Lesson 10
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- Lesson Text
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- Identify Correct Answer
- Hands-on Exercise
- Recall Correct Answer
- Test your Tagalog
Other Lessons
- Lesson 1 - Looking for Places
- Lesson 2 - Counting and Quantities Part 1
- Lesson 3 - Introducing Friends and Family
- Lesson 4 - Counting and Quantities Part 2
- Lesson 5 - Looking for Things and Persons
- Lesson 6 - Greetings and Appreciation
- Lesson 7 - Eating in a Restaurant
- Lesson 8 - Shopping in the Market
- Lesson 9 - Describing Things - Colors
- Lesson 10 - Describing Things - Length, Height, Depth, Width, Distance, Weight
- Lesson 11 - Sharing your Christian Faith
- Lesson 12 - Counting and Quantities Part 3
How to Speak Tagalog
Lesson 10 Describing Things - Length, Height, Depth, Width, Distance, Weight
1. LENGTH
| Haba | Length |
| Mahaba | Long |
| Hindi mahaba | Not long |
| Halos mahaba | Almost long, Slightly long |
| Mas mahaba | Longer |
| Napaka haba | Very long |
| Pinaka haba | Maximum length |
| Magkasing haba | Equal length |
| Sobrang haba | Too long, Overly long |
| Kulang sa haba | Lacking in length, Not long enough |
Mas mahaba ito kaysa iyan.
Literal translation: More long this than that.
Meaning: This is longer than that.
Magkasing haba sila.
Literal translation: Equal length they.
Meaning: They are of equal length.
Pinaka mahaba ito sa lahat.
Literal translation: Most long this than all.
Meaning: This is the longest of all
2. HEIGHT
| Taas | Height |
| Mataas | High |
| Hindi mataas | Not high |
| Halos mataas | Almost high, Almost tall, Slightly high |
| Mas mataas | Taller, Higher |
| Napaka taas | Very tall, Very high |
| Pinaka taas | Maximum height |
| Magkasing taas | Equal height |
| Sobrang taas | Too high, Too tall, Overly high, Overly tall |
| Kulang sa taas | Lacking in height, Not high enough, Not tall enough |
Mas mataas ito kaysa iyan.
Literal translation: More tall this than that.
Meaning: This is taller than that.
Magkasing taas sila.
Literal translation: Equal height they.
Meaning: They are of equal height.
Pinaka mataas ito sa lahat.
Literal translation: Most tall this than all.
Meaning: This is the tallest of all.
3. DEPTH
| Lalim | Depth |
| Malalim | Deep |
| Hindi malalim | Not deep |
| Halos malalim | Almost deep |
| Mas malalim | More deep, Deeper |
| Napaka lalim | Very deep |
| Pinaka lalim | Deepest part, Maximum depth |
| Magkasing lalim | Equal depth |
| Sobrang lalim | Too deep, Overly deep |
| Kulang sa lalim | Lacking in depth, Not deep enough |
Mas malalim ito kaysa iyan.
Literal translation: More deep this than that.
Meaning: This is deeper than that.
Magkasing lalim sila.
Literal translation: Equal depth they.
Meaning: They are of equal depth.
Pinaka malalim ito sa lahat.
Literal translation: Most deep this than all.
Meaning: This is the deepest of all.
4. WIDTH
| Lapad | Width |
| Malapad | Wide |
| Hindi malapad | Not wide |
| Halos malapad | Almost wide |
| Mas malapad | Wider |
| Napaka lapad | Very wide |
| Pinaka malapad | Widest |
| Kasing lapad | Equal width |
| Sobrang lapad | Too wide, Overly wide |
| Kulang sa lapad | Lacking in width, Not wide enough |
Mas malapad ito kaysa iyan.
Literal translation: More wide this than that.
Meaning: This is wider than that.
Magkasing lapad sila.
Literal translation: Equal width they.
Meaning: They are of equal width.
Pinaka malapad ito sa lahat.
Literal translation: Most wide this of all.
Meaning: This is the widest of all.
5. DISTANCE
| Layo | Distance |
| Malayo | Far |
| Hindi malayo | Not far |
| Halos malayo | Almost far |
| Mas malayo | Farther |
| Napaka layo | Very far |
| Pinaka layo | Maximum distance |
| Kasing layo | Equal distance |
| Sobrang layo | Too much distance, Overly distant |
| Kulang sa layo | Lacking in distance, Not distant enough |
Mas malayo ito kaysa iyan.
Literal translation: More far this than that.
Meaning: This is farther than that.
