suwat

Cebuano word: “suwat”

1. Part of Speech, Meaning, Usage, and Example Sentences

Part of speech — Noun (“letter, written note, handwriting”) and verb root (“to write”).

Meaning — As a noun it is a piece of writing; as a verb it means the act of writing.

Usage overview

• Noun: follows an article or possessive (ang suwat, akong suwat).
• Verb forms: mosuwat (will write), nisuwat (wrote), gisuwat (was written), isuwat (to write something), suwati (write + object, imperative).

Example sentences

• Naa ko’y suwat para nimo. – I have a letter for you.
• Mosuwat ko sa report karon hapon. – I will write the report this afternoon.
• Gisuwat niya ang nota sa bisaya. – She wrote the note in Bisaya.
• Nindot ang imong suwat sa papel. – Your handwriting on the paper is nice.
• Nisuwat sila og dula alang sa programa. – They wrote a play for the program.

2. Singular & Plural Forms

• Singular: suwat
• Plural: mga suwat – several letters or pieces of writing.

3. Typical Sentence Positions

• Subject (after predicate): Importante ang suwat sa among lolo.
• Object: Basaha ang suwat palihog.
• Prepositional phrase: Nag-hulat sila sa suwat gikan sa eskuylahan.

4. Common Collocations

• maayong suwat – good letter
• taas nga suwat – long letter
• suwat sa kamot – handwriting
• suwat sa trabaho – written work / report
• isuwat sa papel – write on paper

5. Detailed Usage Notes

• When noun, pairs with verbs basa (read), padala (send), dawat (receive).
• Common verb patterns:
  • mosuwat kog email – I will write an email.
  • isuwat ang pangalan diri – Write the name here.
  • gisuwat sa bata ang baybay – The child wrote the spelling.
• Imperative Suwati takes suffix -i: Suwati ang form og pirma.

6. Common Mistakes to Watch For

• Starting a neutral clause with the noun (Suwat taas kaayo ✗).
• Mixing verb and noun incorrectly: Suwat ko karon ✗ → Mosuwat ko karon ✓.
• Forgetting the determiner (Basaha suwat ✗).
• Redundant plural marker (mga mga suwat ✗).

7. Five Frequently Used Conversational Phrases

1. Mosuwat ko nimo ugma. – I will write to you tomorrow.
2. Walay suwat pa gikan sa opisina. – No letter from the office yet.
3. Basaha sa dili pa nimo isuwat. – Read it before you write.
4. Suwati ko kung mahuman nimo. – Write me when you finish it.
5. Nindot kaayo imong suwat. – Your handwriting is very nice.

8. Five Everyday Conversation Exchanges

1. Q: Nadawat ba nimo ang akong suwat? – Did you receive my letter?
   A: Oo, nadawat nako ang imong suwat kagahapon. – Yes, I received your letter yesterday.
2. Q: Mosuwat ba ka og report karong gabii? – Will you write a report tonight?
   A: Oo, mosuwat ko human sa pani-hapon. – Yes, I will write after dinner.
3. Q: Taas ba kaayo ang suwat ni Ana? – Is Ana’s letter very long?
   A: Taas gyud kaayo ang iyang suwat. – Her letter is indeed very long.
4. Q: Gi-suwat ba sa maestro ang instruksyon sa papan? – Did the teacher write the instructions on the board?
   A: Oo, gi-suwat niya aron klaro sa tanan. – Yes, he wrote them so everyone could see.
5. Q: Walay ba suwat gikan sa bangko? – Is there no letter from the bank?
   A: Wala pa, siguro ugma pa ang suwat mo-abot. – None yet; maybe the letter will arrive tomorrow.

9. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1. Nisuwat ba ka sa imohang diary kagabii?
A. Sa imohang diary nisuwat ka kagabii.
B. Nisuwat ka sa imohang diary kagabii.
C. Ka nisuwat sa imohang diary kagabii.

Q2. Gisuwat ba niya ang pangalan sa listahan?
A. Gisuwat niya ang pangalan sa listahan.
B. Ang pangalan gisuwat niya sa listahan.
C. Niya gisuwat ang pangalan sa listahan.

Q3. Mosuwat ba sila og reklamo karong adlaw?
A. Og reklamo mosuwat sila karong adlaw.
B. Sila mosuwat og reklamo karong adlaw.
C. Mosuwat sila og reklamo karong adlaw.

Q4. Klaro ba ang suwat sa resibo?
A. Ang suwat klaro sa resibo.
B. Klaro ang suwat sa resibo.
C. Suwat klaro ang sa resibo.

Q5. Walay ba suwat gikan sa administrasyon?
A. Walay suwat gikan sa administrasyon.
B. Gikan sa administrasyon walay suwat.
C. Suwat walay gikan sa administrasyon.

Answer Key

1. Correct: B.
   • Why correct: Verb Nisuwat first, subject ka next, object phrase last.
   • Why A wrong: Starts with prepositional phrase; C puts subject before verb.
2. Correct: A.
   • Why correct: Verb Gisuwat first, agent niya second, object last.
   • Why B wrong: Object first; C agent before verb.
3. Correct: C.
   • Why correct: Verb Mosuwat first, subject sila next, object phrase last.
   • Why A & B wrong: A fronts object; B puts subject first.
4. Correct: B.
   • Why correct: Predicate adjective Klaro leads, noun phrase follows.
   • Why A & C wrong: A starts with noun phrase; C scrambles order.
5. Correct: A.
   • Why correct: Negative predicate Walay suwat comes first, source phrase follows.
   • Why B & C wrong: Both move source or object before predicate, breaking neutral order.