1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences
- Part of speech
- Sentence-position rule
A conjugated sayaw form normally starts the predicate and any clitic actor-pronoun follows it: Mo-sayaw ko sa entablado karong gabii.
I will dance on stage tonight. - Example sentences
- Mo-sayaw ko og folk dance ugma sa pista. — I will dance a folk dance tomorrow at the fiesta.
- Nag-sayaw sila sa plaza kada Sabado. — They dance in the plaza every Saturday.
- Gi-sayawan sa grupo ang bisita sa seremonya. — The guest was danced for by the group at the ceremony.
- Gi-sayawan – Verb, beneficiary focus, past
- sa grupo – Genitive phrase (actor)
- ang bisita – Subject/beneficiary
- sa seremonya – Locative phrase “at the ceremony”
2 Verb derivations of sayaw
| Form | Voice & aspect | Typical translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-sayaw | Actor focus, habitual / future | “will be dancing; usually dance” | Mag-sayaw sila og hip-hop kada practice. — They dance hip-hop at every practice. |
| mo-sayaw | Actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will dance; dance!” | Mo-sayaw ta karon, ha. — Let’s dance now, okay. |
| nag-sayaw | Actor focus, progressive | “is / was dancing” | Nag-sayaw siya pag-abot nimo. — She was dancing when you arrived. |
| mi-sayaw / ni-sayaw | Actor focus, completed past | “danced” | Ni-sayaw ko sa contest kagahapon. — I danced in the contest yesterday. |
| gi-sayaw | Patient focus, completed past | “was danced (by …)” | Gi-sayaw sa grupo ang tradisyonal nga sayaw. — The traditional dance was performed by the group. |
| sayawon (-on) | Patient focus, future / imperative | “to be danced / dance it” | Sayawon nato ang tinikling sa presentación. — We will dance the tinikling in the presentation. |
| sayawan (-an) | Beneficiary / locative focus | “to dance for / dance at” | Sayawi ang bata og birthday dance, palihog. — Please dance a birthday dance for the child. |
3 Common phrases
- sayaw sa disco — dance at the disco
- mag-sayaw og TikTok — dance on TikTok
- gi-sayaw sa tribo — danced by the tribe
- sayawon ang sinulog — to dance the Sinulog
- sayawan sa barangay — village dance venue
4 Detailed usage notes
- Actor-focus everyday use — mo-/nag-/ni-sayaw talk about who is dancing.
- Patient focus — gi-sayaw, sayawon spotlight the piece being performed.
- Beneficiary / locative focus — sayawan / sayawi emphasize whom you dance for or where you dance.
- Noun sense — As a noun, sayaw is “dance”: pista nga sayaw “festival dance.”
- Reduplication — sayaw-sayaw can suggest light, informal dancing or playful moves.
5 Common mistakes & things to watch out for
| Mistake | Problem | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-sayaw ako og salsa. | Actor clitic misplaced. | Mo-sayaw ko og salsa. |
| Gi-sayaw ko ang kanta. | With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa). | Gi-sayaw ni ko ang kanta. |
| Sayawon ta siya! | Beneficiary command needs sayawi. | Sayawi siya! |
6 Short everyday conversations
- A: Unsay imong sayawon sa programa? — What will you dance in the program?
B: Mo-sayaw ko og contemporary. — I’ll dance contemporary. - A: Nag-sayaw ba sila og K-pop didto? — Are they dancing K-pop there?
B: Oo, sikat man kaayo. — Yes, it’s very popular. - A: Sayawi ko palihog og usa ka slow dance. — Please dance a slow dance with me.
B: Sige, human sa sunod nga kanta. — Okay, after the next song. - A: Nganong ni-sayaw ka bisan hilom ang lugar? — Why did you dance even though the place was quiet?
B: Nalipay man ko sa tugtog sa akong headphone. — I was happy with the music on my headphones. - A: Mag-sayaw ta sa flash mob ugma? — Shall we dance in the flash mob tomorrow?
B: Oo, praktis ta usa karong gabii. — Yes, let’s practice first tonight.