Magkasing layo sila.
Literal translation: Equal distance they.
Meaning: They are of equal distance.
Pinaka malayo ito sa lahat.
Literal translation: Most far this of all.
Meaning: This is the farthest of all.
6. WEIGHT
| Bigat | Weight |
| Mabigat | Heavy |
| Hindi mabigat | Not heavy |
| Halos mabigat | Almost heavy |
| Mas mabigat | Heavier |
| Napaka bigat | Very heavy |
| Pinaka bigat | Maximum weight |
| Kasing bigat | Equal weight |
| Sobrang bigat | Too heavy, Overly heavy |
| Kulang sa bigat | Lacking in weight, Not heavy enough |
Mas mabigat ito kaysa iyan.
Literal translation: More heavy this than that.
Meaning: This is heavier than that.
Magkasing bigat sila.
Literal translation: Equal weight they.
Meaning: They are of equal weight.
Pinaka mabigat ito sa lahat.
Literal translation: Most heavy this of all.
Meaning: This is the heaviest of all.
How To Use This Lesson
I've heard it said many times that Tagalog is difficult to learn because there is no consistency to it. Not true. One of my objectives in this lesson is to demonstrate the consistency of Tagalog as a language. It has a set of modifiers that express precise meaning and allows flexible communication. It enables the speaker to be exact or relative, diminutive or superlative, precise or subjective.
The vocabulary I introduced here are commonly used by Tagalog speakers as modifiers. Use the power of subconscious. Practice saying these modifiers regularly and soon you will easily recognize them when listening to Tagalog speakers. Better yet, you could use these modifiers with your English to create your own Taglish. Like English, Tagalog grammar can incorporate almost any foreign word. It's another legacy of the country having seven thousand islands, each having a unique vocabulary.
Here's an example of Taglish using the modifiers introduced here.
6. BEAUTIFUL
Beauty
Beauty (foreign words used in Taglish still have the same meaning)
Beautiful
Beautiful
Hindi beautiful
Not beautiful
hindi beautiful iyan. Ayaw ko.
That is not beautiful. I don't want it.
Halos beautiful
Almost beautiful
Halos beautiful na ito. Puwede na.
This is almost beautiful. It will do.
Mas beautiful
More beautiful
Mas beautiful ito kaysa iyan. Gusto ko ito.
This is more beautiful than that. I like this.
Napaka beautiful
Very beautiful
Napaka beautiful ng damit mo. Mahal ba iyan?
Your dress is very beautiful. Is that expensive?
Pinaka beauty
Maximum beauty, Best beauty
Pintura ang pinaka beauty nitong kotse.
The paint is the best beauty of this car.
Pinaka beautiful
Most beautiful
Pinaka beautiful ka sa alumnay ninyo.
You are the most beautiful among your alumni.
Kasing beauty
Equal beauty
Kasing beauty kayong magkapatid.
You and your sister are of equal beauty.
Sobrang beauty
Too much beauty
Sobrang beauty naman niyan. Magastos.
That has too much beauty. Too expensive.
Kulang sa beauty
Lacking in beauty
Kulang sa beauty ito. Walang bibili.
This lacks beauty. No one will buy it.
- Lesson 1 - Looking for Places
- Lesson 2 - Counting and Quantities Part 1
- Lesson 3 - Introducing Friends and Family
- Lesson 4 - Counting and Quantities Part 2
- Lesson 5 - Looking for Things and Persons
- Lesson 6 - Greetings and Appreciation
- Lesson 7 - Eating in a Restaurant
- Lesson 8 - Shopping in the Market
- Lesson 9 - Describing Things - Colors
- Lesson 10 - Describing Things - Length, Height, Depth, Width, Distance, Weight
- Lesson 11 - Sharing your Christian Faith
- Lesson 12 - Counting and Quantities Part 3
About Ray Colorado
Ray Colorado was born in the island of Mindoro, Philippines, where people speak different Filipino languages. Tagalog was his first language. He also speaks Ilocano, Bicol, English and Spanish. He learned these languages because of his father's job - Methodist Evangelist and Pastor. They moved every two years, living in places where people spoke differently. He had to learn each local language in order to survive and win new friends. He also formally studied English and Pilipino, the national language, in elementary, high school, and the University of the Philippines. He started creating Web-based Tagalog lessons in 1999. He moved to United States in 1984. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife, former Lura Eden Alampay, and their three sons Marc Dexter, Maxwell Lucas, and Hexel James. He may be reached at ray@coloradobrothers.com.
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