delikado

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

Part of speech: adjective (also adverb)
Core meaning: “dangerous,” “risky,” “hazardous,” or figuratively “delicate / critical.”

Example sentences

• Delikado ang kalsada kung mag-ulan ug kusog. – The road is dangerous when it rains hard.
• Delikado kaayo ang sitwasyon sa dagat tungod sa bagyo. – The situation at sea is very risky because of the storm.
• Ayaw hilabti, delikado nga kemikal na. – Don’t touch that; it’s a dangerous chemical.
• Mas delikado ang planong dili klaro kaysa walay plano. – A vague plan is more dangerous than no plan.

2 Linkers and derivational patterns

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant → delikado-ng misyon – risky mission.
  • nga before a vowel or for clarity → delikado nga operasyon – dangerous operation.
• Comparative & superlative
  • mas delikado – more dangerous.
  • pinakadelikado – most dangerous.
• Reduplication & intensifiers
  • delikado-delikado – rather dangerous.
  • delikado kaayo / delikado gyud – very dangerous.
• Exclamation & abstract noun
  • Kadelikado oy! – How dangerous!
  • kadelikaduhan – danger, precariousness.
• Verb-like relatives
  • madelikado / nidelikado / nagdelikado – to become dangerous.
  • padelikado-a! / padelikadohon – to endanger, to make risky.

3 Where to place it in a sentence

1. Predicate adjective: Ang dalan delikado. – The road is dangerous.
2. Modifier with linker: delikado nga dalan.
3. After emphasis: Mao ni ang delikado nga bahin sa plano. – This is the dangerous part of the plan.

4 Common collocations

• delikado nga dalan – dangerous road
• delikado nga trabaho – hazardous job
• delikado nga kahimtang – critical condition
• delikado nga desisyon – risky decision
• delikado-delikado nga eksperimento – somewhat risky experiment

5 Detailed usage notes

“Delikado” marks any situation, object, or action that poses harm. It can describe literal danger (delikado nga bangag – dangerous cliff) or metaphorical risk (delikado nga pamolitika – risky politics).

• Linker rule: add -ng / nga when the adjective is before the noun; omit it when it follows.
• Comparison: use mas / pinaka-.
• Reduplication: delikado-delikado softens to “quite dangerous.”
• Verb forms: nidelikado ang panahon – the weather turned dangerous.

6 Frequent mistakes to watch for

• Dropping the linker: ✗ delikado sitwasyon → ✓ delikado nga sitwasyon.
• Writing delikado mas instead of mas delikado.
• Separating pinaka: ✗ pinaka delikado → ✓ pinakadelikado.
• Using delikado when “difficult” (lisod) is meant.
• Missing hyphen in reduplication: ✗ delikadodelikado → ✓ delikado-delikado.

7 Five handy conversational phrases

1. Kadelikado sa sumbagay, ayaw apila. – The fistfight is so dangerous—don’t join.
2. Mas delikado kung mag-drive ka nga walay tulog. – It’s more dangerous to drive without sleep.
3. Pinakadelikado gyud ni nga ruta sa bukid. – This is absolutely the most dangerous trail on the mountain.
4. Delikado-delikado ra ning eksperimento; siguro-ha ang safety gear. – This experiment is fairly risky; make sure of the safety gear.
5. Ayaw padelikado-a ang imong kaugalingon, sunda ang protokol. – Don’t endanger yourself; follow the protocol.

8 Five short exchanges

1. Q: Delikado ba ang pag-langoy karon? – Is swimming dangerous now?
   A: Oo, delikado kaayo kay kusog ang current. – Yes, very dangerous because the current is strong.
2. Q: Ngano mas delikado man ang shortcut? – Why is the shortcut riskier?
   A: Mas delikado kay walay suga ug gubot ang dalan. – Riskier because there’s no light and the road is rough.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakadelikado nga parte sa lungsod? – Which part of town is the most dangerous?
   A: Sa may tulay pinakadelikado; daghan aksidente didto. – Near the bridge is the most dangerous; many accidents happen there.
4. Q: Delikado-delikado na ba ang imong battery level? – Is your battery level already kind of dangerous (very low)?
   A: Oo, 5 % nalang; kinahanglan ko charger. – Yes, only 5 %; I need a charger.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pagpaminus sa delikado sa trabaho? – How do we lessen the danger at work?
   A: I-implement nato ang safety training ug PPE. – Let’s implement safety training and PPE.

9 Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Delikado ba ang lingkoranan?
A. Delikado kaayo ang lingkoranan.
B. Lingkoranan delikado kaayo ang.
C. Delikado lingkoranan kaayo ang.

Q2. Asa ang mas delikado, ang tulay o ang banka?
A. Mas delikado ang tulay kaysa banka.
B. Banka kaysa tulay ang mas delikado.
C. Mas delikado kaysa tulay ang banka.

Q3. Pinakadelikado ba kini nga proyekto sa tanan?
A. Proyekto kini pinakadelikado sa tanan.
B. Pinakadelikado kini nga proyekto sa tanan.
C. Kini pinakadelikado proyekto sa tanan.

Q4. Ngano delikado ra imong plano?
A. Delikado ra akong plano kay walay backup.
B. Plano delikado ra akong kay walay backup.
C. Walay backup plano delikado ra ako kay.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay delikado-delikado nga ideya para adventure?
A. Si Paul naay delikado-delikado nga ideya.
B. Naay si Paul delikado-delikado ideya.
C. Ideya delikado-delikado naay si Paul.

Answer key with explanations

• Q1 – A – Adjective phrase delikado kaayo correctly precedes subject ang lingkoranan. Options B and C jumble noun order.
• Q2 – A – Standard comparative: “Mas delikado ang X kaysa Y.” The other two invert comparison elements.
• Q3 – B – Pinakadelikado sits right before kini with nga linking to proyekto. Sentences A and C scramble demonstrative or noun placement.
• Q4 – A – Predicate then reason clause; B and C mix subject-predicate structure.
• Q5 – A – Pattern “naay + subject + description.” Options B and C break that structure or drop the linker.