taas

1 Part of speech, core meaning, usage, and example sentences

Part of speech: adjective
Core meaning: “tall,” “high,” “long” (vertical height, physical length, numerical level).

Example sentences

• Taas ang punò sa niyog. – The coconut tree is tall.
• Taas kaayo ang presyo karon. – The price is very high today.
• Nagsulat siya og taas nga sulat. – She wrote a long letter.
• Nitataas ang tubig sa suba gabii. – The river water rose last night.

2 Linking endings and derivational forms for adjectives

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant → taas-ng pader – tall wall.
  • nga before a vowel / for clarity → taas nga bundok – high mountain.
• Degree and intensity
  • mas taas – taller / higher.
  • pinakataas – tallest / highest.
  • taas-taas – rather tall or somewhat long.
  • taas kaayo / taas gyud – very tall / truly high.
• Exclamatory & abstract nouns
  • Kataas nimo! – How tall you are!
  • kataas-an – height, altitude, length.
  • pagkataas – the state of being tall or high.
• Verb‐like derivatives
  • mutaas / nitaas / nagtaas – to rise / to become higher.
  • pataasa! (imperative) / pataason – make higher; lengthen.

3 Typical positions in a sentence

1. Predicate: Ang bakod taas. – The fence is tall.
2. Modifier with linker: taas-ng hagdanan – long staircase.
3. Complement after emphasis: Mao ni ang taas nga bahin. – This is the high section.

4 Common collocations

• taas nga temperatura – high temperature
• taas nga grado – high grade/score
• taas nga pasensya – long patience
• taas nga boses – loud (high-pitched) voice
• taas-ng buhok – long hair

5 Detailed usage notes

“Taas” covers literal height (taas nga building), length (taas nga istorya – long story), altitude (taas nga lugar – high place), and numerical level (taas ang bayad – high fee). Attach a linker when it directly precedes a noun; omit it when it follows the noun as predicate. Comparative (mas taas) and superlative (pinakataas) follow the regular pattern. Reduplication (taas-taas) softens intensity (“fairly tall/long”). Verb forms express upward movement or increase.

6 Common mistakes to watch for

• Dropping the linker (✗ taas building → ✓ taas-ng building).
• Putting mas after the adjective (✗ taas mas → ✓ mas taas).
• Separating pinaka from the root (✗ pinaka taas → ✓ pinakataas).
• Writing reduplication without a hyphen (✗ taastaas → ✓ taas-taas).
• Using taas for time length alone; prefer dugay for “long time.”

7 Five conversational phrases

1. Taas kaayo ang imong pasensya, salamat. – Your patience is very long, thank you.
2. Mas taas ang sweldo sa Manila. – The salary is higher in Manila.
3. Pinakataas gyud ni nga building sa siyudad. – This is truly the tallest building in the city.
4. Ayaw kabalaka, dili taas ang bayad diri. – Don’t worry; the fee here isn’t high.
5. Kataas sa imong tingog, hinaya gamay. – Your voice is so loud; lower it a bit.

8 Five everyday conversation exchanges

1. Q: Taas ba ang imong balay? – Is your house tall?
   A: Oo, taas kaayo; duha ka andana. – Yes, very tall; it has two floors.
2. Q: Ngano mas taas ang presyo karon? – Why is the price higher today?
   A: Mas taas kay gamay ang supply. – Higher because supply is low.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakataas nga bundok sa Pilipinas? – Where is the highest mountain in the Philippines?
   A: Ang Mount Apo ang pinakataas. – Mount Apo is the highest.
4. Q: Taas-taas ra ba ang hagdanan dinhi? – Are the stairs here rather long?
   A: Taas-taas ra pero sayon ra sak-an. – Fairly long but easy to climb.
5. Q: Unsaon pag-taas sa imong grado? – How will you raise your grade?
   A: Pataason nako pinaagi sa dugang pag-tuon. – I will raise it by studying more.

9 Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Taas ba ang imong palda?
A. Oo, taas kaayo ang akong palda.
B. Oo, palda taas kaayo akong ang.
C. Oo, taas palda kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas taas, ang kahoy o ang poste?
A. Mas taas ang kahoy kaysa poste.
B. Kahoy kaysa poste ang mas taas.
C. Mas taas kaysa kahoy ang poste.

Q3. Pinakataas ba kini nga bayad imong nadungog?
A. Oo, pinakataas kini nga bayad akong nadungog.
B. Oo, kini pinakataas nadungog akong bayad.
C. Oo, nadungog kini akong nga pinakataas bayad.

Q4. Ngano taas kaayo ang imong tingog?
A. Taas kaayo ang akong tingog kay nasuko ko.
B. Ang akong tingog taas kaayo kay ko nasuko.
C. Kay nasuko ko tingog taas kaayo akong ang.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay taas-taas nga buhok sa klase?
A. Si Mia naay taas-taas nga buhok.
B. Naay si Mia taas-taas buhok.
C. Buhok taas-taas naay si Mia.

Answer key with explanations

• Q1 – A is correct: predicate adjective before subject. B and C scramble order.
• Q2 – A is correct: “Mas taas ang X kaysa Y.” Others misplace elements.
• Q3 – A is correct: pinakataas precedes kini and keeps clause order. B & C mis-order.
• Q4 – A is correct: predicate followed by reason clause. Others mix articles and pronouns.
• Q5 – A is correct: “naay + subject + description” pattern intact; B & C break structure.