Editing Chavacano (section)

===Nouns and articles===

The Chavacano definite article '''el''' precedes a singular noun or a plural marker (for a plural noun). The indefinite article '''un''' stays constant for gender as 'una' has almost completely disappeared in Chavacano, except for some phrases like "una vez". It also stays constant for number as for singular nouns. In Chavacano, it is quite common for '''el''' and '''un''' to appear together before a singular noun, the former to denote certainty and the latter to denote number:

:'''el cajón''' (’the box’) – '''el maga/mana cajón(es)''' (’the boxes’)
:'''un soltero''' (’a bachelor’) – '''un soltera''' (’a spinster’)
:'''el un soltero''' (’the bachelor’) – '''el un soltera''' (’the spinster’)

Nouns in Chavacano are not always preceded by articles. Without an article, a noun is a generic reference:

:'''Hindê yo ta llorá lagrimas sino sangre'''.
::(’I do not cry tears but blood’.)
:'''Ta cargá yo palo'''.
::(’I am carrying wood’).

Proper names of persons are preceded by the definite article '''si''' or the phrase '''un tal''' functioning as an indefinite article would:

:'''Un bonita candidata si Maria.'''.
::(’Maria is a beautiful candidate’.)
:'''un tal Juancho'''
::(’a certain Juancho’)

====Singular nouns====

Unlike in Spanish, Chavacano [[nouns]] derived from Spanish do not follow gender rules in general. In Zamboangueño, the [[article (grammar)|article]] 'el' basically precedes every singular noun. However, this rule is not rigid (especially in Zamboangueño) because the formal vocabulary mode wherein Spanish words predominate almost always is the preferred mode especially in writing. The Spanish article 'la' for feminine singular nouns does exist in Chavacano, though it occurs rarely and mostly in the formal medium of writing, such as poems and lyrics. When accompanying a Spanish feminine noun, the 'la' as the article is more tolerated than acceptable.  Among the few exceptions where the 'la' occurs is as a formal prefix when addressing the Blessed Virgin Mary, perhaps more as an emphasis of her importance in Christian devotion. But the real article is still the 'el', which makes this use of a "double article" quite unique. Thus it is common to hear the Blessed Virgin addressed in Chavacano as 'el La Virgen Maria' (the "L" of the 'la' capitalized to signify its permanent position within the noun compound). In general, though, when in doubt, the article 'el' is always safe to use. Compare:

{| class="wikitable"
!English singular noun
!Chavacano singular noun (general and common)
!Chavacano singular noun (accepted or uncommon)
|-
|the virgin
|el virgen
|la virgen (accepted)
|-
|the peace
|el paz
|la paz (accepted)
|-
|the sea
|el mar
|la mar (accepted)
|-
|the cat
|el gato
|el gato (la gata is uncommon)
|-
|the sun
|el sol
|el sol
|-
|the moon
|el luna
|el luna (la luna is uncommon)
|-
|the view
|el vista
|la vista (accepted)
|-
|the tragedy
|el tragedia
|el tragedia (la tragedia is uncommon)
|-
|the doctor
|el doctor
|el doctora (la doctora is uncommon)
|}

And just like Spanish, Chavacano nouns can have gender but only when referring to persons. However, they are always masculine in the sense (Spanish context) that they are generally preceded by the article 'el'. Places and things are almost always masculine. The -o is dropped in masculine nouns and -a is added to make the noun feminine:

{| class="wikitable"
!English singular noun
!Chavacano singular noun (masculine)
!Chavacano singular noun (feminine)
|-
|the teacher
|el maestro
|el maestra
|-
|the witch
|el burujo
|el buruja
|-
|the engineer
|el engeniero
|el engeniera
|-
|the tailor/seamstress
|el sastrero
|el sastrera
|-
|the baby
|el niño
|el niña
|-
|the priest/nun
|el padre/sacerdote
|el madre/monja
|-
|the grandson/granddaughter
|el nieto
|el nieta
|-
|the professor
|el profesor
|el profesora
|-
|the councilor
|el consejal
|el consejala
|}

Not all nouns referring to persons can become feminine nouns. In Chavacano, some names of persons are masculine (because of the preceding article 'el' in Spanish context) but do not end in -o.

:Examples: '''el alcalde''', '''el capitan''', '''el negociante''', '''el ayudante''', '''el chufer'''

All names of animals are always masculine—in Spanish context—preceded by the article 'el'.

