tinulungan

Tinulungan is a Filipino verb that expresses the act of helping. It is the past tense form of tulungan, meaning to help or assist someone. The word can indicate either giving help or having been helped, depending on sentence structure and voice.

In a sentence that foregrounds the recipient, tinulungan indicates that someone received help. The agent is introduced with the marker ng. Example: Tinulungan ako ng guro. Translation: My teacher helped me.

In active voice, tinulungan can refer to the helper as the subject in a sentence. Example: Tinulungan niya ako. Translation: He helped me. The form shows past action, while related forms mark different times: tinutulungan (present: is helping) and tutulungan (future: will help).

Origin and related terms: Tinulungan is built from the root tulong meaning help, extended into a verb form. Related words include tulong (help), tumulong or tumutulong (helps/is helping), and tutulungan (will help). The word also appears in everyday conversation and humanitarian contexts, reflecting a cultural emphasis on assistance and cooperation.

Notes: Tagalog verbs convey nuanced voice and focus through affixes and word order. Tinulungan specifically marks past action of giving or receiving help and is commonly used with personal pronouns and agents introduced by ng.