Learn Hardcore Filipino: Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza, pero ayaw pa niyang magpagupit. - Liza’s hair is long, but she still does not want to get a haircut.

So the structure is literally: Long [is] the hair of Liza.
Ang tells you that buhok ni Liza (Liza’s hair) is what the description mahaba applies to.

What is the role of ni in buhok ni Liza?

Ni marks the possessor of something when the possessor is a proper name (a specific person).

buhok = hair
ni = of (possessor marker for names)
Liza = Liza

So buhok ni Liza literally means hair of Liza.
In natural English, that is Liza’s hair.

Why is the word order Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza instead of something closer to English like Ang buhok ni Liza ay mahaba?

Both are grammatically correct, but they differ in style and emphasis:

Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza.
- Very common, conversational word order.
- Starts with the adjective mahaba (long), then the subject.
- Feels like simply describing a state: Liza’s hair is long.
Ang buhok ni Liza ay mahaba.
- More formal or careful style; often seen in writing or very formal speech.
- Closer to an English-like subject – linker – predicate structure.
- ay functions as a kind of inversion/linker.

Everyday spoken Filipino strongly prefers the first version: Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza.

What exactly does ayaw mean here?

Ayaw is a verb that combines ideas like:

not wanting something
not liking something
refusing to do something

In this sentence, ayaw pa niyang magpagupit means something like she still does not want to get a haircut or she refuses to get a haircut (for now).

So ayaw here is closer to does not want / refuses, not just dislikes in a neutral way.

What nuance does pa add in ayaw pa niyang magpagupit?

Pa adds the idea of still, yet, or for now.

ayaw niya = she does not want / she refuses
ayaw pa niya = she still does not want / she does not want yet

So ayaw pa niyang magpagupit suggests:

Her hair is already long.
People might expect her to get a haircut.
But as of now, she still does not want to do it; that might change later.

Without pa, it is a simple fact. With pa, it carries a sense of not yet or for the time being.

What does niyang mean, and why is it written as one word?

Niyang is a combination of:

niya = he / she (third person singular pronoun, non-subject form)
ng = linker (connects the pronoun to the next word)

When niya and ng join, they become niyang.

So:

ayaw pa niya ng magpagupit
often becomes
ayaw pa niyang magpagupit

Functionally, niyang here means her as the one who would do the action:

ayaw pa niyang magpagupit ≈ she still does not want to get a haircut.

Why is it ayaw pa niyang magpagupit and not ayaw pa ni Liza magpagupit?

You could actually say both:

Ayaw pa ni Liza magpagupit.
Ayaw pa niyang magpagupit.

Differences:

ni Liza explicitly repeats the name.
niyang uses the pronoun niya (she/he) referring back to Liza mentioned earlier.

In the full sentence:

Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza, pero ayaw pa niyang magpagupit.

Liza is already mentioned in the first clause, so Filipino very naturally switches to the pronoun niya in the second clause instead of repeating Liza. This makes the sentence less repetitive and more natural.

What does magpagupit literally mean, and how is it formed from gupit?

gupit = cut (as a noun or verb), commonly used for cutting hair
magpa- = a causative prefix meaning to have something done, to get something done for oneself

Combine them:

magpa-
- gupit → magpagupit

Meaning: to get a haircut or to have one’s hair cut (by someone else).

So magpagupit focuses on:

the person who causes the cutting to happen (the customer), not the person who does the cutting (the hairdresser).

What is the difference between magpagupit, magpagupit ng buhok, and magpagupit ng buhok niya?

All are understandable, but there are slight differences in explicitness:

magpagupit
- Default understanding: to get one’s hair cut.
- The word buhok (hair) is usually implied; Filipinos know this is about a haircut.
magpagupit ng buhok
- Literally: to get hair cut.
- Explicitly mentions buhok.
- Still natural, just a bit more spelled out.
magpagupit ng buhok niya
- Literally: to get her/his hair cut.
- Very explicit about whose hair.
- Often not needed if the owner is already clear from context.

In everyday speech, magpagupit alone is usually enough.

Is there any tense marking in pero ayaw pa niyang magpagupit? How do we know it is about the present or near future?

Filipino verbs do not mark tense the same way English does. They mainly mark aspect (whether the action is completed, ongoing, or not yet started).

Here, ayaw and magpagupit are in a form that usually matches uncompleted / not yet done:

ayaw pa = still does not want (now)
magpagupit here is the contemplated or future/intent form (to get a haircut, but not yet happening)

Context gives you the time frame:

With pa and the description of her hair being long, the natural reading is present situation with a future possibility:
- Her hair is long now.
- As of now, she still does not want to get a haircut.

Could we replace pero with another word for but, and would that change the tone?

Yes, you can use several alternatives, each with a slightly different feel:

Pero
- Very common, neutral, conversational but.
- Works in almost any casual context.
Ngunit
- More formal or literary.
- Sounds a bit bookish in casual talk:
  - Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza, ngunit ayaw pa niyang magpagupit.
Kaso / kaya lang
- More colloquial, a bit more emotional or complaining in tone:
  - Mahaba na ang buhok ni Liza, kaso ayaw pa niyang magpagupit.

In the given sentence, pero is the most natural everyday choice.

How would the sentence change if I want to say that Liza does not want to cut hair herself (she does not want to be the one doing the cutting)?

To say that Liza does not want to be the person cutting someone’s hair, you use a different verb:

magpagupit = to get a haircut (have one’s own hair cut)
maggupit = to cut (hair) oneself, as the doer

So for Liza not wanting to cut hair (for example, as a hairdresser):

Ayaw pa niyang maggupit.
- She still does not want to cut (hair).

If you keep the first clause:

Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza, pero ayaw pa niyang maggupit.

This now sounds a bit odd together, because:

First clause talks about the length of her own hair.
Second clause suddenly talks about her not wanting to cut hair in general.

For clarity about her own hair as the object, magpagupit is the correct choice:

Mahaba ang buhok ni Liza, pero ayaw pa niyang magpagupit.
= Her hair is long, but she still does not want to get a haircut.