Cebuano sentence structure: learn the patterns, then adapt them

Verb-first word order

Nikaon si Maria og pansit

Literal: Ate Maria noodles

Maria ate noodles

The verb often comes first; the subject follows with “si” for names.

Actor focus with mo-

Mokaon ko unya

Literal: Eat I later

I’ll eat later

Mo- appears in common actor-focus contemplated forms. The time word unya makes the future meaning clear here.

Object focus with -on

Kaonon nako ang pansit

Literal: Eat-by-me the noodles

I’ll eat the noodles

The noodles are in focus, and the actor appears in the nako form. This is why verb form, markers and pronouns need to be learned together.

Possession with ni / sa

Libro ni Maria

Literal: Book of Maria

Maria’s book

“ni” marks a named possessor; “sa” is used for general possession and locations.

Linker “nga”

gwapa nga babaye

Literal: beautiful that woman

a beautiful woman

“nga” links a modifier to the noun it describes.

Negation

Wala ko mokaon

Literal: Not I eat

I did not eat

“Wala” commonly negates an action that did not happen; “dili” is used for many non-past or general negatives.