March 20, 2020

Go Filipino - 23. Be The Most (Adjectives, Part 4)

A pseudo breakdown transcript of the podcast Go Filipino Lesson 23 by Kris Andres. For more information about Kris and his podcast check out his Patreon!

This episode brought to you today by the Tagalog word Pagdiriwang.

Pagdiriwang - Celebration, to commemorate an event in a festive manner.

Affixes

We are going over a prefix used to express an overwhelming amount of X.

Pagka

Definition

Very or So, but expressed in an exagerrated manner, like SUPER.

Examples

pagkalinis na bahay - A super clean house

  • Linis - Root Word - Cleanliness
  • Bahay - House

Note the emphasis on the ka when spoken. You can even double down on the root word to emphasis it even more. Such as Pagkalinis-linis na bahay.

Pagkaputing pusa - A super white cat

  • puti - Root Word - White
  • Pusa - Cat

You can still even double down on the root word to emphasis it even more. Such as pagkaputi-puting pusa.

As part of a sentence, the pagka prefix is used to modify nouns that are not in focus.

pagkabait ng bata - The kid is so kind.

  • bait - Root word - Kindness
  • na - Focus marker
  • bata - Kid/Child

Another example of a non focus sentence using a person:

pagkasungit ni Gigi - Gigi is so grouchy.

  • ni - Focus marker
  • sungit - Root word - Grouchiness

Ang

Definition

Not only just a focus marker, when ang is followed by an adjective root word, it means very or so, but expressed as an exclamation.

Example

Ang kisig - Very hunky

  • kisig - Which on it's own it means physically fit and only applies to men. But contextually when combined with ang and said with the same cadence, it transforms the word into being hunky or macho.

Note how the emphasis is expressed in the ki in kisig. Said like Ang KI-siiig. You can even double up the adjective, but remember to still emphasis the ki. Such as Ang kisig-kisig

Ang sarap - Very Delicious

  • Sarap - Tastes good, delicious.

Next, we can even add the noun described in the sentence using non-focus markers (the adjective being the focus).

Ang kisig ni Dan - Dan is very hunky.

  • Ang - Focus marker but expressed in an exaggerated manner
  • kisig - Physically fit
  • ni - Non focus named marker

Ang sarap ng Adobo ni Nanay - Mom's Adobo is delicious

  • ng - Non focus marker
  • Adobo - Traditional Filipino dish
  • ni - Non focus named marker
  • Nanay - Mom

Although Nanay is the general word for mother, by using the ni marker emphasis's the speaker is speaking about their own mother.

Ubod/Puno/Kay

Example

Ubod ng init ang panahon - The weather is extremely hot.

  • Ubod - To the highest degree, extremely. Similar to the ma prefix in the sense that it means 'full of something'.
  • ng - Linker between adverb ubod with the root word it introduces.
  • init - Heat
  • ang - Focus marker
  • panahon - Weather

Puno ng init ang panahon - The weather is extremely hot.

  • Puno - Full of, similar to ubod and the ma prefix.

Kay init ng panahon - How hot is the weather. Said in a declarative manner and not a question.

  • Kay - In this context, kay is used as an exclamation device similar to ang when used with adjectives.
  • ng - Non focus marker, making the heat now the focus of the sentence instead.

Saksakang ng init ang panahon - Loosely translates to "The heat from this weather is so hot it kills me!"

  • Saksakang - Literally translates to "A stabbing incident". It's unknown why this word is used to express superlatives in Tagalog. Kris's guess is that the phrase is used to express that the adjective is done to a point that it hurts the speakers. Kind of like "The weather is so hot, it kills me!"

Outro

Tagalog Proverb

Ang batang hindi iyakin, hindi pinapakain. - A baby who doesn't cry, doesn't get fed.