napakaganda
The Tagalog phrase for "very pretty" is napakaganda.
napakaganda is used to describe someone or something that is extremely attractive or beautiful.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by the prefix napaka-, which means "extremely" or "very" and the root word ganda, which means "beauty".
Which one should you use?
While maganda means "pretty", napakaganda is used to express a higher intensity, meaning "very pretty" or "extremely beautiful".
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use napakaganda to modify a noun directly, you must attach the linker -ng to the end of the word, resulting in napakagandang.
Did you know?
- While napakaganda describes physical beauty, the related term kagandahan can refer to a 'beauty pageant', which are culturally massive events in the Philippines that often rival professional sports in popularity.
- In Tagalog, you can express the same intensity by repeating the root word, saying gandang-ganda to mean 'very beautiful'. This repetition is a common linguistic pattern to emphasize emotion or state of being.
- The root ganda is used in the phrase maganda ang loob, which literally means 'beautiful inside'. This describes a person's kindness or generosity rather than their physical appearance.
Examples in context
- Nagasawa siya ng napakagandang babae.He married a very pretty girl.This sentence shows the use of napakaganda to describe a girl.Tatoeba #5361079 by kanlaon, translation #301337 by CK
- Napakaganda nila.They're very pretty.This sentence demonstrates how to say they are very pretty using napakaganda.Tatoeba #8635689 by artemio, translation #7813197 by Hybrid
- Siya ay napakaganda.She is very pretty.
- Ang ganda mo sobra!You are so beautiful!
- Ang ganda-ganda mo naman!You are so pretty!
- Napakaganda ng tanawin dito.The view here is very pretty.
Example conversation
Mark and Maria are visiting a flower garden.
- MarkMaria, napakaganda ng mga bulaklak dito!Maria, the flowers here are very pretty!
- MariaOo, paborito ko ang mga rosas.Yes, roses are my favorite.
- MarkGusto mo bang kumuha ng litrato?Do you want to take a photo?
- MariaSige, kunan mo ako sa harap nito.Sure, take a photo of me in front of this.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
