Question: Can you say the difference between "untí-untí" and "

The difference between them is that “unti-untî” is an adjective, while “untí-untíng (unti-unti na)” is an adverb.Unti-untî = gradualUNTI-UNTÎ ang paglubóg ng araw sa ábot-tanáw. = Ang paglubóg ng araw sa ábot-tanáw ay UNTI-UNTÎ = The setting of the sun at the horizon is GRADUAL.Unti`-unti`ng = graduallyUNTÍ-UNTÍNG lumulubóg ang araw sa ábot-tanáw. = Ang araw ay UNTÍ-UNTÍNG lumulubóg sa ábot-tanáw. = The sun is GRADUALLY setting at the horizon.

Beginner here so I hesitate to comment. But nothing ventured nothing gained
Firstly gradual is an adjective rather than a noun. I am confident of that bit
Secondly, as it is an adjective, could unti-unting also be an adjective with a linker (as well as an adverb)? So for instance would 'a gradual realisation' be translated as 'isang unti-unting realisasyon'?
And interesting to me as a beginner is the use of unti-unting as an adverb. As a beginner I would have translated gradually as nang unti-unti. Just shows how much I have to learn

@JohnD Yes, I'm sorry about that glaring error, and thank you for pointing it out. I don't know why I called it a noun when I obviously used it as an adjective in my example. 😵😱 I have already corrected it.In answering kasong’s question, I was thinking that he was just interested to know when to use “unti-unti” and “unti-unting”. So, I restricted my answer to using two sentences expressing the same idea, one showing "unti-unti" as an adjective and the other as an adverb by attaching “na” to it.I thought of pointing out to him that I used “setting (paglubog)” as a noun/gerund with “unti-unti” as an adjective and “setting (lumulubog)” as a verb with the adverb “unti-unting”, but I decided not to lest he might get confused. However, to answer your question, we have to go there. “Unti-unti” is an adjective when used with a noun. Likewise, “unti-unti” is an adverb when used with a verb, with or without the linker “na”.“Isang unti-unting realisasyon ang pumasok sa isip ni Maria” may also be expressed as “Unti-unti, isang realisasyon ang pumasok sa isip ni Maria”.“Realisasyon” is an adapted word. The Tagalog word for it, which we use less often than “realisasyon”, is “pagtantô” – the root word is “tantô”. I will use the Tagalog word instead in the following examples to better illustrate the use of “unti-unti”.Pagtantô – noun/gerund – realization/(the way of) realizing Isang UNTI-UNTING (unti-unti na) PAGTANTÔ ang pumasok sa isip ni Maria = A GRADUAL REALIZATION came to Maria’s mind.Isang PAGTANTO NA UNTI-UNTI ang pumasok sa isip ni Maria. = A REALIZATION THAT WAS GRADUAL came to Maria’s mind. UNTI-UNTI, isang pagtanto ang PUMASOK sa isip ni Maria = GRADUALLY, a realization CAME to Maria’s mind. (Linker “na” was not used.)

Matantô – actor-focus or object-focus verb – to realizeUNTI-UNTING NATANTO ni Maria ang hirap. = Maria GRADUALLY REALIZED the difficulty. = The difficulty was GRADUALLY REALIZED by Maria.NATANTO NANG UNTI-UNTI ni Maria ang hirap. = Maria REALIZED GRADUALLY the difficulty. = The difficulty was REALIZED GRADUALLY by Maria. (“Nang” converts the next word to it into an adverb.)

Tantuín – object-focus verb – to realizeUNTI-UNTI moNG TANTUIN (unti-unti na tantuin mo) ang paghihirap ni Maria. = GRADUALLY REALIZE the difficulty of Maria.TANTUIN mo NANG UNTI-UNTI ang paghihirap ni Maria. = REALIZE GRADUALLY the difficulty of Maria.So, more than just adding a “na” after “unti-unti”, the difference lies in what they are being used to modify.