:Examples: '''el gato''' (gata is uncommon), '''el puerco''' (puerca is uncommon), '''el perro''' (perra is uncommon)

Names of places and things can be either masculine or feminine, but they are considered masculine in the Spanish context because the article 'el' always precedes the noun:

:'''el cocina''', '''el pantalón''', '''el comida''', '''el camino''', '''el trapo''', '''el ventana''', '''el mar'''

====Plural nouns====

In Chavacano, plural nouns (whether masculine or feminine in Spanish context) are preceded by the retained singular masculine Spanish article 'el'. The Spanish articles 'los' and 'las' have almost disappeared. They have been replaced by the modifier (a plural marker) 'maga/mana' which precedes the singular form of the noun. Maga comes from the native Hiligaynon 'maga' or the Tagalog 'mga'. The formation of the Chavacano plural form of the noun (el + maga/mana + singular noun form) applies whether in common, familiar or formal mode. It may be thought of as roughly equivalent to saying in English, "the many (noun)" instead of "the (noun)s", and in fact "the many (noun)s" is used more in [[Philippine English]] than elsewhere.

There are some Chavacano speakers (especially older Caviteño or Zamboangueño speakers) who would tend to say 'mana' for 'maga'. 'Mana' is accepted and quite common, especially among older speakers, but when in doubt, the modifier 'maga' to pluralize nouns is safer to use.

{| class="wikitable"
!English plural noun
!Chavacano plural noun (masculine)
!Chavacano plural noun (feminine)
|-
|the teachers
|el maga/mana maestro(s)
|el maga/mana maestra(s)
|-
|the witches
|el maga/mana burujo(s)
|el maga/mana buruja(s)
|-
|the engineers
|el maga/mana engeniero(s)
|el maga/mana engeniera(s)
|-
|the tailors/seamstresses
|el maga/mana sastrero(s)
|el maga/mana sastrera(s)
|-
|the babies
|el maga/mana niño(s)
|el maga/mana niña(s)
|-
|the priests/nuns
|el maga/mana padre(s)
|el maga/mana madre(s)
|-
|the grandsons/granddaughters
|el maga/mana nieto(s)
|el maga/mana nieta(s)
|-
|the professors
|el maga/mana professor(es)
|el maga/mana profesora(s)
|-
|the councilors
|el maga/mana consejal(es)
|el maga/mana consejala(s)
|}

Again, this rule is not rigid (especially in the Zamboangueño formal mode). The articles 'los' or 'las' do exist sometimes before nouns that are pluralized in the Spanish manner, and their use is quite accepted:

:'''los caballeros''', '''los dias''', '''las noches''', '''los chavacanos''', '''los santos''', '''las mañanas''', '''las almujadas''', '''las mesas''', '''las plumas''', '''las cosas'''

When in doubt, it is always safe to use 'el' and 'maga or mana' to pluralize singular nouns:

:'''el maga/mana caballero(s)''', '''el maga/mana día(s)''', '''el maga/mana noche(s)''', '''el maga/mana chavacano(s)''', '''el maga/mana santo(s)''', '''el maga/mana día(s) que viene''' (this is a phrase; 'el maga/mana mañana' is uncommon), '''el maga/mana almujada(s)''', '''el maga/mana mesa(s)''', '''el maga/mana pluma(s)'''

In Chavacano, it is common for some nouns to become doubled when pluralized (called ''[[Reduplication]]'', a characteristic of the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages):

:'''el maga cosa-cosa''' (el maga cosa/s is common), '''el maga casa casa''' (el maga casa is common), '''el maga gente gente''' (el maga gente is common), '''el maga juego juego''' (el maga juego is common)

But note that in some cases, this "reduplication" signifies a difference in meaning.  For example,  'el maga bata' means 'the children' but 'el maga bata-bata' means one's followers or subordinates, as is a gang or mob.

In general, the suffixes -s, -as, -os to pluralize nouns in Spanish have also almost disappeared in Chavacano. However, the formation of plural nouns with suffixes ending in -s, -as, and -os are accepted. Basically, the singular form of the noun is retained, and it becomes plural because of the preceding modifier/plural marker 'maga' or 'mana':

:'''el maga/mana caballeros''' (accepted)
:'''el maga/mana caballero''' (correct)
:'''el maga/mana días''' (accepted)
:'''el maga/mana día''' (correct)

Adding the suffix -es to some nouns is quite common and accepted. Nouns ending in -cion can also be pluralized by adding the suffix -es:

:'''el maga meses''', '''el maga mujeres''', '''el maga mayores''', '''el maga tentaciones''', '''el maga contestaciones''', '''el maga naciones''', '''el maga organizaciones'''

However, it is safer to use the general rule (when in doubt) of retaining the singular form of the noun preceded by the modifier/plural marker 'maga' or 'mana':

:'''el maga mes''', '''el maga mujer''', '''el maga mayor''', '''el maga tentación''', '''el maga contestación''', '''el maga nación''', '''el maga organización'''