maikli

Maikli is a Filipino adjective meaning short or brief. It is used to describe length, duration, or extent, in both physical and abstract senses. The base form maikli is commonly used in predicative position, as in Ang kuwento ay maikli (The story is short). When used before a noun to form a compound adjective, the related form maikling is frequently preferred, as in maikling kuwento (short story) or maikling panahon (short period).

Etymology and related forms: Maikli is native to Tagalog and related Philippine languages. It is typically built from the root ikli or ikhli meaning to shorten, with a prefix ma- that yields an adjective. The form maikling is a common attributive variant before nouns, while maikli may appear in predicate constructions.

Usage notes: Maikli can describe physical length, durations, or extents, and it can be used metaphorically to indicate conciseness or brevity in speech or writing. It appears in phrases such as maikli ang oras (the time is short) or ang paliwanag niya ay maikling (his explanation is brief). The choice between maikli and maikling depends on syntactic position: predicative uses often take maikli, while attributive uses often take maikling.

Examples:

- Ang palda niya ay maikli.

- Maikli ang panahon para sa bakasyon.

- Nagbigay siya ng maikling paliwanag.

- Maikling kuwento ang binasa namin.

See also: maikling kuwento, maikling panahon, maikling paliwanag.