@Juantutri Thank you. Very informative. I have a long way to go

@Juantutri A further Question
Thank you so much.
But I have one more question.
Can you explain why is the linker "ng" used in the following sentence?UNTÍ-UNTÍNG lumulubóg ang araw sa ábot-tanáw

@kasong It is the linker “na” that is attached to “unti-unti” – unti-unti NA/unti-untiNG lumulubog (gradually setting). When we have the linker “na” between an adjective and a noun, it does not change even if we reverse the order of the words.dagat NA malalim = malalim NA dagat = deep sealupà NA basâ = lupaNG basa = basa NA lupa = basáNG lupa = wet soil/land/ground When it is used between an adjective and a verb, the “na” changes the adjective to an adverb. However, changing the order of the words also changes the “na” to “nang”.unti-unti NA/unti-untiNG lumulubog (gradually setting/sinking) = lumulubog NANG unti-unti (setting/sinking gradually)mabilis NA lumalakad (fast/hurriedly walking) = lumalakad NANG mabilis (walking fast/hurriedly).The change in the case of adverbs might be due to the other meanings of “nang”. Placed before a verb, it becomes the adverb "already" or the conjunction “when”. Unti-unti NANG lumulubog ang araw. = The sun is ALREADY setting gradually.Mabilis NANG lumalakad ang babae. = The woman is ALREADY walking fast.Nakaalís na sila NANG lumubóg ang araw = They had already left WHEN the sun set.Umúulán NANG lumalakad kami. = It was raining WHEN we were walking.So, I think “na” is used instead before the verb to avoid any confusion.

@Juantutri Thank you and one more question

 

Aha, thank you so much.
Tagalog is a very interesting language,
but very very difficult to understand
Anyway, thanks a lot!!!I have one more question: Is the following sentence okay, or somewhat odd?
If odd, can you please explain why?Ng lalaki ay nagtagpo ang babae. (‘The boy met the girl.’)

@kasong You're welcome!The translation of “The boy met the girl” would depend on what " met " means.Although “tagpò” means “meet”, it usually refers to an agreement to meet. “Tagpuan” means “an agreed-upon meeting place”. “Matágpuán” is the verb used to express finding someone or something that you were looking for.To make your sentence grammatically correct, it should be “Ang lalaki at (ang) babae ay nagtagpò (The boy and the girl met).” However, we are not likely to use that sentence just like that unless the context was already established. As is, it is begging for an explanation about the meeting. Hence, you would usually only see it in sentences with long predicates or in complex sentences. For example: 1) “Ang lalaki at babae ay nagtagpô para magkakilala sila nang mas mabuti.” = The boy and the girl met so that they may get to know each other better. 2) “Ang lalaki at babae ay nagtagpo nang hindi inaasahan sa loób ng bangko”. = The boy and girl met (found each other) unexpectedly/accidentally inside the bank. To use “tagpo” in your sentence, you may use the verb “makipágtagpo (nakipagtagpô, nakikipagtagpô, makikipagtagpô) (to mutually agree to meet with someone)”: Ang lalaki ay nakipagtagpô sa babae. = The boy met the girl (at the place and time they had agreed on). If the meeting was about getting acquainted for the first time:Ang lalaki at babae ay nagkakilala sa isang party. = The boy and girl met (got to know each other) at a party.If the meeting was accidental and between persons who already know each other:Ang lalaki at babae ay nagkásalubong sa harapán/haráp ng mall. = The boy and girl met each other in front of the mall (as they were coming from opposite or different directions). It could also simply mean that they just met in passing. Other verbs may be used depending on the meaning of "meet".Going back to your Tagalog sentence - “Ng lalaki ay nagtagpo ang babae.”Assuming that your “ng” was a typo and you meant it to be “ang”, it would then appear twice and that would suggest that both of them are marking the subjects of the sentence. The sentence should, therefore, be “Ang lalaki at (ang) babae ay nagtagpo”. It is not uncommon for us to omit the second “ang” and without it, the sentence is the same as the second example I gave above.If that “Ng” was really what you meant, then the sentence is wrong. You can’t start a sentence with “of” because it won’t make sense - “Of the boy met the girl”. However, since there is an “ang” in your sentence, then it marks the subject by default. The sentence becomes, “Ang babae ay nagtagpo ng lalaki”. It is not really correct grammatically, but if we’d hear it from a non-Tagalog speaker, one possible interpretation or misinterpretation is that the girl procures men for other men. That meaning would result from our mentally filling in the missing parts of the sentence to make it grammatically correct – Ang babae ay nagTAtagpo ng MGA lalaki. = The girl is making men meet. You’d end up describing her as a madam that way. 🤣Just an extra info: “Ng babae” or “ng lalaki”, if orally expressed and just by itself with no basis for context will most likely be misheard or misunderstood as “nambabae" or “nanlalaki ”, respectively. The verb “mambabae (nambabae, nambababae, mambababa’’e)” is what a Don Juan (mámbababae) does. Be aware though that these words are only used informally. Its female counterpart is “manlalaki (nanlalaki, nanlálalaki, manlálalaki)” and the noun (man-eater?) is “mánlalalaki”. Unlike that for men, these terms for a woman are not used as real labels but only in jest and a rude one if a man says it in the presence of women. 🤫🤐🤕

