batan-on

Cebuano word: “batan-on”

1. Part of speech, core meaning, basic usage, and example sentences

Part of speech: adjective
Core meaning: “young,” “youthful,” “juvenile.” It can describe people (batan-ong lalaki – young man), animals (batan-ong iro – puppy), or abstract notions (batan-ong henerasyon – young generation).

Example sentences

• Batan-on pa kaayo siya. – He is still very young.
• Gireklutar nila ang batan-ong talento gikan sa baryo. – They recruited the young talent from the village.
• Nag-daug ang batan-ong atleta sa kompetisyon. – The young athlete won the competition.
• Batan-on na unta ang ideya, apan epektibo. – The idea may be young (new), but it is effective.

2. Linking endings and derivational forms

• Linkers
  • -ng (before a consonant): batan-ong estudyante – young student.
  • nga (before a vowel or for emphasis): batan-on nga anak – young child.
• Comparative and superlative
  • mas batan-on – younger.
  • pinakabatan-on – youngest.
• Reduplication and intensifiers
  • batan-on-batan-on – rather young.
  • batan-on kaayo / batan-on gyud – very young / truly youthful.
• Exclamatory and abstract nouns
  • Kabatan-on nimo! – How young you are!
  • kabatan-onan – youth, young age.
  • pagkabatan-on – the state of being young.
• Verb-like expressions (rare)
  • nag-ka-batan-on – becoming younger (usually figurative, e.g., feeling youthful).

3. Typical placements in a sentence

1. Predicate position: Ang doktor batan-on. – The doctor is young.
2. Modifier with linker: batan-ong doktor – young doctor.
3. Complement after an emphatic phrase: Mao ni ang batan-on nga grupo. – This is the young group.

4. Common collocations

• batan-ong henerasyon – young generation
• batan-ong propesyonal – young professional
• batan-ong lider – young leader
• batan-ong artista – young actor
• batan-ong pangandoy – youthful dream

5. Detailed usage notes

“Batan-on” is the standard Cebuano adjective for age ranges roughly from childhood through early adulthood. It carries a positive nuance of vitality and potential. When used attributively, always attach a linker before the noun. In predicate position, no linker is needed. With intensifiers (kaayo, gayud) you can emphasize youthfulness. Comparative and superlative follow the normal mas / pinaka pattern. Reduplication (batan-on-batan-on) softens the description, implying “quite young but not very.” Be aware of the abstract noun kabatan-onan when talking about “youth” as a collective.

6. Common mistakes to avoid

• Omitting the linker: ✗ batan-on lalaki → ✓ batan-ong lalaki.
• Reversing comparative order: ✗ batan-on mas → ✓ mas batan-on.
• Separating pinaka from the root: ✗ pinaka batan-on → ✓ pinakabatan-on.
• Writing without the hyphen: ✗ batanon → ✓ batan-on.
• *Confusing with Tagalog bata (child); Cebuano bata exists but means “child,” not “young” as an adjective.

7. Five everyday conversational phrases

• Batan-on pa ta, mag-tuon ta’g maayo. – We are still young; let’s study well.
• Mas batan-on siya kaysa nako. – She is younger than I am.
• Pinakabatan-on siya sa among klase. – He is the youngest in our class.
• Ayaw kabalaka, batan-on pa imong karera. – Don’t worry; your career is still young.
• Kabatan-on sa imong panan-aw, lig-on kaayo ka. – You look so youthful; you’re very strong.

8. Five short conversation exchanges

1. Q: Batan-on ba ang imong igsoon? – Is your sibling young?
   A: Oo, batan-on pa siya; napulo pa lang ka tuig. – Yes, he’s young; only ten years old.
2. Q: Ngano mas batan-on man ka tan-awon karon? – Why do you look younger today?
   A: Nag-ka-batan-on siguro ko tungod sa pag-exercise. – Maybe I’m becoming youthful because of exercise.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakabatan-on nga kandidato sa eleksiyon? – Who is the youngest candidate in the election?
   A: Si Ana ang pinakabatan-on, bente uno pa lang. – Ana is the youngest, only twenty-one.
4. Q: Batan-on-batan-on pa ba ang trabaho niini? – Is this job still fairly new?
   A: Oo, batan-on-batan-on pa; bag-o pa mi nagsugod. – Yes, it’s rather young; we just started.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pag-dasig sa batan-ong volunteers? – How will we encourage the young volunteers?
   A: Hatagan nato sila og training ug suporta. – We will give them training and support.

9. Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Batan-on ba ang imong tiyo?
A. Oo, batan-on kaayo ang akong tiyo.
B. Oo, tiyo batan-on kaayo akong ang.
C. Oo, batan-on tiyo kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas batan-on, si Juan o si Pedro?
A. Mas batan-on si Juan kaysa si Pedro.
B. Juan kaysa si Pedro ang mas batan-on.
C. Mas batan-on kaysa si Juan si Pedro.

Q3. Pinakabatan-on ba kini nga miyembro sa grupo?
A. Oo, pinakabatan-on kini nga miyembro sa grupo.
B. Oo, kini pinakabatan-on miyembro sa grupo.
C. Oo, miyembro kini pinakabatan-on sa grupo.

Q4. Ngano batan-on pa imong negosyo?
A. Batan-on pa akong negosyo kay bag-o pa mi nag-lunsad.
B. Ang akong negosyo batan-on pa kay nag-lunsad mi bag-o pa.
C. Nag-lunsad mi negosyo batan-on pa akong ang bag-o pa.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay batan-on-batan-on nga ideya sa miting?
A. Si Mark naay batan-on-batan-on nga ideya.
B. Naay si Mark batan-on-batan-on ideya.
C. Ideya batan-on-batan-on naay si Mark.

Answer key with explanations

• Q1 – A is correct. Predicate batan-on kaayo precedes the subject; B and C scramble article order.
• Q2 – A is correct. Standard pattern “Mas batan-on si X kaysa si Y.” B and C misplace comparative components.
• Q3 – A is correct. Pinakabatan-on comes before kini; B and C mis-order demonstrative and noun.
• Q4 – A is correct. Predicate first, then reason clause; B is awkward, C is ungrammatical.
• Q5 – A is correct. Sequence “naay + subject + description” is complete; B and C break it.