Skip to content

Philippine Halo Halo

Tagalog Lessons and Notes on Filipino Culture

  • Home
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
Menu

Tagalog Plural Forms: How to Change Tagalog Words from Singular to Plural

Posted on 2012-11-042019-12-15 by
Share on Social Media
Tagalog Nouns and Plural Forms

In English, there are plenty of ways to change nouns into their plural forms.

In Tagalog, there is only one, and that is by adding the word “mga” in front of the noun.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

1. Pakilagay ang mga libro sa lamesa. (Please place the books on the table.)

Paki = used as a prefix to indicate a polite request
lagay = place
mga = changes a noun from singular to plural
sa = on
lamesa = table

2. Manonood kami ng mga kaibigan ko ng pelikula mamaya. (My friends and I will watch a movie later.)

Manonood = will watch
kami = we
ng = of
mga = changes a noun from singular to plural
kaibigan = friend
ko = I/me/my
pelikula = movie
mamaya = later

Tagalog Adjectives and Plural Forms

The examples above illustrate how to change nouns from their singular forms into their plural forms; however, aside from nouns, Tagalog adjectives are also modified to reflect the change from singular to plural.

To do this, we take the first syllable of the root word then sandwich it between “ma” and the former.

e.g.

1. Magaganda lahat ang mga anak nila. (Their children are all beautiful.)

Magaganda = beautiful
lahat = all
mga = changes nouns from singular to plural
anak = child
nila = their

In the example above, the adjective is “maganda” which means “beautiful.” “Maganda” came from the root word “ganda” which means “beauty.” To change the adjective to its plural form, we’ll take the first syllable of the root word which is “ga” and place it between “ma” and “ganda,” making it “magaganda.”

2. Nakakatuwang makita ang masasaya nilang mga mukha. (It is fun to see their happy faces.)

Nakakatuwa = fun
makita = be able to see
ang = the
masasaya = happy
nila = their
mga = changes nouns from singular to plural
mukha = face

In the second example, the adjective is “masaya” which means “happy.” It came from the root word “saya” which means “happiness.” To change “masaya” from singular to plural, we’ll take “sa” and place it between “ma” and “saya,” giving us “masasaya.”

Note:

I’m not sure if there are other languages that also change adjectives from singular to plural, but if you’re wondering why we change the adjective along with the noun, you can think of it as a subject-verb agreement of some sort. Only in this case, the adjective must also reflect the change from singular to plural, so if the noun is in its plural form, the adjective must be in its plural form too or there will be no symmetry.

That more or less sums it up, though. If you’ve got questions or if there is any particular topic that you’d like me to cover next time, feel free to tell me so. I’m actually running out of things to write, so I’ll be happy to accept suggestions. (^_^)

See Related Posts

Posted in Tagalog GrammarTagged basic Tagalog, Conversational Tagalog, Filipino, Filipino lessons, how to say in Tagalog, language, learn Tagalog, learning Tagalog, Philippine language, Philippines, plural tagalog, singular tagalog, Tagalog 101, Tagalog basics, Tagalog lessons, Tagalog plural

Post navigation

What is the Difference Between Ng and Nang in Tagalog?
How to Say the Names of Vegetables in Tagalog

Related Post

  • Philippine Halo-halo Tagalog Lessons Difference Between Ng and Nang What is the Difference Between Ng and Nang in Tagalog?
  • Philippine Halo-halo Learning Tagalog Tagalog Degrees of Comparison Instagram Blog Image Tagalog Degrees of Comparison
  • Philippine Halo-halo Tagalog Lessons Tagalog Adjectives How to Make Adjectives in Tagalog

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Copyright © AllTopGuide 2023 • Theme by OpenSumo
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT