Kandidatong

Kandidatong is a Filipino grammatical form derived from the noun kandidato, meaning candidate. In modern Filipino usage, kandidatong functions as an attributive modifier before another noun, indicating that the noun relates to or describes a candidate. It is commonly used to form phrases such as kandidatong pangulo (presidential candidate) or kandidatong senador (senatorial candidate). The form is generally placed before the noun it modifies, functioning much like an adjective in English.

Etymology and form. The base word kandidato comes from the Spanish candidato, reflecting common Philippine linguistic borrowings. The suffix -ng is attached to create kandidatong, which marks the word as a descriptor modifying a following noun. This pattern is one of several adjectival forms in Filipino that pair with a noun to convey a specific role or status.

Usage notes. Kandidong is widely used in political and media contexts to describe individuals who are running for public office. It is typically not used as a stand-alone noun referring to a person; for a bare noun reference, the simple word kandidato or a phrase using kandidatong remains more common. To express candidacy as a concept, Filipinos more often use the related noun kandidatura (candidacy) or the verb form lumahok sa pagpili.

Related terms. Kandidato and kandidatong are part of a family that also includes kandidatura (candidacy) and kandidato (candidate). These terms appear across election reporting, political discourse, and everyday language in the Philippines.

See also: kandidato, kandidatura, eleksyon, COMELEC.