asa

1 Part of Speech & Meaning

• Part of speech: interrogative adverb / interrogative pronoun
• Core meaning: “where” —used to ask about a place, position, or destination.

Everyday example sentences

• Asa ka karon? – Where are you now?
• Asa ta magkita ugma? – Where shall we meet tomorrow?
• Asa sila nag-puyo? – Where do they live?

2 Learning Points for Cebuano Interrogatives

• Initial position: Interrogatives such as asa almost always open a direct question.
• Particle support: The particle man is often inserted after asa for emphasis: Asa man ang terminal?
• Ellipsis: Personal pronouns can be omitted when context is clear (Asa? “Where?”).
• Regional variation: In very formal or literary contexts you may see diin or hain in place of asa.
• Intonation: Rising pitch on the final syllable marks the question; mastering this helps distinguish asa from declaratives.

3 Common Collocations

• asa ka – where are you
• asa ta – where shall we (inclusive)
• asa man – where then / so where
• asa dapit – where exactly
• asa gikan – where (someone) came from

4 Typical Sentence Position

In direct questions, asa is placed at the very beginning, immediately followed by the focus of the inquiry (subject or predicate):

Asa + (optional particle) + subject/predicate?

In indirect questions, it shifts inside the clause:

Gusto ko mahibalo asa ang opisina. – I want to know where the office is.

5 Five Conversational Phrases

• Asa ka gikan? – Where have you come from?
• Asa ka paingon? – Where are you heading?
• Asa ta magkaon? – Where shall we eat?
• Asa ang CR? – Where is the comfort room (restroom)?
• Asa ko mopalit ani? – Where can I buy this?

6 Five Mini-Dialogues (Cebuano ↔ English)

1. A: Asa ka paingon? – Where are you going?
   B: Paingon ko sa merkado. – I’m going to the market.
2. A: Asa ta magkita? – Where shall we meet?
   B: Sa plaza ta magkita. – Let’s meet at the plaza.
3. A: Asa ang estasyon sa bus? – Where is the bus station?
   B: Dapit sa katedral, duol ra. – Near the cathedral, just close by.
4. A: Asa ka nag-tuon og Cebuano? – Where did you study Cebuano?
   B: Nag-tuon ko online. – I studied online.
5. A: Asa ko makakuha og taxi? – Where can I get a taxi?
   B: Sa atubangan sa hotel, naa sila didto. – In front of the hotel, they are there.

7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Exercise

Part A – Questions with Answer Choices

Q1. Maria wants to know the location of the bank.
A. Asa ang bangko?
B. Ang bangko asa?
C. Bangko asa ang?

Q2. The tourists are curious about the nearest hospital.
A. Asa ang pinakadool nga ospital?
B. Pinakadool ospital asa ang?
C. Ospital pinakadool ang asa?

Q3. Carlos needs the exact spot for the event.
A. Asa dapit ang kalihokan?
B. Dapit kalihokan ang asa?
C. Kalihokan asa dapit ang?

Q4. The driver must find the correct parking area.
A. Asa ang husto nga parkehan?
B. Husto parkehan asa ang?
C. Parkehan ang husto asa?

Q5. Ana wants to discover the origin of that coffee.
A. Asa gikan ang kape?
B. Gikan kape ang asa?
C. Kape asa gikan ang?

Part B – Answer Key & Explanations

• Q1: Correct – A. Asa precedes the subject phrase ang bangko.
• Q2: Correct – A. Right order: Asa + ang + descriptor + noun.
• Q3: Correct – A. Placing asa first keeps the question grammatical.
• Q4: Correct – A. Cebuano wh-questions begin with the interrogative word.
• Q5: Correct – A. Asa must introduce the clause before the verb “gikan.”