Ilagay ang nabubulok sa kompost.

Ilagay means put, place, or set. In this sentence, it is being used as a command, so the whole sentence is an instruction: Put ... in the compost.

It comes from the root lagay, which has to do with putting or placing something somewhere.

This is a very common question for learners.

Ilagay is an object-focus form. It is used when the sentence highlights the thing being put somewhere.

So in Ilagay ang nabubulok sa kompost, the focus is on ang nabubulok — the thing(s) that should be put into the compost.

By contrast, maglagay is more actor-focus, and it highlights the person doing the action. In instructions, ilagay is very common because the important thing is often what should be moved or placed.

Ang nabubulok means something like the thing that rots, the biodegradable material, or what is compostable.

• bulok = rotten / decayed
• nabubulok = rotting, decomposing, or able to decay

In this context, it usually refers to organic waste or compostable material, not just something that is already rotten.

It can overlap with all of those ideas, depending on context.

In this sentence, the most natural sense is probably biodegradable or compostable — things that can decompose and belong in compost.

So although nabubulok is related to rotting, here it does not necessarily mean something is already spoiled. It more likely means stuff that will naturally decay.

Ang marks the focused noun phrase in the sentence.

Because ilagay is object-focus, the thing being placed is marked with ang:

• ang nabubulok = the compostable thing(s)

So ang is not exactly the same as English the, although it is often translated that way. Its grammatical role is very important in Filipino.

It can be either singular or plural, depending on context.

Filipino usually does not mark nouns for number the way English does. So ang nabubulok could mean:

• the compostable item
• the compostable items
• what is biodegradable

If you want to make plurality clearer, context usually does that, or a plural marker such as mga may be used in other kinds of phrases.

Sa kompost means in the compost, into the compost, or to the compost.

• sa is a very common marker used for location or direction: in, at, on, to
• kompost means compost

So this part tells you where to put the compostable material.

Yes. Kompost is a borrowing from English compost, adapted to Filipino spelling.

You may also sometimes see English spellings in everyday writing, especially in informal contexts, but kompost is the Filipino-style spelling.

The basic structure is:

Verb + ang-phrase + sa-phrase

So:

• Ilagay = put
• ang nabubulok = the compostable thing(s)
• sa kompost = in/into the compost

This verb-first order is very normal in Filipino.

Yes, Filipino word order is often flexible.

For example, you could also say:

Ilagay sa kompost ang nabubulok.

That still means basically the same thing: Put the compostable material in the compost.

The difference is mostly one of flow or emphasis. The original version puts ang nabubulok earlier, which can make the thing being sorted feel slightly more prominent.

Yes, it sounds like a practical instruction, especially in a context like waste segregation.

It is a concise way to say that biodegradable or compostable material should go into the compost.

Depending on context, speakers might also use other wording, but this sentence is clear and natural.

Yes, in real-life use, sa kompost can be understood practically as in the compost bin / compost pile / compost container, depending on the situation.

Filipino often leaves that kind of detail to context. So if this is a sign near waste bins, the meaning would naturally be understood as put it in the compost bin.

Yes. As in many commands, the subject you is understood and does not need to be said.

So Ilagay ang nabubulok sa kompost means:

• Put the compostable material in the compost
• understood as You, put the compostable material in the compost

This is very normal in Filipino commands.