The Cebuano Corner
Learn Cebuano 3
1. Simple sentence construction
a) Word order in affirmative sentences:
Maayo siya./ Siya maayo. (= She is nice.)
Taga Pilipinas ko./ Ako taga Pilipinas. (= I am from the Philippines.)
Natulog na siya karon./ Siya natulog na karon. (= He is sleeping now.)
Kahibalo ko nga naa ka diha. (= I know that you are there.)
Nangutana ta niya nganong magul-anon siya.
(= We asked him why he was sad.)
The usual word order in Cebuano is verb - subject - object. In practice, however, the word order is rather flexible.
Note that if the personal pronoun follows the verb (or any other part of the sentence, as in 'Taga Pilipinas ko'), the
personal pronoun can have a shorter form than if it precedes the verb. This applies to ako (-> ko), ikaw (-> ka), kami
(-> mi), kita (-> ta), and kamo (-> mo).
b) Word order in negative sentences:
Wala pa kami gikapoy. (= We are not tired yet.)
(pa = yet)
Siya dili ganahan nila. (= She doesn't like them.)
Ilang papa wala nagtrabaho sa bangko.
(= Their father doesn't work in a bank.)
Dili ako makaestorya ug French. (= I can't speak French.)
Wala ko kahibalo nganong sila dili maka ari.
(= I don't know why they didn't come.)
dili and wala are used as negation words.
c) Word order in questions:
Naa kay igsoon lalaki ug babaye? (= Do you have brothers or sisters?)
Asa ang imong ginikanan nagpuyo? (= Where do your parents live?)
Makaestorya ka ug tagalog? (= Can you speak Tagalog?)
Kapila ka nakaadto sa beach? (= How often do you go to the beach?)
Nganong wala siya moestorya nga siya nasakit?
(= Why didn't he say that he is ill?)
d) Some useful words in sentence building
i) conjunctions
ug
and, or
apan, pero
but
nga
that (as in: I know that you are there.)
(tungod) kay
because
kon, kung
if, when
Examples:
Nagtuo ko nga siya baynte, pero disiotso pa siya.
(= I thought that she is 20, but she is only 18.)
Di ko makaanha, tungod kay nagkasakit ko.
(= I can't come because I'm ill.)
Kung mag-uwan, dili kita man gawas.
(= If it rains, we won't go out.)
Note: nga is also used as a relative pronoun (who, which, that):
Ang babaye, nga naglingkod diha, akong ig-agaw.
(= The girl who is sitting there is my cousin.)
ii) prepositions
sa
in, at, on; of; for
taga
from
para
to
uban
with
sa kilid
beside
sa luyo
behind
atubangan
in front of
human sa
after
wala pa, dili pa
before
Examples:
Ang buwak naa sa lamisa. (= The flower is on the table.)
Ang pamilya nanga-on ug panihapon sa lamisa. (= The family is having (eating) dinner at the table.)
Salamat sa imong sulat. (=Thanks for your letter.)
Ang bola naa sa luyo sa lingkoranan. (= The ball is behind the chair.)
Palihug uli sa balay sa dili pa ang alas singko. (= Please come home before five o'clock.)
iii) particles
ba is a filler word used in 'yes-no' questions. It carries no actual meaning - it's function is to differentiate between
affirmative sentences and questions.
Gikapoy ka na ba?
Are you tired already?
(compare: Gikapoy ka na. You are tired already.)
Note 1: It is possible to ask Gikapoy ka na? without using 'ba', through raised intonation at the end of the question.
Note 2: ba is not used in other types of questions (than 'yes-no').
Kinsa kana?
Who is that?
Nganong wala sila dinhi?
Why are they not here?
ka is a linker placed betweeen a numeral and the following noun:
tulo ka tuig
three years
traynta ka kilometros
thirty kilometres
man, when not carrying the meaning 'to be', has an euphonic role in the sentence (= it is used for rhythmic and
melodic purposes, with no actual meaning in itself) :
Ngano man?
Why?
For the sake of politeness and for softening the tone of the question down, it is good practice to include man in
questions (other than of the yes-no type). If man is not present in the question, the question obtains a sharper,
challenging tone.
Compare: Kinsa kana? <-> Kinsa man kana?
Who is that?
Kanus-a mobalik siya? < -> Kanusa man mobalik siya? When will she return?
