What are Common Nouns?

Common nouns are general, non-specific terms that refer to people, places, things, or ideas. These nouns are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence. In Tagalog, common nouns are known as pangngalang pambalana, which encompasses a wide range of categories.

Categories of Common Nouns in Tagalog

Tagalog common nouns can be divided into six categories:

1. Concrete Nouns (pangngalang pambalana di-tuwirang pawatasan): These refer to tangible objects or physical entities that can be perceived through the senses. Examples include kuwadro (frame), silya (chair), and bulan (month).
2. Abstract Nouns (pangngalang pambalana tuwirang pawatasan): These encompass intangible, non-physical concepts or ideas relating to states, emotions, and qualities. Examples are saya (happiness), kahirapan (poverty), and pagmamahal (love).
3. Collective Nouns (pangngalang pambalana pangukol): These denote groups or collections of similar items, people, or animals. Examples include pulutong (gang), pamayanan (community), and kawan (flock).
4. Proper Nouns (pangngalang pamaraan): These refer to specific names of people, countries, or specific places. They aren’t exactly common nouns themselves, but can be converted to common nouns. Examples are Pedro (Peter), Pilipinas (Philippines), and Pasig (a Philippine city).
5. Compound Nouns (pangngalang binubuo): Consist of two or more words combined to form a new noun. Examples are tingin-lupa (earthworm), bulan-sanhi (ovulation), and tala-tiyempo (meteorology).

Forming Tagalog Common Nouns from Verbs and Adjectives

In Tagalog, it’s possible to create common nouns from verbs and adjectives. This transformation is achieved by using different noun-affixes. Here are a few examples:

• From the verb kain (to eat), you can form the common noun pagkain (food) with the prefix pag-.
• From the adjective mahal (expensive), the common noun kahalagahan (importance) can be created by adding the prefix ka- and the suffix -an.

Using Common Nouns in Sentences

Below are some examples to help you better understand the usage of Tagalog common nouns in sentences:

Sa araw ng kaarawan niya, natanggap ni Marissa ang isang magandang regalo mula sa kanyang mga kaibigan.

(On her birthday, Marissa received a beautiful gift from her friends.)

Ang barangay ay nagkaroon ng malaking pista upang ipagdiwang ang tagumpay ng kanilang kabataan.

(The village had a grand fiesta to celebrate the success of their youth.)

Conclusion

By understanding the various categories of common nouns in Tagalog grammar and knowing how to form new nouns from verbs and adjectives, you’re well-equipped to express yourself more fluently and accurately in Tagalog. This deep dive into pangngalang pambalana is a critical step toward mastering the vibrant and rich Tagalog language.