Mas gusto ko ang pritong isda na may kaunting asin kaysa sa karne.

Literally, gusto ko means I like or I want, and mas means more.

So Mas gusto ko ... means I like ... more or more naturally I prefer ....

This is a very common Filipino way to express preference:

• Gusto ko ang isda. = I like fish.
• Mas gusto ko ang isda. = I like fish more / I prefer fish.

In this sentence, Mas gusto ko introduces the thing the speaker prefers.

Ang marks the focused noun phrase of the sentence. In simple learner-friendly terms, it often marks the main thing being talked about.

Here, the thing being preferred is:

ang pritong isda na may kaunting asin

So the structure is:

• Mas gusto ko = I prefer
• ang pritong isda na may kaunting asin = the fried fish with a little salt
• kaysa sa karne = rather than meat / more than meat

A good pattern to remember is:

Mas gusto ko ang X kaysa sa Y.
= I prefer X to Y.

Prito is the root related to fried / to fry.
Pritong is the form used to describe a noun directly.

So:

• pritong isda = fried fish

The -ng is a linker that connects the descriptive word to the noun it modifies.

Compare:

• pritong isda = fried fish
• inihaw na manok = grilled chicken
• nilagang baka = boiled beef

So pritong is the natural attributive form used before isda.

Here, na links the noun isda to the descriptive phrase may kaunting asin.

So:

• isda = fish
• na may kaunting asin = that has a little salt / with a little salt

Together:

isda na may kaunting asin = fish with a little salt

This na often works like that, which, or simply a connector in English.

Examples:

• bahay na malaki = house that is big / big house
• lalaking matangkad = tall man
• isda na may asin = fish with salt

May means has, have, or with, depending on context.

In this sentence:

na may kaunting asin
= that has a little salt
= more naturally, with a little salt

So may is introducing something that the fish has.

Other examples:

• may pera = has money / with money
• may anak = has a child / children
• tinapay na may keso = bread with cheese

Kaunti means a little or a few.
When it directly modifies a noun, it usually takes a linker form:

• kaunting asin = a little salt

So kaunti becomes kaunting before the noun asin.

This is very common in Filipino adjectives and quantifiers:

• maraming tao = many people
• kaunting tubig = a little water
• mabuting kaibigan = good friend

So kaunting asin is the natural way to say a little salt.

In may kaunting asin, the noun asin is part of the phrase introduced by may.

The whole phrase functions as:

• may kaunting asin = with a little salt / having a little salt

Because of that structure, asin does not need ang here.

You can think of may as already setting up the phrase, so kaunting asin stays unmarked in this expression.

Kaysa sa means than, rather than, or as compared with, depending on the sentence.

In this pattern:

Mas gusto ko ang X kaysa sa Y.
= I prefer X to Y.

So here:

kaysa sa karne = than meat / rather than meat

This is one of the most useful comparison patterns in Filipino.

Examples:

• Mas mahal ito kaysa sa isa. = This is more expensive than the other one.
• Mas gusto niya ang kape kaysa sa tsaa. = He/She prefers coffee to tea.

In modern, natural Filipino, kaysa sa is a very common form before the thing being compared.

So:

• kaysa sa karne = than meat

You may also encounter kaysa by itself in some contexts, but kaysa sa + noun is extremely common and very natural.

For a learner, this is a good safe pattern:

• mas ... kaysa sa ...
• mas gusto ko ang A kaysa sa B

Here karne most naturally means meat in general.

So the sentence is comparing:

• fried fish with a little salt and
• meat

It does not have to mean one specific piece of meat unless the wider context makes that clear.

Filipino often uses bare nouns like this in a general sense, just as English can say I prefer fish to meat.

It describes the fish only.

The phrase is attached to pritong isda:

ang pritong isda na may kaunting asin

That whole chunk means:

the fried fish with a little salt

Then the comparison comes afterward:

kaysa sa karne = rather than meat

So the structure is:

• preferred item: ang pritong isda na may kaunting asin
• compared item: sa karne

Because of the word order, the salt phrase belongs to the fish, not to the meat.

Yes, it is natural and grammatical.

The sentence follows a very standard preference pattern:

Mas gusto ko ang X kaysa sa Y.

And the noun phrase ang pritong isda na may kaunting asin is also natural.

A very close English-style breakdown would be:

• Mas gusto ko = I prefer
• ang pritong isda = fried fish
• na may kaunting asin = with a little salt
• kaysa sa karne = rather than meat

So overall it is a normal, understandable Filipino sentence.

Yes. Filipino often allows alternative phrasings.

For example, you might also hear:

• Mas gusto ko ang isdang prito na may kaunting asin kaysa sa karne.
• Mas gusto ko ang pritong isda kaysa sa karne, lalo na kung may kaunting asin.

The first version uses isdang prito instead of pritong isda. Both are understandable, though pritong isda is very common and natural.

So the exact wording can vary, but the main comparison pattern stays the same:

Mas gusto ko ang ... kaysa sa ...

A very useful pattern to memorize is:

Mas gusto ko ang X kaysa sa Y.
= I prefer X to Y.

Then you can swap in different noun phrases:

• Mas gusto ko ang kape kaysa sa tsaa. = I prefer coffee to tea.
• Mas gusto ko ang manok kaysa sa baboy. = I prefer chicken to pork.
• Mas gusto ko ang prutas na sariwa kaysa sa de-lata. = I prefer fresh fruit to canned fruit.

Also remember these small but important pieces:

• ang marks the thing preferred
• na / -ng link descriptive words and phrases
• may means with / having
• kaysa sa introduces the thing being compared against

If you get comfortable with those four pieces, sentences like this become much easier to understand and make.