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Plural Adjectives with -G-

Level 3

In Cebuano, a small group of common adjectives describing size and distance must change their form when describing plural nouns. This is done by inserting a -g- after the first vowel of the root (e.g., dako becomes dagko).

How It Works

In Cebuano, most adjectives do not change their form regardless of whether the noun is singular or plural. However, for a specific set of 'adjectives of dimension,' the language requires grammatical agreement through the -g- infix.

1. How to form it:
The -g- is inserted after the first vowel of the root. This often causes the syllable structure to shift from an open syllable (CV) to a closed syllable (CVC):

  • dako (big) → dagko
  • gamay (small) → gagmay
  • taas (tall/long) → tag-as
  • mubo (short) → mugbo
  • layo (far) → lagyo
  • duol (near) → dug-ol
  • nipis (thin) → nigpis
  • lapad (wide) → lagpad

2. When to use it:
You should use these forms whenever the noun being described is plural, regardless of its role in the sentence. This applies to focused subjects (e.g., 'Dagko ang mga balay') and objects (e.g., 'Nagpalit ko og dagkong balay'). While a native speaker will understand the singular form, using the plural infix sounds much more natural when mga is present or implied.

3. Important Note:
This is a closed class. You cannot apply this to other adjectives. For example, nindot (beautiful) does not become ningdot, and pula (red) does not become pugla. For those, you simply use the standard form.

Examples (5)

  1. Dagko ang mga mangga nga akong napalit.

    The mangoes I bought are big.

    Word by Word: Big [plural] the [plural marker] mango that I bought.

    Here, 'dagko' is used instead of 'dako' because it describes 'mga mangga' (plural mangoes).

  2. Gagmay pa ang iyang mga anak.

    His/her children are still small.

    Word by Word: Small [plural] still the his/her [plural marker] child.

    The adjective 'gamay' becomes 'gagmay' to agree with the plural 'mga anak'.

  3. Tag-as kaayo ang mga tinun-an sa basketbol.

    The basketball students are very tall.

    Word by Word: Tall [plural] very the [plural marker] student of basketball.

    Note the hyphen in 'tag-as', which represents a glottal stop after the -g- infix.

  4. Lagyo ang mga isla sa Pilipinas.

    The islands in the Philippines are far apart.

    Word by Word: Far [plural] the [plural marker] island in Philippines.

    Using 'lagyo' emphasizes that multiple islands are distant from each other or a point of reference.

  5. Nigpis ang mga panid sa libro.

    The pages of the book are thin.

    Word by Word: Thin [plural] the [plural marker] page of book.

    The plural form 'nigpis' is used for the multiple pages (mga panid).

Common Mistakes

  • Overgeneralizing the -g- infix to all adjectives.

    Mag-ayo ang mga balay.
    Maayo ang mga balay.

    The -g- infix only applies to a specific set of dimension adjectives. Most adjectives, like 'maayo' (good), do not change their form for plural nouns.

  • Using the singular 'dako' with plural nouns.

    Different MeaningDako ang iyang mga tiil.
    Dagko ang iyang mga tiil.

    'Dako ang iyang mga tiil' is common and fine. The plural 'dagko' marks that the size belongs to many things, as with 'mga tiil' (feet).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-g-Level 3Plural Adjectives with -G-

Learn This First

To understand plural adjective infixes, you first need to be familiar with basic Cebuano adjectives and the general concept of pluralization using 'mga'. This pattern specifically addresses how certain common adjectives change their internal structure (using the -g- infix) to agree with plural nouns.

Words in This Pattern

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