Noun Modification

Noun modification in Tagalog may be done in a variety of ways. In this section, the most common ways of modifying the noun will be discussed, and examples will be presented.
To modify a noun means to qualify or add some further description to the noun. In grammar, the word modification means to limit the meaning of something. Here is one example from English. Let's say that I want to tell someone that I own a car. However, I don't just want to mention that I have a car, but I also want to say something about the car. So I might say that it is an old car. The use of the word old is a way of modifying the noun car.
Adjectives/Descriptive Words
In Tagalog, the use of adjectives and/or descriptive words is one common way of modifying nouns (for more information about adjectives see the Adjectives section in the main grammar page). Tagalog adjectives may be grouped into two types according to their structure:  1) the ma-adjectives (ma + root) ;  and 2)  the simple adjectives (roots). There are other descriptive words that are not members of either group. These descriptors are often formed by combining adjectival affix(es) with root words. Here are some examples of adjectives/descriptive words and sentences where these might be used:

Ma-Adjectives		Simple Adjectives		Other Descriptors
maganda	beautiful	payat	slim	nakakalito	confusing
masipag	industrious	luma	old	nakakatuwa	amusing
magaling	great	gutom*	hungry	nakakatawa	funny
mainit	hot/warm	pangit	ugly	nakakainis	irritating
malamig	cold	pagod*	tired	nakakapagod	tiring
mahangin	windy	galit*	angry	kahindik-hindik	horrible
malayo	far	bago	new	kaawa-awa	pitiful
malapit	near	buhay*	alive	kagulat-gulat	shocking
matangkad	tall (pers.)	patay	dead	kasiya-siya	entertaining
mabigat	heavy	pikon	touchy	kapana-panabik	exciting

The Linker NA
Using adjectives and/or descriptive words to modify nouns may be done by employing one of two ways: 1) placing the modifier (the word that modifies the noun) before the noun;  or 2) placing the modifier after the noun.  In either case the linker NA should connect the two elements.
The linker NA is used to link or hook up the modifier and the noun it is describing. That way you know that the words go together.
The linker NA has three forms: 1) -ng following a word ending in a vowel;  2) -g following a word that ends in the letter n;   and  3) na following a word ending in a consonant. -Ngand -g are attached directly onto the end of the word, while the third form na is written as a separate word.
Here is one example. Let's say that I want to talk about a certain land, and that I also want to state that is a land that is far. So I take the word in Tagalog for land (bayan) and I place it next to the word for far (malayo). It's up to me whether I put bayan first or malayo first, so I decide to place malayo first.
malayo bayan
However, my job is not yet done. In Tagalog, I need NA to link these two words together. Since malayo ends in a vowel (o), I need to use the -ng form of NA, and I place the -ng directly onto the end of the word malayo.
malayong bayan
Now let's say that I want to reverse the word order, and I want to put bayan first
bayan malayo
I still need a linker, and because bayan ends in the letter n, I take the -g form of NA and I place the -g directly onto the end of the word bayan
bayang malayo
Below are some more examples:

Modifier+Linker+Noun	Noun+Linker+Modifier	Meaning
malayong bayan	bayang malayo	faraway land
mahanging panahon	panahong mahangin	windy weather
bagong kotse	kotseng bago	new car
pangit na pelikula	pelikulang pangit	trash film
nakakapagod na biyahe	biyaheng nakakapagod	tiring trip
nakakatawang kuwento	kuwentong nakakatawa	funny story
kasiya-siyang palabas	palabas na kasiya-siya	entertaining show

Colors 
When colors are used to modify nouns, they function as adjectives. They may also come either before or after the noun(s) being modified. Here are the basic colors in Tagalog, followed by example noun phrases:

PULA	KULAY-   KAHEL	DILAW	LUNTIAN/   BERDE	BUGHAW/   ASUL
KULAY-UBE/    LILA	PUTI	ITIM	KULAY-ABO	KULAY-KAPE

Color+Linker+Noun	COLOR	Noun+Linker+Color
pulang kamatis		kamatis na pula
kulay-kahel na kotse		kotseng kulay-kahel
dilaw na sisiw		sisiw na dilaw
berdeng puno  (or luntian)		punong berde  (or luntian)
asul na barko  (or bughaw)		barkong asul  (or bughaw)
kulay-ubeng basuraha (or lila)		basurahang kulay-ube (or lila)
itim na payong		payong na itim
kulay-abong telepono		teleponong kulay-abo
kulay-kapeng kabayo		kabayong kulay-kape

Numbers

When used as modifiers of nouns, numbers behave differently from adjectives in that they can only come before the noun being modified. The linker NA is still necessary.  Here are some examples:

Number +  Linker  +  Noun	Image
limang lobo May limang lobo ako. (I have five balloons.)
sampung minutoSampung minuto na lang bago mag-alas otso. (It's only ten minutes before eight o'clock.)
walong bataNaglalaro ang walong bata sa kalye. (The eight kids are playing on the street.)
dalawang singsingBumili siya ng dalawang singsing. (He bought two rings.)
isang milyong dolyarNanalo siya ng isang milyong dolyar sa lotto. (She won a mllion dollars in the lottery.)

