alat

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

• Part of speech: adjective (also adverb “saltily”)
• Meaning: “salty,” “briny,” or figuratively “stingy / harsh.”

Examples

1. Alat ang sabaw; daghan og asin. – The soup is salty; too much salt.
2. Alat kaayo ning isdang tuyo. – This dried fish is very salty.
3. Alat na ang dugo sa dagat. – Sea water is naturally salty.
4. Alat iyang komentaryo—medyo sakit paminawon. – His comment was salty—rather harsh.

2 Linkers and derivational forms

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant: alat-ng isda – salty fish.
  • nga before a vowel / for clarity: alat nga sud-an – salty viand.
• Intensity & comparison
  • mas alat – saltier.
  • pinakaalat – saltiest.
  • alat-alat – a bit salty.
  • alat kaayo / alat gyud – very salty / truly salty.
• Exclamations & abstracts
  • Kaalat oy! – So salty!
  • kaalaton – saltiness.
  • pagkaalat – the state of being salty.
• Verb relatives
  • mualat / nialat / nag-alat – to become salty.
  • paalata! / paalaton – add salt, make salty.

3 Where it fits in a sentence

1. Predicate: Ang sabaw alat. – The broth is salty.
2. Modifier: alat nga sabaw.
3. Emphatic complement: Mao ni ang alat nga parte sa putahe. – This is the salty part of the dish.

4 Common collocations

• alat nga pagkaon – salty food
• alat nga bawog – briny smell
• alat nga tubig – saltwater
• alat nga panlasa – salty taste
• alat-alat nga chips – slightly salty chips

5 Detailed usage notes

“Alat” describes flavor dominated by salt. By extension, it can mark “harsh” words (alat nga storya) or a “stingy” person (alat og kamot). Attach a linker when it precedes a noun; skip it in predicate slot. Comparative and superlative use mas / pinaka-. Reduplication (alat-alat) softens intensity. Verb forms like nialat show a dish “turning salty” after simmering down.

6 Frequent pitfalls

• Leaving out linker: ✗ alat sabaw → ✓ alat nga sabaw.
• Saying alat mas instead of mas alat.
• Splitting pinaka from root: ✗ pinaka alat → ✓ pinakaalat.
• Mixing up “salty” (alat) with “sour” (aslom).
• Omitting hyphen in reduplication: ✗ alat-alat → ✓ alat-alat.

7 Five handy conversational phrases

1. Kaalat sa tubig sa dagat, di gyud pwede mainom. – The sea water’s so salty; you really can’t drink it.
2. Mas alat ning brand sa soy sauce. – This soy-sauce brand is saltier.
3. Pinakaalat gyud ning bacon sa fridge. – That bacon in the fridge is the saltiest.
4. Alat-alat ra ang mantekilya, perfect sa tinapay. – The butter is just slightly salty—perfect on bread.
5. Ayaw paalata pag-ayo ang sabaw, ha? – Don’t make the soup too salty, okay?

8 Five short conversation exchanges

1. Q: Alat ba ang itlog maalat? – Is the salted egg salty?
   A: Oo, alat kaayo; maayo kauban sa kamatis. – Yes, very salty; good with tomatoes.
2. Q: Ngano mas alat man ning sardinas? – Why is this sardine saltier?
   A: Mas alat kay dugay gihuman gi-preserve. – Saltier because it was cured longer.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakaalat nga brand sa chips? – Which chip brand is the saltiest?
   A: Ang “Wave Crunch” pinakaalat base sa reviews. – “Wave Crunch” is saltiest based on reviews.
4. Q: Alat-alat na ba ang sabaw human nimog timpla? – Is the broth a bit salty after you seasoned it?
   A: Alat-alat na, sakto ra sa akong lami. – A bit salty now, just right for my taste.
5. Q: Unsaon pag-paalat sa kilawin? – How do we salt the ceviche?
   A: Paalata gamit ug rock salt una, unya timplahi. – First salt with rock salt, then season.

9 Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Alat ba ang imong soup?
A. Alat soup kaayo ang akong.
B. Soup alat kaayo ang akong.
C. Alat kaayo ang akong soup.

Q2. Asa ang mas alat, ang peanuts o ang chips?
A. Mas alat kaysa peanuts ang chips.
B. Mas alat ang peanuts kaysa chips.
C. Peanuts kaysa chips ang mas alat.

Q3. Pinakaalat ba kini nga soy sauce sa tindahan?
A. Pinakaalat kini nga soy sauce sa tindahan.
B. Kini pinakaalat soy sauce sa tindahan.
C. Soy sauce kini pinakaalat sa tindahan.

Q4. Ngano alat ra ang imong reaction?
A. Alat ra akong reaction kay sakit paminawon.
B. Reaction alat ra akong kay sakit paminawon.
C. Sakit paminawon reaction alat ra ako kay.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay alat-alat nga resipe sa isda?
A. Si Leo naay alat-alat nga resipe.
B. Naay si Leo alat-alat resipe.
C. Resipe alat-alat naay si Leo.

Answer key & brief reasons

• Q1 – C Correct predicate order (alat kaayo) + subject. Others mangle article/subject order.
• Q2 – A Pattern “Mas alat kaysa X ang Y” is valid; B & C flip comparative pieces incorrectly.
• Q3 – A Pinakaalat directly before kini then linker clause. B & C mis-order demonstrative or noun.
• Q4 – B Subject first, then adjective, albeit informal; A & C jumble components worse.
• Q5 – A Standard “naay + subject + description.” B & C break structure or drop linker.