Learn Hardcore Filipino: Pinakamaingay ang sala kapag kumpleto ang pamilya. - The living room is the noisiest when the family is complete.

Tagalog commonly puts the predicate first. Here, the predicate is the adjective pinakamaingay (the noisiest), and the subject/topic follows as ang sala (the living room). All of these are correct, with different style/emphasis:

Pinakamaingay ang sala kapag kumpleto ang pamilya. (neutral, everyday)
Ang sala ang pinakamaingay kapag kumpleto ang pamilya. (topic-focus on sala)
Ang sala ay pinakamaingay kapag kumpleto ang pamilya. (more formal/written, using ay)

What does pinaka- mean, and how do I form superlatives?

pinaka- makes an adjective/adverb superlative: “the most” or “-est.”

maingay → pinakamaingay (noisy → the noisiest)
mabait → pinakamabait (kind → kindest) For comparatives, use mas: Mas maingay ang sala kaysa sa kusina. A more formal alternative to mas is higit na. Write pinaka- together with the word: pinakamaingay (no hyphen).

How do I say “noisier than the kitchen”?

Mas maingay ang sala kaysa sa kusina.

kaysa sa is standard before a noun; many speakers say kesa in casual speech.
You’ll also hear kaysa kusina (without sa) in fast speech, but kaysa sa is safer.

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

ang marks the topic/subject of a clause for common nouns.

Main clause: ang sala (subject).
Time clause: kapag kumpleto ang pamilya → ang pamilya is the subject in that clause. Related markers:
si/sina (proper names), ang mga (plural topics)
ng (non-topic objects/possessors)
sa (locations/oblique roles)

Can I say “sa sala” instead of “ang sala”?

Yes, but it changes the role of sala:

Pinakamaingay ang sala… = The living room is the noisiest (among rooms).
Pinakamaingay sa sala… = It is noisiest in the living room (treats sala as a location and leaves the subject implicit). Both are natural; choose based on what you want to emphasize.

kapag vs kung vs pag vs tuwing — which one should I use?

kapag = when/whenever (real/habitual or future): Pinakamaingay ang sala kapag kumpleto ang pamilya.
pag = colloquial short form of kapag: Pag kumpleto… (very common in speech)
kung = if/whether; also “when” in hypothetical situations: Kung kumpleto ang pamilya, magiging maingay.
tuwing = every time/on each occasion: Tuwing kumpleto ang pamilya, pinakamaingay ang sala.

Does kumpleto mean the same as buo? Are there better choices?

They overlap but differ:

kumpleto = complete/present (all members are there).
buo ang pamilya = an intact/whole family (as a unit, not broken).
magkakasama = together, physically with each other. You might also say: Pinakamaingay ang sala kapag magkakasama ang pamilya. Spelling note: You’ll see both kumpleto and kompleto; both are understood—just be consistent.

Is sala ever confusing? Doesn’t sala also mean “fault/sin”?

Yes, there are two words distinguished by stress (diacritics usually omitted in everyday writing):

sála = living room.
salâ = fault/guilt (e.g., may salâ siya = he/she is at fault). Context almost always makes the meaning clear.

How is maingay pronounced and built?

Built from root ingay (noise) with stative prefix ma- → ma-ingay.
Pronunciation: two vowels, ma-íngay (roughly “ma-ING-eye”), not like English “main.”
With pinaka-: pinakamaingay.

Can I add na in the time clause, like “kapag kumpleto na ang pamilya”?

Yes. na adds “already/now”:

Kapag kumpleto ang pamilya = when the family is complete.
Kapag kumpleto na ang pamilya = when the family is already complete/by the time the family is complete.

Can I front the time clause?

Yes. Both are natural:

Kapag kumpleto ang pamilya, pinakamaingay ang sala.
Pinakamaingay ang sala kapag kumpleto ang pamilya. Use a comma when the kapag-clause comes first.

How do I make it about my/our family?

Exclusive we (not including the listener): Kapag kumpleto kami, pinakamaingay ang sala.
Inclusive we (including the listener): Kapag kumpleto tayo, pinakamaingay ang sala.
With a noun: Kapag kumpleto ang pamilya namin, pinakamaingay ang sala.

How do I specify the comparison set, like “in the whole house”?

Add a sa phrase or an explicit set:

Pinakamaingay ang sala sa buong bahay.
Pinakamaingay ang sala sa lahat ng kuwarto.
Pinakamaingay ang sala kaysa sa ibang kuwarto.

What’s the difference between pinaka- and other intensifiers like napaka- or sobrang?

pinaka- = the most/superlative: pinakamaingay.
napaka- = very/so (more formal/neutral): napakaingay.
sobrang
- noun/adj = very/really (colloquial): sobrang ingay / sobrang maingay. Only pinaka- expresses “the most” among a set.

If I want a past-time reading (“It was noisiest… when the family was complete”), do I still use kapag?

For a single specific past time, prefer noong:

Noong kumpleto ang pamilya, pinakamaingay ang sala. For habitual past (“whenever”), kapag or tuwing also works, often with an adverb like madalas (often).

Could I use mag-anak instead of pamilya?

Yes. mag-anak often refers to the nuclear family/household; pamilya can be broader (extended family). In many contexts they overlap:

Pinakamaingay ang sala kapag kumpleto ang mag-anak.