himo

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1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences

  • Part of speech
    • Verb (root): himo — “to make, create, produce, do”
    • Common noun: himo — “creation, deed, fabrication”
  • Sentence-position rule
    A conjugated himo form normally heads the predicate with any clitic actor-pronoun immediately after it:

Mo-himo ko ug report karong gabii.
I’ll make a report tonight.

  • Example sentences
Cebuano sentenceEnglish translation
Mo-himo ko ug keyk para sa pista.I will make a cake for the fiesta.
Nag-himo sila sa proyekto sa librarya.They are doing the project at the library.
Gi-himo sa kompanya ang bag-ong app.The new app was made by the company.

2 Verb derivations of himo

FormVoice & aspectTypical translationSample sentence
mag-himoActor focus, habitual / future“will (habitually) make”Mag-himo sila ug content kada semana. — They create content every week.
mo-himoActor focus, non-past / imperative“will make; make!”Mo-himo ta karon, ha. — Let’s make it now, okay.
nag-himoActor focus, progressive / recent past“is / was making”Nag-himo ko pag-text nimo. — I was making (it) when you texted.
ni-himo / mi-himoActor focus, completed past“made / did”Ni-himo siya ug presentasyon gahapon. — She made a presentation yesterday.
gi-himoPatient focus, completed past“was made (by …)”Gi-himo sa artisano ang lamparà. — The lamp was crafted by the artisan.
himo-on (-on)Patient focus, future / imp.“to be made / make it”Himo-on nato ang prototype ugma. — We’ll build the prototype tomorrow.
himo-an / himu-i (-an / -i)Beneficiary / locative focus“to make for someone / make at”Himu-i siya ug kape, palihog. — Please make her some coffee.

3 Common phrases

  • himo ug plano — make a plan
  • mag-himo og video — produce a video
  • gi-himo sa kamot — handmade / made by hand
  • himo-on nga desisyon — decision to be made
  • himo-an sa Diyos — made by God

4 Detailed usage notes

  1. Actor-focus preference — mo-/nag-/ni-himo spotlight the maker or doer.
  2. Object markers — Use ug/og for indefinite objects (mo-himo ko ug sabaw), sa for definite ones (nag-himo siya sa model).
  3. Patient focus — gi-himo, himo-on put the product/result as subject: gi-himo ang report.
  4. Beneficiary focus — himo-an / himu-i emphasize the recipient or place: himu-i ko ug sandwich.
  5. Noun sense — himo meaning “deed / creation”: maayo iyang himo — “his workmanship is good.”
  6. Reduplication — himo-himo can imply improvisation or making things up.

5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them

MistakeIssueCorrect form
Mo-himo ako ug salida.Actor clitic misplaced.Mo-himo ko ug salida.
Gi-himo ko ang design.With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa).Gi-himo ni ko ang design.
Himo-on ta siya!Beneficiary/locative imperative needs himu-i.Himu-i siya!
Nag-himo sa assignmentMissing actor pronoun.Nag-himo ko sa assignment.

6 Short everyday conversations

  1. A: Unsa imong himuon karon? — What will you make now?
    B: Mo-himo ko ug pasta para sa panihapon. — I’ll cook pasta for dinner.
  2. A: Nag-himo ba sila og brochure? — Are they making a brochure?
    B: Oo, deadline na ugma. — Yes, the deadline is tomorrow.
  3. A: Himu-i ko palihog ug kopya sa file. — Please make me a copy of the file.
    B: Sige, i-print nako ron. — Sure, I’ll print it now.
  4. A: Ni-himo ka na sa presentation? — Have you already made the presentation?
    B: Ni-himo pa ko sa outline; slides unya pa. — I just made the outline; slides later.
  5. A: Mag-himo ta og plan sa weekend? — Shall we make a plan for the weekend?
    B: Sakto, para dili ta mag-libog. — Right, so we won’t be confused.
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