May gusto akong irekomenda.

May is the Filipino existential/possessive word, often translated as there is, there are, or have/has depending on context. In this sentence, it introduces the idea that the speaker has something in mind.

So May gusto akong irekomenda is built more like There is something I want to recommend than like a direct English I want to recommend something.

Because gusto does not only mean to want or to like as a predicate. It can also act in a noun-like way, meaning want, desire, or something wanted.

In the pattern May gusto akong + verb, it usually means I have something I want to + verb.

So here: May gusto akong irekomenda = I have something I want to recommend

A rough breakdown is:

May = there is / have
gusto = something wanted / a desire
ako-ng = I + linker
irekomenda = to recommend

Very literally, the sentence is something like:

There is something I want to recommend.

That is why the natural English meaning often comes out as I have something to recommend.

This sentence follows a very common Filipino pattern:

May + noun + akong + verb

Examples: May kailangan akong gawin. = I have something to do.
May gusto akong sabihin. = I have something to say.

So akong is the normal form in this pattern. If you say gusto kong irekomenda, that is a different structure, more like I want to recommend or what I want to recommend, depending on context.

The -ng is a linker. Filipino often uses linkers to connect words that belong closely together.

Here, it links ako to irekomenda, so akong irekomenda functions as one unit. English often uses words like that or just word order for this kind of connection, but Filipino commonly uses a linker instead.

Irekomenda is an i- form that puts attention on the thing being recommended. That works well here, because the sentence is about something the speaker wants to recommend.

Compare:

May gusto akong irekomenda.
= I have something to recommend.

Magrerekomenda ako ng isang libro.
= I will recommend a book.

Both are possible in Filipino, but they are different grammatical setups.

Here irekomenda is in a basic, non-finite-looking form, not clearly marked for completed, ongoing, or future aspect.

That is very common after expressions like gusto, kailangan, puwede, and in patterns like this one.

Compare:

May gusto akong irekomenda.
= I have something to recommend.

Irerekomenda ko ito.
= I will recommend this.

So in your sentence, the verb is not the main predicate; it is part of the idea something to recommend.

Yes. Irekomenda is a normal and natural Filipino verb based on a borrowed root. Filipino uses many loanwords, especially for modern or abstract vocabulary.

So irekomenda is perfectly normal. In casual speech, especially in code-switching, you may also hear i-recommend.

Often yes, but may is the most natural form directly before a noun phrase like this.

May gusto akong irekomenda. is very natural.

You may also hear or say: Mayroon akong gustong irekomenda.

That is also correct, though it is a slightly fuller structure and may sound a bit more formal or deliberate.

Yes. A more formal or literary alternative is to replace gusto with nais:

May nais akong irekomenda.

The original sentence with gusto is neutral, common, and very natural in everyday Filipino.