Learn Hardcore Filipino: Maluwag ang kwarto ni Liza pero maliit ang sala nila. - Liza's bedroom is spacious but their living room is small.

Filipino is typically predicate-first. Adjectives can function as stative predicates, so Maluwag is the predicate and ang kwarto ni Liza is the topic of the first clause; maliit is the predicate and ang sala nila is the topic of the second. No equivalent of English “to be” is needed.

What’s the difference between maluwag and malaki?

Maluwag: spacious/roomy, or loose (emphasizes free space inside or looseness of fit).
Malaki: big/large (overall dimensions).
A room can be malaki but not feel maluwag, and vice versa.

How does maluwag compare to malawak or malapad?

Maluwag: roomy/loose (interior capacity; clothing that’s loose).
Malawak: wide/broad (areas, fields, roads, figurative scope).
Malapad: wide in the sense of “broad, not narrow” for flat surfaces.

What does ang do here, and why is it used twice?

Ang marks a definite topic noun phrase (often like English “the”). Each clause has its own ang-phrase: ang kwarto ni Liza and ang sala nila. Using ang twice is normal because there are two clauses joined by pero. In casual speech you’ll also hear yung instead of ang.

Why is it ni Liza and not kay Liza?

Ni is the genitive marker for proper names and shows possession: kwarto ni Liza (Liza’s room). Kay is the oblique marker for roles like “to/at/for”: kay Liza (to/with Liza). The nominative for names is si (e.g., si Liza).

What does nila mean, and where does it go?

Nila is the third-person plural genitive pronoun “their/of them.” As a possessor, it follows the noun: ang sala nila. Related forms:

kanila = “to/for them/theirs” (sa-form), e.g., sa kanila.
kanilang (with linker) = pre-nominal possessive: kanilang sala.

Can I say ang kanilang sala instead of ang sala nila?

Yes. Ang kanilang sala (pre-nominal) and ang sala nila (post-nominal) are both correct. Kanilang sounds a bit more formal; sala nila is very common in conversation. Meaning is the same unless you’re doing special emphasis.

Could I drop the second ang and say “…pero maliit sala nila”?

No. You still need ang to mark the topic of the second clause: pero maliit ang sala nila. Without ang, the clause is ungrammatical in this structure.

Is pero the only way to say “but”?

Pero is the most common, conversational “but.” More formal: ngunit, subalit. Very colloquial: kaso (roughly “the thing is/but”).

What’s the difference between kwarto and kuwarto?

They’re variants of the same word (from Spanish “cuarto”). Kuwarto is the older spelling; kwarto is a modern simplification. Both are acceptable—just be consistent.

Does sala definitely mean “living room”? I’ve seen sala also mean “error.”

Context decides. Sala commonly means living room/lounge. It can also mean error/fault. Dictionaries sometimes mark different stress to distinguish them, but in everyday writing no accents appear—context clarifies the meaning.

Why is there no na/-ng linker here between the adjective and the noun?

Because the adjective is the predicate, not an attributive modifier. Predicate: Maluwag ang kwarto… Attributive (adjective modifying a noun) uses a linker: ang maluwag na kwarto. Similarly: ang maliit na sala vs predicate Maliit ang sala.

How do I make a comparison like “bigger than their living room”?

Use mas + adjective + kaysa (sa) + comparator:

Mas malaki ang kwarto ni Liza kaysa sa sala nila. You can also compare spaciousness: Mas maluwag… Colloquial kesa is fine.

How do I say “very” or “too”?

Very (common): sobrang + adjective (e.g., Sobrang maliit ang sala nila.)
Very (formal pattern): napaka- + adjective + ng + noun phrase (e.g., Napakaluwag ng kwarto ni Liza.)
Too/excessively: masyadong + adjective (e.g., Masyadong maliit ang sala nila.)