Tagalog Numbers

Roman Numeral	Tagalog	Tagalog (Spanish root)	English
1	isa	uno (uno)	one
2	dalawa	dos (dos)	two
3	tatlo	tres (tres)	three
4	apat	kwatro (cuatro)	four
5	lima	sinko (cinco)	five
6	anim	sais (seis)	six
7	pito	syete (siete)	seven
8	walo	otso (ocho)	eight
9	siyam	nuwebe (nueve)	nine
10	sampu	diyes (diez)	ten
11	labing-isa	onse(once)	eleven
12	labing-dalawa	dose(doce)	twelve
13	labing-tatlo	trese(trece)	thirteen
20	dalawampu	beynte (veinte)	twenty
21	dalawampu't-isa	beynteuno(veinte-uno)	twenty-one
30	tatlumpu	trenta(treinta)	thirty
40	apatnapu	kwarenta(cuarenta)	forty
50	limampu	singkwenta(cinquenta)	fifty
60	animnapu	sisenta(seisenta)	sixty
100	isang daan	siyento(ciento)	hundred
200	dalawang daan	dos siyentos(dos cientos)	two hundred
1,000	isang libo	mil(mil)	one thousand
2,000	dalawang libo	dos mil(dos mil)	two thousand
10,000	sampung libo	dies mil(diez mil)	ten thousand
100,000	isang daang libo	siyento mil(ciento mil)	one hundred thousand
1,000,000	isang milyon	milyon(milion)	one million

Shapes
There are very few words refering to shapes of things in Tagalog. When used as modifiers of nouns, these words may come before or after the noun.  Here are some examples: 

Shape	Hugis+Linker+Noun	Noun+Linker+Shape	Image
bilog (round)	bilog na globo	globong bilog
parisukat (square)	hugis-parisukat  na days	days na  parisukat
parihaba     (rectangle)	parihabang papel	papel na parihaba
trayanggulo (triangle)	hugis-trayanggulong tulay	tulay na hugis-trayanggulo

In Tagalog the word hugis means shape. When hugis- is added to the front of a noun this expresses the idea that the noun being modified looks like or is similar in shape to the noun that has hugis attached to it. Here are some examples:

Shape	Shape+Linker+Noun	Noun+Linker+Shape	Image
hugis-tala (star-shaped)	hugis-talang  medalya	medalyang  hugis-tala
hugis-peras (pear-shaped)	hugis-peras  na bombilya	bombilyang hugis-peras
hugis-pitsel (shaped liked  a pitcher)	hugis-pitsel  na tropeyo	tropeyong hugis-pitsel

Size and Weight
Tagalog speakers use metric and English system terminologies interchangeably to express size and weight measurements accurately. However, Tagalog also has its own terms of measurement that are not according to the English or metric systems (like 'dangaw'- size of a thumb). 

Weight / Volume
Metric System
gramo	gram
kilo	kilogram
litro	liter
English System
libra	pound
galon	gallon
Tagalog Measurements
Container/Instrument	Proximate Measure
balde	pail
bandehado	serving-plateful
basket	a basketful
baso	a glass
bayong	bagful, contents normally fill a  native bag for shopping called bayong
bigkis	a bunch, for bigger objects  like firewood, etc.
bilao	winnower-ful, contents fill a  winnower, standard size of which  is about 1- 1/2 ft. in diameter
bilog	appx. 12 oz.  bottle
bloke	block, e.g. of ice
bote	bottle
buntol	a bunch, e.g., of fruits
kaing	a big basketful, contents fill a  container made of materials such  as rattan, bamboo, etc.  called kaing
kaldero	pot-ful
kawali	wok-ful
kurot	a pinch
kutsara	a spoonful
kutsarita	teaspoonful
kwatro-kantos	appx. 750 ml bottle
dakot	a handful
dram	barrel
ganta	appx.  1kilo, measured  with a square wooden box called ganta
guhit	measurement based on  lines  (e.g., of the fingers) for volume,  and of measuring instruments  such as rulers, weighing  scales, etc.
lapad	appx. 250 ml bottle
mangkok	a bowl
palanggana	basin
pinggan	a plateful
platito	a saucer
sako	a sackful (e.g., a  sack of rice is 50 kilos)
salop	appx. 2 kilos, contents fill a brown bag called salop
sandok	serving-spoonful
tabo	appx. 2 pint-container
tali	a bunch, e.g. of flowers
tasa	a cup

Height/Length/Distance
Metric System		English System
sentimetro	centimeter	pulgada	inch
metro	meter	piye	foot
kilometro	kilometer	milya	mile
Tagalog Terms
dangaw	size of a thumb	baytang	step
dangkal	length between  tips  of stretched index and thumb	hakbang	pace
dipa	length between outstreched arms from fingertips	tao	measurement based on the number people of average height to scale a building or structure

When used as modifiers of nouns, expressions and units of weights and measurements behave like numerals in that they can only come before the noun being modified. Here are a few examples:

Tagalog Terms		Borrowed Terms
isang tasang kape	a cupful of coffee	anim na gramong ginto	six-gram  gold
dalawang bilaong pansit	two-winnowerful noodles	pitong litrong  serbesa	seven-liter beer
tatlong kaing  na mangga	three-basketful mangoes	walong kilometrong biyahe	eight-kilometer trip
apat na dangkal*  na laso	four-dangkal   ribbon	siyam na litrong gasolina	nine-liter gasoline
limang dipang** lubid	five-dipa  rope	sampung pulgadang pisi	ten-inch string

* dangkal = roughly the distance between the tip of one's middle-finger and the tip of his/her thumb, when the two are stretched out.

**dipa = roughly the distance between the tip of one's middle fingers when both of his/her   arms are stretched out (approximately 3 ft or 1 meter)