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Intermediate

The Linker na / -ng

Connecting modifiers

The linker connects modifiers to nouns

na after consonants, -ng after vowels.

💬 Examples
bagong kotse
a new car
📝 bago + -ng (after a vowel)
malaking bahay
a big house
📝 malaki + -ng
It works in both directions

Adjective–noun or noun–adjective.

📊 The linker
After Linker Example
vowel -ng (attached) magandang araw
consonant (not n) na (separate) mabait na bata
-n -g (replaces n) -
💬 Examples
kotseng bago
a new car
📝 kotse + -ng + bago (reversed order)
taong mabait
a kind person
📝 tao + -ng + mabait
It also links many other phrases

Numbers, 'want' + verb, etc.

💬 Examples
gusto kong kumain
I want to eat
📝 gusto ko + -ng + verb
isang araw
one day
📝 Number + linker + noun