mahal

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

• Part of speech: adjective (also noun “price,” verb “to value”)
• Core meaning: “expensive,” “costly,” also “dear / precious” when talking about people or things one loves.

Example sentences

1. Mahal ang gasolina karong semana. – Fuel is expensive this week.
2. Mahal kaayo ang telepono, pero taas og kalidad. – The phone is very expensive but high-quality.
3. Mahal nako si Mama; di ko musupak niya. – I love my mom; I won’t disobey her.
4. Nagmahal ang bayad sa kuryente tungod sa init. – The electricity fee rose because of the heat.

2 Linkers and derivational forms

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant → mahal-ng baye – expensive dress.
  • nga before a vowel / clarity → mahal nga ticket – costly ticket.
• Degree & intensity
  • mas mahal – more expensive.
  • pinakamahal – most expensive.
  • mahal-mahal – rather pricey.
  • mahal kaayo / mahal gyud – very expensive.
• Exclamations & abstract nouns
  • Kamahal oy! – So expensive!
  • kamahalon – dearness, high cost.
  • pagkamahal – the state of being expensive.
• Verb relatives
  • mamahal / nimahal / nagmahal – to become expensive.
  • pamahala! / pamahlan – raise the price, value highly.

3 Where you’d place it in a sentence

1. Predicate: Ang sapatos mahal. – The shoes are expensive.
2. Modifier: mahal nga sapatos.
3. Emphatic complement: Mao ni ang mahal nga regalo. – This is the dear (expensive/precious) gift.

4 Common collocations

• mahal nga presyo – high price
• mahal nga balay – expensive house
• mahal nga tawo – dear person
• mahal nga destinasyon – pricey destination
• mahal-mahal nga bayranan – fairly high bill

5 Detailed usage notes

“Mahal” primarily marks cost but shades into affection. Context decides: mahal nako siya (“I love her”) vs. mahal nga relo (“expensive watch”). When the adjective is before a noun, add a linker; drop it in predicate position. Comparatives take mas, superlatives pinaka-. Reduplication (mahal-mahal) eases intensity (“kinda pricey”). Verb form nimahal often refers to prices rising.

6 Frequent pitfalls

• Missing linker (✗ mahal ticket → ✓ mahal nga ticket).
• Writing mahal mas instead of mas mahal.
• Splitting pinaka (✗ pinaka mahal → ✓ pinakamahal).
• Mixing up cost “mahal” with Tagalog “mahal” for love—watch the context.
• Forgetting hyphen in reduplication: ✗ mahalmahal → ✓ mahal-mahal.

7 Five casual phrases

1. Kamahal sa bayad sa parking, uy! – Parking fees are so high!
2. Mas mahal ang organic nga gulay, pero luwas sa pesticide. – Organic vegetables are pricier but pesticide-free.
3. Pinakamahal gyud ni nga hotel sa siyudad. – This is truly the most expensive hotel in town.
4. Mahal-mahal ra ang sinina, pero sale man pud. – The clothes are a bit pricey, but they’re on sale.
5. Nagmahal na sab ang pamasahe sa jeep. – Jeepney fare went up again.

8 Five brief conversations

1. Q: Mahal ba ang kape diri? – Is coffee pricey here?
   A: Oo, mahal kaayo kay imported. – Yes, very expensive because it’s imported.
2. Q: Ngano mas mahal man ang tiket sa weekend? – Why is the ticket more expensive on weekends?
   A: Mas mahal kay daghan pasahero. – More expensive because of more passengers.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakamahal nga restaurant sa area? – Which is the priciest restaurant nearby?
   A: Sa rooftop lounge—pinakamahal jud. – The rooftop lounge—absolutely the priciest.
4. Q: Mahal-mahal na ba ang gasolina karon? – Is fuel already somewhat expensive now?
   A: Oo, misaka ang presyo gabii. – Yes, the price went up last night.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pag-mahal pa sa brand value? – How do we increase (make dear) the brand value?
   A: Patason nato ang kalidad ug serbisyo. – Raise the quality and service.

9 Multiple-choice practice

Q1. Mahal ba ang imong relo?
A. Mahal kaayo ang akong relo.
B. Relo mahal kaayo ang akong.
C. Mahal relo kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas mahal, ang laptop A o laptop B?
A. Mas mahal kaysa laptop A ang laptop B.
B. Laptop A kaysa laptop B ang mas mahal.
C. Mas mahal ang laptop A kaysa laptop B.

Q3. Pinakamahal ba kini nga tiket sa linya?
A. Kini pinakamahal tiket sa linya.
B. Pinakamahal kini nga tiket sa linya.
C. Tiket kini pinakamahal sa linya.

Q4. Ngano mahal ra imong pangutana?
A. Mahal ra akong pangutana kay taas og bayad ang seminar.
B. Pangutana mahal ra akong kay taas bayad ang seminar.
C. Taas og bayad ang seminar pangutana mahal ra ako kay.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay mahal-mahal nga konsepto para sa ad?
A. Naay si Pia mahal-mahal konsepto.
B. Si Pia naay mahal-mahal nga konsepto.
C. Konsepto mahal-mahal naay si Pia.

Answer key & short explanations

• Q1 – A Predicate mahal kaayo precedes subject; others mis-order words.
• Q2 – C Correct comparative: “Mas mahal ang X kaysa Y.” A & B invert elements wrongly.
• Q3 – B Pinakamahal directly before kini then linker; A & C mis-order noun/demonstrative.
• Q4 – A Predicate then cause clause; B & C scramble structure.
• Q5 – B Pattern “naay + subject + description.” A & C break that order.