@Juantutri Thank you so much.Aha, Thanks a lot for your kind and precise answer. It was very informative for me. My main concern was the position of the ng-phrase. It is very interesting that the phrase cannot come to the sentence-initial position. And your interpretation of "ng" as preposition "of" (not as a object marker) is also very interesting. It would be very helpful to me, if you could explain the function of "ng-phrase" a little more. May we interpret it mostly as "of-phrase" in English?Thank you!!

Aside from being one of the letters of the Filipino/Tagalog alphabet - ... m, n, NG, o, p ... - the “ng” has a couple of other functions. 1. It is the preposition “of” or "by".
2. It marks the Direct Object of an Actor-focus verb in a sentence.
3. It marks the common-noun Actor/doer of an Object-focus verb in a sentence. It translates to “by” when the sentence is stated in the English passive voice.

1. As the preposition “of”, it relates a noun to another noun:ang tatay NG batà = the father OF the child
buntót NG pusà = tail OF a/the cat
gulóng NG bisikleta = wheel OF a/the bicycle
tatló ng limá = three of five
punò NG mansanas = apple tree (tree OF apple)
prutas NG puno NG mansanas NG kapit-bahay ko = fruit OF the apple tree OF my neighbor
pinsan NG lola NG isáng kamág-anak NG kaibigan NG kaklase mo = cousin OF the grandma OF a relative OF the/a friend OF your classmate. 😵🤣2. As a marker of the DIRECT OBJECT of an ACTOR-focus verb:MAGLARÔ (to play) – actor-focus verbNaglalarô NG(2) chess ang tatay NG(1) bata. = Ang tatay NG(1) bata ay naglalarô NG(2) chess. = The father OF(1) the child plays/is playing (2)chess. - “Chess” is the direct object of the verb “naglalaro”.KUMUHA (to get) – actor-focus verb, pera = money, bulsá = pocket, pantalón = pants/trousers, asawa = husband/wifeKumuha NG(2) pera (mulâ) sa bulsa NG(1) pantalon NG(1) asawa niya ang babae. = Ang babae ay kumuha NG(2) pera (mulâ) sa bulsa NG(1) pantalon NG(1) asawa niya. = The woman took (2)money from the pocket OF(1) the pants OF(1) her husband. - “Pera” is the direct object of “kumuha”. - "Mulâ" is "from" but it may be omitted in these sentences.3. As a marker of the common-noun ACTOR/doer of an OBJECT-focus verb:LARUÍN (to play with something) - object-focus verbNilalarô NG(3) tatay NG(1) bata ang chess. = Ang chess ay nilalaro NG(3) tatay NG(1) bata. = Chess is played/being played BY(3) the father OF(1) the child.KUNIN (to take something from) - object-focus verbKinuha NG(3) babae ang pera (mula) sa bulsa NG(1) pantalon NG(1) asawa niya. = Ang pera (mula) sa bulsa NG(1) pantalon NG(1) asawa niya ay kinuha NG(3) babae. = THE money from the pocket OF(1) the pants OF(1) her husband was taken BY(3) the woman. Note: When an actor-focus verb is used, a detailed description of the direct object is not given. In the example sentence under #2 above, the amount of money taken was unspecified. It was only stated as “KUMUHA NG(2) PERA ...” (TOOK MONEY ...). It would most likely be understood as just some of the money in the pocket. However, when an object-focus verb is used, the direct object has to be specific or in its totality, or both. Hence, in the last example under #3, the direct object was “KINUHA ANG pera ...” (TOOK THE MONEY ...), which means, all of it.

@kasong It just recurred to me that it’s possible that you might have heard a Tagalog speaker start a sentence with what sounded like a “ng”. What you really heard was “nang”, which is pronounced exactly like “ng”.“Nang” there is used as the conjunction or the pronoun “when”.Nang lalaki ang nagíng unang anák ni John, natuwâ siya nang hustó. = When John had a boy as his first child, he was so happy. - “Husto” means “enough/sufficient”, but it is also used as the intensifier adverb “so”. Nang umulán, násaan na kayó? = When it rained, where were you already?