1. Plain or simple adjectives (Payak) do not have any prefix, suffix or infix. They are as plain as they mean

sira - ruined
butas - has a hole
panay - constant
kulang - lacking
mali - wrong
bulag - blind
talipa - wearing slippers on the wrong foot
praning - confused/perplexed
talipandas - flirt
pingkot - crumpled/ deformed

2. Adjectives with the affixes are root words that attach themselves to suffixes or prefixes (Maylapi). The roots need not be plain adjectives, but may originally be nouns, verbs, or pronouns

magulang - mature/ astute
pasaway - difficult/ naughty
masigasig - full of zest
madungis - dirty [face]
libagin - dirt [on skin]

3. Some root words, when repeated (Inuulit), become adjectives

Kulang-kulang- crazy/ somewhat lacking
Puta-putakti - bits and pieces/ trickles
Palit-palit - always changing
Butas-butas - has many holes
Basang-basa- very wet
Pinong-pino - very tiny
Lahok-lahok - smorgasbord/ disorganized
Sabay-sabay - simultaneously/ at the same time
Tau-tauhan - marginalized/ not given due recognition as a person

4. Two words with different meanings, then combined, become a new word and gain a new descriptive meaning. This is a compound adjective (Tambalan)

Sampay-bakod - [hang-fence] unwelcome visitor
Balat-sibuyas - [skin-onion] sensitive
Bantay-salakay - [guard-attack] traitor
Samu't-sari - miscellaneous
Akyat-bahay - [climb-house] referring to robbery
Usad-pagong - [movement-turtle] slow
Utak-kuneho - [mind-rabbit] dense
Saling-pusa -[join-cat] kindergrten/not officially included
Abot-kamay - [reach-hand] near/accessible

• kapatid ko siya (sister/ my/ she)
• kasintahan siya ng kapitbahay ko (girlfriend/ she/ of/ neighbor/ my)
• malaki ang kanyang bahay (big/ the/ her/ house)
• isang piraso ang naiwan niya (one / piece/ the/ left[over]/ he)
• tuso ang katulong mo (clever/ the/ maid/ your)

• magkapatid kaming dalawa (Sisters [brothers]/ we/ two)
• magsing-irog ang nakatira sa kabila (Sweethearts/ the/ living/ next door)
• magkasing-laki ang bahay ng kambal (Same size/ the/ house/ of/ twins)
• dalawang pares ang nawala (Two/ pairs/ the/ lost)
• Kapwa tuso ang mga bagong dating (Both/ clever/ the/ newly/ arrived)

• magkakapatid kaming tatlo (Sisters/ we/ three)
• mga magkasintahan ang umabay sa kasal (Sweethearts/ the/ sponsors/ in/ wedding)
• malalaki ang mansiyon ng mga senador (Big/ the/ mansions/ of/ senators)
• maraming mahikero sa kongreso (Many/ magicians/ in/ congress)
• magkakasing-galing ang mga dayo (Equally excellent/ the/ visitors)

Simple (lantay) or first level
Most adjectives when not used in comparison are simple adjectives.

Comparative (ikalawang antas) or second level
Tagalog adjectives often use the following to show a second degree of comparison:

medyo (quite/slight/a bit), bahagya (slight/quite/a bit), kaunti (little), mas (more), higit (more), lalo (more), katamtaman (average/fair), humigit-kumulang (more or less/ at least), di gaanong magaling (not really [that good]), and sometimes, a technique of repetition such as in: magaling-galing - less than better (not that good) - acceptable good etc.

napakalalim - very [deep]
malalim na malalim - very very [deep]
pagkalalim-lalim - too very very [deep]
masyadong malalim - too/very [deep]
sobrang lalim - too/very [deep]
totoong malalim - truly [deep]
tunay na malalim (truly deep)
talagang talagang malalim - truly truly deep
lubhang malalim - extremely deep
lubhang napakalalim- extremely very [deep]

Simple heirarchy

good - better - best = magaling - mas magaling - pinakamagaling
bad - worse - worst = masama - mas masama - pinakamasama