Kayarian ng Pangngalan: Payak, Maylapi, Inuulit, Tambalan (Filipino Lesson and Worksheets)
Learn the types of Filipino nouns according to structure (kayarian ng pangngalan) and test your knowledge with our free worksheets for Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3.
What is kayarian ng pangngalan? The word “kayarian” means structure and of course “pangngalan” means noun, so “kayarian ng pangngalan” simply means how a noun is constructed. It refers to the four types of Filipino nouns according to their composition or word structure.
Filipino nouns follow four general structures:
Payak – simple – the most basic – mostly root words
Maylapi – affixed – that is, a word that has a prefix, infix, or suffix
Inuulit – repeated – a noun where there is repetition of the whole word or majority of the word
Tambalan – compound – nouns that are compound words, that is, made up of two separate words
Remember, payak refers to those nouns that are root words, so you can imagine how many thousands of examples there are. I’m just going to write here the payak nouns that are in the Lupang Hinirang (the national anthem of the Philippines) plus some of the most common Filipino words that kids can be expected to know.
perlas
alab
puso
dibdib*
duyan
dagat
bundok
simoy
langit
dilag
tula
awit
kislap
watawat
tagumpay
bituin
araw
lupa
buhay
piling
ligaya
* Even though dibdib looks repeated (inuulit), there is no such Filipino word as “dib” so dibdib really is the root of this word. Other examples of words that look inuulit but are really payak:
alaala
baybay
daldal
musmos
pakpak
paruparo
singsing
tugtog
tuktok
Some commonly-encountered nouns:
aklat
alpabeto
ate
bahay
banyo
barangay
bola
bulaklak
buwan
dahon
damit
hardin
kapatid
kotse
kuya
kwaderno
lapis
lola
lolo
lungsod
nanay
panahon
papel
relihiyon
sapatos
tatay
tubig
ulan
Maylapi
Again, maylapi nouns are nouns that have affixes attached to them. As you’d expect, the pangngalang maylapi also number by the thousands, so I’m just writing some of the most common ones here, plus (like the payak) the maylapi words in the Lupang Hinirang.
Maylapi words in the Lupang Hinirang:
bayang
silanganan
lupang
manlulupig
paglaya
pagsinta
mang-aapi
Other common pangngalang maylapi:
dahilan
kaarawan
kabaitan
kabutihan
kagandahan
kaklase
kalaro
kalinisan
laruan
magsasaka
mangingisda
paaralan
pagbabago
pagkain
pagsasanay
pagsubok
simbahan
Inuulit
For pangngalang inuulit (nouns that are repeated), the letters repeated could be:
the entire word (example: haka-haka, meaning speculation) OR
just a chunk of the word, usually the first two syllables (example: bahay-bahayan, meaning the game of playing house)
Examples:
ama-amahan (foster father)
anak-anakan (foster child)
anting-anting (amulet)
ari-arian (possessions)
bagay-bagay (stuff)
bahay-bahayan (game of playing house)
bali-balita (rumor)
bulong-bulungan (rumor, gossip)
dagat-dagatan (small lake; lagoon)
diyus-diyosan (idols)
hagdan-hagdan (tiers)
haka-haka (speculation)
hari-harian (false king; bully)
ilog-ilogan (brook; rivulet)
kaano-ano (someone with whom one has a relationship)
kaloob-looban (deepest part)
kamula-mulaan (origin)
kasa-kasama (constant companion)
nanay-nanayan (foster mother)
pala-palagay (conjecture)
pali-paligid
sabi-sabi (rumour)
sali-salita
salo-salo (banquet; communal meal)
tau-tauhan (figurehead; dummy; puppet)
tipon-tipon (gathering)
tira-tira (leftovers)
usap-usapan (subject of conversation among lots of people)
Tambalan
In English, pangngalang tambalan are compound words — two words that have been combined to create a different word. Sometimes the pangngalang tambalan is made up purely of the two words; at other times, an affix (usually the suffix -ng) has been added to the first word.
Examples:
alay-kapwa
anak-pawis
bahay-ampunan (orphanage)
bahay-kubo (a native hut)
balikbayan (a Filipino who has come back to the Philippines after having stayed for quite a while abroad)
bukang-liwayway (dawn; daybreak)
bungang-araw (prickly heat)
bungangkahoy (fruit)
buntong-hininga (sigh)
dapithapon (sunset; twilight; dusk)
halamang-ugat (rootcrop)
hanapbuhay (occupation; job)
hapag-kainan (dining table)
ingat-yaman (treasurer)
isdang-dagat (saltwater fish)
kapitbahay (neighbor)
kisapmata (blink of an eye)
lakas-loob (courage)
lamang dagat (seafood)
luksong-tinik (a kind of game)
luwalhati (glory)
silid-aklatan (library)
silid-aralan (classroom)
silid-tulugan (bedroom)
sulat-kamay (handwriting)
tabing-dagat (seaside)
takipsilim (twilight; dusk)
taong-bayan (townspeople; citizens)
taong-gubat (literally forest man; savage)
Kayarian ng Pangngalan Worksheets
Kayarian ng Pangngalan: Worksheet for Kindergarten
This kayarian ng pangngalan activity is a simple matching type exercise that will help reinforce a kindergarten student’s introduction to Filipino noun structure.
Note: you can reduce the size of the worksheet by zooming out your browser screen. For Windows users, scroll down the mouse wheel while pressing the Ctrl key in your keyboard.
Note: you can reduce the size of the worksheet by zooming out your browser screen. For Windows users, scroll down the mouse wheel while pressing the Ctrl key in your keyboard.
Note: you can reduce the size of the worksheet by zooming out your browser screen. For Windows users, scroll down the mouse wheel while pressing the Ctrl key in your keyboard.
Note: you can reduce the size of the worksheet by zooming out your browser screen. For Windows users, scroll down the mouse wheel while pressing the Ctrl key in your keyboard.