Kung mataas ang presyo, subukan mong makipagtawaran sa mabait na tindera.

If the price is high, try to bargain with the kind vendor.

Breakdown of Kung mataas ang presyo, subukan mong makipagtawaran sa mabait na tindera.

• mo: you
• kung: if
• sa: with
• presyo: the price
• mataas: high
• subukan: to try
• makipagtawaran: to bargain
• mabait: kind
• tindera: the vendor

Questions & Answers about Kung mataas ang presyo, subukan mong makipagtawaran sa mabait na tindera.

What does kung mean in this sentence, and how is it different from kapag?

Kung translates to “if” and introduces a hypothetical or conditional statement. Use kung when you’re talking about a scenario that may or may not happen.
Kapag, on the other hand, often means “when” or “whenever” and is used for conditions that are expected to occur regularly or with certainty.
Examples:

• Kung umulan bukas, hindi ako lalabas. (If it rains tomorrow, I won’t go out.)
• Kapag umuulan, lagi akong nagdadala ng payong. (Whenever it rains, I always bring an umbrella.)

Why is ang used before presyo in Kung mataas ang presyo?

In Tagalog, ang marks the subject or topic of the sentence (the nominative case). Here, presyo (price) is the subject, and ma‑taas (high) is the predicate adjective. The structure is:
Predicate (ma‑taas) + ang + Subject (presyo).

Why does the sentence use the word order “Predicate + Subject” instead of “Subject + Verb/Adjective”?

Everyday Tagalog often places the predicate before the subject, dropping the formal linker ay. The fully formal version would be:
Kung ang presyo ay mataas, subukan mong makipagtawaran…
But in natural speech or writing, dropping ay and flipping to Predicate‑Subject is more common:
Kung mataas ang presyo…

What does subukan mong mean, and why is it mong instead of mo?

• Subukan is the actor‑focus imperative (or infinitive) of the verb subok (to try).
• -mo is the second‑person singular pronoun “you.” When attached directly to a word that ends in a vowel, mo becomes mong because Tagalog adds -ng as a linker to avoid two vowels in a row.
  So subukan mong literally means “you try” or more naturally, “try ….”

How is makipagtawaran formed, and what exactly does it mean?

Makipagtawaran means “to haggle” or “to negotiate with someone.” It’s built from:

• Prefix maki‑ (denoting a mutual or reciprocal action with another party)
• Root tawar (to offer or negotiate)
• Suffix ‑an (often marks the object or location focus)
  Putting them together: makipag‑tawar‑an → makipagtawaran.

Why is sa used before mabait na tindera, and what role does it play?

Sa is a general preposition meaning “to,” “at,” or “with.” After makipagtawaran, you use sa to indicate with whom you’re negotiating. Since tindera is a common noun (not a proper name), you pair it with sa: makipagtawaran sa tindera.

Why do we say mabait na tindera and not mabait ng tindera?

When linking an adjective to a noun, Tagalog uses:

• na if the adjective ends in a consonant (as mabait ends in “t”)
• ‑ng if the adjective ends in a vowel.
  Hence, mabait na tindera is correct.

What is the difference between tindera and tindero?

• Tindera refers specifically to a female vendor.
• Tindero refers to a male vendor.
  If you don’t know the gender or you’re speaking generally, you can use tindero as a default, but tindera signals that the seller is a woman.