Unsa kiring libroha? <-> Unsa man kiring libroha? What is this book?
nga is a linker word placed between a modifier and the modified word (e.g. between the adjective and the noun)
lami nga pagkaon delicious food
taas nga tawo
tall man
Sometimes nga is assimilated in the modifier:
maayo + nga + buntag -> maayong buntag
good morning
ug is often placed before a noun in an object position in the sentence:
Nagka-on ko ug pani-udto.
I am eating lunch.
Note: here, ug doesn't mean 'and'. Used like this, ug is sometimes written og.
2. Example texts and translations
a)
Akong pangalan si Jose. Ako natawo sa Tagbilaran sa 1977. Naa koy tulo ka igsoon babae ug duha ka igsoon
lalaki. Ako kinamanghuran. Akong mama maestra ug ang akong papa karpentero. Akong magulang babaye
nagtrabaho sa bangko ug ang akong magulang lalaki naa sa restawran. Nangamenyo na sila. Ang uban nageskwela pa. Ako karon high school. Mo graduate ko sunod tuig. Ganahan kaayo ko mo eskwela. Ang akong
paboritong subject math ug history. Ang akong hobbies basketball ug manimaw sa musik. Usahay inig ka gabi-i
moadto ko sa mall ug sa senehan uban sa akong mga amigo. Inig human sa high school akong plano mo eskwela
sa university, kay gusto ko mahimong doktor.
My name is Jose. I was born in Tagbilaran in 1977. I have three sisters and two brothers. I'm the youngest. My mother
is a teacher and my father is a carpenter. My oldest sister works in a bank and my oldest brother in a restaurant. They
are already married. The others are still studying. I am now in high school. I will graduate next year. I like school very
much. My favourite subjects are math and history. My hobbies are basketball and listening to music. Sometimes, in the
evenings, I go to the mall or to the movies with my friends. After high school I plan to study in a university, because I
want to become a doctor.
b)
(On the phone: )
Maayong hapon! Si Eva kini. Pwede makig-estorya ni Pablo?
Good afternoon! This is Eva. May I speak with Pablo?
Si Pablo wala pa diri karon. Tua siya sa Leyte. Mobalik siya
human sa tulo ka adlaw. Pwede ko mangayo ug mensahe?
Pablo isn't here right now. He's on Leyte. He will return after three
days. Can I take a message?
Pwede sulti-an nimo siya patawagon ni Eva kung mobalik na siya. Mahitungod
sa computer nga iyang gibaligya diri nako, kinahanglan ako mangutana bahin ato.
Can you tell him that he calls Eva when he comes back? It is about the
computer that he sold to me. I need to ask him something about it.
OK, ako sulti-an siya.
OK, I will tell him so.
Salamat kaayo!
Thanks a lot!
c)
A. Maayong buntag! Kumusta man ka?
Good morning! How are you?
B. Maayo man. Akong hilanat naayo na. Unsa ang panahon karon adlawa?
I'm fine. I don't have fever anymore. What is the weather like today?
A. Panganoron pero dili mag-uwan. Unsa imong buhaton karon adlawa?
It's cloudy but it isn't raining. What are you going to do today?
B. Una ako manglaba sa akong sinina, unya ako moadto mamalit.
First I'm going to wash my clothes and then I go shopping.
A. Unsa imong kinahanglan paliton?
What do you need to buy?
B. Ako magkinahanglan ug pantalon. Unya mopalit ko ug sinako humay ug isda, seguro
bolinaw kung di lapu-lapu isda.
I need new pants. Then I will buy a sack of rice and some fish, maybe bolinaw
or lapu-lapu fish.
A. Ayaw pagpalit ug isda kay nakapalit mako daghang isda gahapon. Palit prutas
nalang. Wala na kitay saging ug mangos diri sa balay.
Don't buy fish, because I already bought a lot of fish yesterday. Buy some
fruits instead. We don't have any bananas or mangos here at home.
B. Unsa imong plano karon adlawa?
What are your plans for today?
A. Inig uli sa akong amigo gikan sa eskwelahan, ako mokuyog niya kay magduwa
ug basketball. Gahapon kita nagduwa ug basketball pod bisan kung nag-uwan.
Pero bisan unsa, tungod kay nakagusto mi kaayo.
After my friend comes from school, I am going together with him to play
basketball. Yesterday we were also playing basketball even if it was raining.
But it didn't matter, because we like it so much.
B. OK. Sa ako huna-huna magpuyo ko sa balay inig ka gabii.
OK. I think I'll just stay at home in the evening.
A. Karon molakaw na gyod ko. Magkita ta unya!
Now I must go. See you later!
B. Magkita ta unya!
See you later!