taas

1. Part of speech, meaning, basic usage, and examples

Part of speech: adjective
Core meaning: “tall,” “high,” “long” (applies to vertical height, physical length, or figurative 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. – “He wrote a long letter.”
• Ang tubig sa suba nitataas gabii. – “The river water rose last night.”

2. Linkers and derivational forms for adjectives

Linkers

• -ng: taas-ng pader – “tall wall.”
• nga: taas nga bundok – “high mountain.”

Degree and intensity

• mas taas – “taller / higher.”
• pinakataas – “tallest / highest.”
• taas-taas – “somewhat tall / rather long.”
• taas kaayo / taas gyud – “very tall / really high.”

Exclamatory and abstract nouns

• Kataas nimo! – “How tall you are!” (ka + taas + pronoun).
• kataas-an – “height / altitude / length.”
• pagkataas – “the state of being tall or high.”

Verb roots derived from “taas”

• mutaas / nitaas / nagtaas – “to rise / become higher.”
• pataasa (imperative) / pataason (future patient-focus) – “to raise / lengthen.”

3. Typical positions in a sentence

1. Predicate adjective: Ang bakod taas. – “The fence is tall.”
2. Modifier before a noun with linker: taas-ng hagdanan.
3. Complement after emphatic mao phrases: Mao ni ang taas nga bahagi.

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” fits physical height (taas nga building), length (taas nga istorya “long story”), altitude (taas nga lugar “high place”), or level/degree (taas ang bayad “the fee is high”). Use a linker when it directly modifies a noun; omit the linker when it stands as the predicate. Comparative and superlative take the standard mas / pinaka- markers. Reduplication (taas-taas) softens the description, while intensifiers (kaayo, gyud) strengthen it. Verb forms express upward movement or increase (mutaas ang presyo).

6. Common mistakes to avoid

• Missing linker: ✗ taas building → ✓ taas-ng building.
• Reversing comparative order: ✗ taas mas → ✓ mas taas.
• Separating pinaka from root: ✗ pinaka taas → ✓ pinakataas.
• Leaving out hyphen in reduplication: ✗ taastaas → ✓ taas-taas.
• Using taas for time (“long time”): prefer taas nga oras or simply dugay when talking about duration.

7. Five everyday 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. Ayaw kabalaka, dili taas ang bayad diri. – Don’t worry; the fee here isn’t high.
4. Pinakataas gyud ni nga building sa siyudad. – This is truly the tallest building in the city.
5. Kataas sa imong tingog, hinay-hinayi lang. – Your voice is so loud; please lower it a bit.

8. Five short conversation exchanges

1. Q: Taas ba ang imong balay? – Is your house tall?
   A: Oo, taas kaayo kay duha ka andana man. – Yes, it’s very tall because it has two floors.
2. Q: Ngano mas taas ang presyo karon? – Why is the price higher today?
   A: Mas taas kay gamay ra ang supply. – It’s higher because supply is small.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakataas nga bundok sa Pilipinas? – Where is the highest mountain in the Philippines?
   A: Ang pinakataas nga bundok mao ang Apo sa Mindanao. – The highest is Mt. Apo in Mindanao.
4. Q: Taas ra ba ang hagdanan dinhi? – Are the stairs here steep/long?
   A: Taas-taas ra pero dali ra mahuman. – They’re rather long but easy to finish.
5. Q: Unsaon pag-taas sa imong grado? – How will you raise your grade?
   A: Pataason nako pinaagi sa dugang pag-toon. – I’ll 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 and brief explanations

• Q1 → A is correct – predicate taas kaayo precedes the subject. B and C scramble articles and order.
• Q2 → A is correct – follows “Mas taas ang X kaysa Y.” B and C misplace comparative parts.
• Q3 → A is correct – puts pinakataas before kini then the clause; others mis-order demonstrative and verb.
• Q4 → A is correct – predicate first, reason clause after. B and C jumble ang phrase and cause.
• Q5 → A is correct – normal “naay + subject + description.” B and C break that pattern.