Learn Hardcore Filipino: Nagluto ako ng masarap na hapunan kahapon.

Nagluto comes from the root luto (“cook”) with the actor‐focus, completed‐aspect affix nag‑…. In Filipino, nag‑ + root indicates that the subject performed and completed the action. So nagluto literally means “(I/you/he/she) cooked.”

What is the function of ng in ng masarap na hapunan? Is it the same as the linker ‑ng?

Here, ng is the direct‐object (common) case marker. It introduces what was cooked: masarap na hapunan. This ng is different from the linker ‑ng, which attaches to words ending in a vowel to join modifiers (e.g., putî + ‑ng = putîng). The case‐marker ng always stands alone before a noun phrase.

What does the na in masarap na hapunan do? Why is it na and not ‑ng?

That na is the ligature (linker) connecting the adjective masarap (“delicious”) to the noun hapunan (“dinner”). When a word ends in a consonant (here, masarap ends in p), you use na. If the modifier ended in a vowel, you’d use ‑ng instead (e.g., putî + ‑ng = putîng).