaakyát, NAKAKAakyát, makakaakyát
makáakyát: nakáakyát, NAKÁKA`akyát, makákáakyátIt’s not that “nakaTUTUlog”, “nakaBABAsa”, or “nakaAAkyat” are wrong. We just don’t normally say them that way. It’s possible that in some Tagalog regions they use such patterns, but in Metro Manila, we almost always use the “naKAKA” form.

(continuation 2)And here’s something more that can add to the confusion. The tenseless “naka” and the prefix “maka” may, in a lot of cases, be used with the same root word, though their meanings will become different. Examples:nakabihis and makabíhis/makábihisNakabihis ng puti si Anna = Anna is wearing white/a white dress.
Nakabihis na si Anna nang dumating si Paul = Anna was already dressed when Paul arrived
Nakábihis si Anna agad, hindi pa pala sila aalis = Anna dressed up readily, only to find out that they’re not going out yetnakatingkayád and makatingkayád/makátingkayádNakatingkayád ang bata = The child is standing on his toes.
Nakatingkayád na rin ang bata sa wakas = The child was able to stand on his toes at last.
Nakátingkayád ang bata kaya siya naumpog sa mesa = The child unwittingly stood on tiptoes that’s why he bumped his head on the table. nakasakáy and makásakáy/mákasakáyNakasakáy si Bob sa kotse ni Mary = "Bob was able to ride in Mary's car", but may also mean "Bob is riding in Mary's car" (Bob's location/position)
Nakásakáy si Bob sa kotse ni Mary = "Bob rode in Mary's car by mistake", but may also be understood to mean "Bob was able to ride in Mary’s car".
Nákasakáy ni Bob si Tom sa kotse ni Mary = Tom was there too with Bob in Mary’s car. Sometime last year when I was just new here, there was this topic about the word “nakanganga”. We had some discussions about it because simply based on spelling, it can be understood in a number of ways. The root word “nganga” can mean 2 different things depending on how it is pronounced. There’s “ngangá” which means “open the mouth” and “ngangà” which is the Tagalog word for “betel nut”.If we are to add the tenseless “naka” or the prefix “maka”, the matter of where the stress is placed would have to be considered.“nakangangà” = to have betel nut in the mouth/to be chewing betel nut
“nakangangá” = with mouth agape
“nakángangá” = to have opened the mouth unintentionally
*“nakángangà” = to have been able to acquire or finagle betel nut from someone
*“nákangangá” = to have opened one’s mouth at the same time as another (* The last 2 words are proper, but they may not have much practical use).I hope you won’t find all these discouraging, but that’s the “maka/naka” landscape. They would be less confusing when spoken because the stress can help differentiate their meanings. However, since the regular written or printed form of Filipino does not indicate where the stresses are, that’s where they can be a problem at the start.

Let me just add a few comments about the interpretation of:
1. Nakasakáy si Bob sa kotse ni Mary
2. Nakásakáy si Bob sa kotse ni MaryI mentioned that they could both be understood as "Bob was able to ride in Mary's car". However, the circumstances leading to that may not be the same. For "nakasakáy" (1) it is saying that Bob had the chance to ride in Mary's car. He was therefore, able to. For "nakásakáy" (2), it is saying that Bob was able to ride in Mary's car, but it happened only by chance. For example, let's say that Bob went to this party but he does not own a car. After the party, those who don't have cars tried to hitch a ride with those who do. Bob asked a few people if he may ride with them and had his luck with Mary. Thus, he was able to ride in Mary's car (by chance).

@FilipinoChatAdmin @totoydavis @Tagamanila Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!! Holy cow I have a lot to study. I already read through it once but I will be organizing it to I can study it easier this weekend! And thanks @totoydavis for showing me there's a book mark feature...I didn't know that was there.I am not discouraged about all these...yet haha. It's definitely a lot but I think if I can drill them into my brain then practice them I will be ok. Is there a difference between naka- no stress meaning "on something" and typical present conjugations? For example - are nakatira and tumitira the same? Or nakaupo and umuupo?Seriously thank you so much for explaining all this I can't imagine how long it took to type and proofread it all!

Salamat Po Tagamanila
Yes tagalog affixes prefixes etc are very complicated but your explanations are comprehensive and after several readings make total sense
I find tagalog vocabulary relatively easy to remember but I do struggle with these affixes
If you can post more affixes and their explanations I would greatly appreciate all your help

@calingaerta hehehe walang anuman po 😅😊✨

@calingaerta
"Nakatira" and "tumitira" can mean the same thing, but only to a certain extent. Think of the plain "naka" as static, i.e, it is independent of time. So, if someone says "nakatira ako sa Manila", it's as factual as saying "Manila is where I live". "Tumitira", on the other hand, being a verb in the present tense, would suggest a situation distinct from the past. "Tumitira ako sa Manila" would be the equivalent of , "I am living in Manila at present" and may therefore suggest that the person was living elsewhere before. In fact, if someone was indeed from a different place and was asked, "saan ka nakatira?" (where do you live?), he would most likely answer "tumitira ako sa Manila ngayon" (I live in Manila now). But someone who's been practically living in Manila his whole life would answer with "nakatira ako sa Manila"."Nakaupo" is also static. "Nakaupo si Bob" means "Bob is seated" and that's his fixed position at that time. "Umuupo", being a verb in the present tense, means that the event is ongoing. "Umuupo si Bob" would be referring to that segment of time between his standing position and immediately before his underside rests on the seat. "Nakaupo" would be the termination of "umuupo". Therefore, the two words do not mean the same thing.

@Adobo Well, let's aim for that, but that might just be a herculean task. 😀 Meantime, should you have specific concerns about specific affixes or other grammar issues, feel free to ask them here in the Forum. It would help identify what might be causing the "problem" and also help us focus on how to approach it.

@Tagamanila Ahhh I see that makes total sense. Those two examples seem to highlight the differences perfectly and your explanation of "that segment of time between his standing position and immediately before his underside rests on the seat." is fantastic.@Adobo Don't worry there are many more that I have no clue about so I will keep on asking about them! If I can ever get through maka/naka... haha

@calingaerta @Adobo BTW, my explanation about “nakaupò” and “umúupò” was limited to the concepts of being seated (nakaupo) and the related act of sitting (umuupo) that went on just before that. I should have mentioned that the use of “umuupo” there is in the present progressive tense or the uncompleted “is sitting”. There is still the habitual act or the present tense “sits”, which is also “umuupo”. So, “nakaupo” = seated; “umuupo” = is sitting/sits“Nakaupò si Tom sa sofá” = Tom is seated on the sofa (“is sitting” may also be used, but to indicate position or location) (In Tagalog, the stress is on the "fa" of "sofa")“Umuupo si Tom sa sofá” = Tom is (in the process of) sitting on the sofa; Tom sits on the sofa (he sits anywhere, including on the sofa) “Sa sofá madalás umúupò si Tom” = Tom often sits on the sofa (that’s where he prefers to sit)“Sa sofá madalás nakaupò si Tom” = Tom is often seated on the sofa (that’s where you might find him)