magkamkam
magkámkam with stress marks
to seize property
From root: kamkam
Conjugations
Past (Completed)
nagkamkam
nag-KAM-kam
seized
Present (Incomplete)
nagkakamkam
nag-ka-KAM-kam
is seizing
Future (Contemplated)
magkakamkam
mag-ka-KAM-kam
will seize
Usage Note
Magkamkam is the actor-focus form of kamkam, a strongly negative verb describing the forcible seizure of land or property without right. It is a staple of political journalism and land-rights discourse in the Philippines, where unlawful land-grabbing is a persistent social issue.
Examples
" Bawal magkamkam ng lupa. "
Natural Translation
Seizing land is forbidden.
Literal Translation
Forbidden to-seize of land.
" Isang krimen ang magkamkam ng lupa na pag-aari ng iba. "
Natural Translation
It is a crime to seize land owned by others.
Literal Translation
One crime seize land property others.
" Maraming maliliit na magsasaka ang nawalan ng tirahan nang magkamkam ng kanilang lupain ang mga makapangyarihang angkan. "
Natural Translation
Many small farmers lost their homes when powerful clans seized their lands.
Literal Translation
Many small farmers the lost of home when seize of their land the powerful clans.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workWord family
kamkam has 1 related form built from the same root.
Related Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Languages of the Philippines: Tagalog, Cebuano, and More
Languages of the Philippines: one national language (Filipino) plus 180+ regional languages. Here's who speaks what, where, and why it matters to you.

Is Tagalog Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer
Tagalog takes around 1,100 hours to reach professional proficiency. Here is what is easy, what is hard, and what to expect at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Tagalog Time Expressions: Past, Present & Future Guide
Tagalog has no tenses — it uses aspect. Learn time words, days of the week, clock time, and the aspect system, with vocabulary tables and cultural notes.

Po and Opo in Tagalog: Where to Put Them Right
Po and opo confuse learners — but placement follows one rule. Where po goes in a sentence, why it's opo not 'oo po', and the pronoun shift to learn.