daan

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

Part of speech: adjective (also functions as an aspect particle meaning “already,” but here we focus on the adjective)
Core meaning: “old,” “former,” “previous,” sometimes “worn-out.”
Sample sentences

• Daan kaayo ang among balay. – Our house is very old.
• Gipalit na niya ang daan nga kotse. – He bought the second-hand car.
• Balik ta sa daan nga plano. – Let us return to the previous plan.
• Nag-ilisan ko kay daan ra kaayo akong sapatos. – I changed because my shoes were too worn-out.

2. Linkers and derivational forms

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant → daang (pronounced /da-aŋ/) as in daang libro – old book.
  • nga before a vowel or for clarity → daan nga amigo – longtime friend.
• Degree and intensity markers
  • mas daan – older / more ancient.
  • pinakadaan – oldest / most ancient.
  • daan-daan – rather old / somewhat worn.
  • daan kaayo / daan gyud – very old / truly old.
• Abstract and exclamatory nouns
  • Kadaan sa balay! – What an old house!
  • kadaan-an – oldness, antiquity.
  • pagkadaan – the state of being old or obsolete.

(Unlike some roots, daan is rarely used as a full verb for “to become old”; speakers instead use forms such as nag-ka-daan “is getting old.”)

3. Typical positions in a sentence

1. Predicate adjective: Ang tulay daan. – The bridge is old.
2. Modifier with linker: daang kalsada – old road.
3. Complement after an emphatic phrase: Mao ni ang daan nga isyu. – This is the old issue.

4. Common collocations

• daan nga balay – old house
• daan nga costume – vintage costume
• daan nga kantahon – classic song
• daan nga pasaporte – expired passport
• daan nga huwes – seasoned judge

5. Detailed usage notes

“Daan” primarily labels something that has existed for a long time or has been used before. It spans:

• Objects (daan nga aparador – old cabinet)
• Plans / ideas (daan nga konsepto)
• Relationships (daan nga amigo – long-time friend)
• States (daan nga kasuko – longstanding anger)

Be sure to attach a linker when it directly precedes a noun. When daan follows the noun, no linker is needed (ang sapatos daan). Comparative (mas daan) and superlative (pinakadaan) behave just like other Cebuano adjectives. Reduplication (daan-daan) weakens the force, meaning “fairly old.”

Important distinction: Cebuano also has an enclitic particle daan meaning “already” or “in advance” (Gi-andam na daan – “Prepared beforehand”). Context and position make the difference: as an adjective it appears with linkers or stands as predicate; as a particle it sits after the verb.

6. Common mistakes to avoid

• Dropping the linker (✗ daan balay → ✓ daang balay).
• Writing one “a” in daang (✗ dang → ✓ daang).
• Reversing comparative order (✗ daan mas → ✓ mas daan).
• Separating pinaka from the root (✗ pinaka daan → ✓ pinakadaan).
• Confusing adjective daan with particle daan (“already”) and mistranslating the sentence.

7. Five everyday conversational phrases

1. Daan pa ni nga kanta, pero paborito gihapon sa tanan. – This song is old, but everyone still loves it.
2. Mas daan ning simbahan kaysa sa atong balay. – This church is older than our house.
3. Ayaw na gamita ang daan nga password. – Do not use the old password anymore.
4. Pinakadaan gyud ni nga tulay sa lalawigan. – This is truly the oldest bridge in the province.
5. Daan-daan ra ning jacket, pero init gihapon. – This jacket is rather old, yet it is still warm.

8. Five short conversation exchanges

1. Q: Daan ba ang imong telepono? – Is your phone old?
   A: Oo, daan kaayo ni; limang tuig na. – Yes, it is very old; it’s five years already.
2. Q: Ngano mas daan ang presyo sa lamesa kaysa sa silya? – Why is the table’s price older (outdated) than the chair’s?
   A: Mas daan kay wala pa nila gi-update ang listahan. – It is older because they have not updated the list yet.
3. Q: Asa nimo gibutang ang daan nga pasaporte? – Where did you put the old passport?
   A: Gisulod nako sa primera nga drawer. – I placed it in the top drawer.
4. Q: Daan ra ba ang ruta padulong didto? – Is the route going there the old one?
   A: Daan-daan ra, pero dali gihapon ka maka-abot. – It is rather old, but you will still arrive quickly.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pag-ilisan sa daan nga sistema? – How shall we replace the old system?
   A: Pagkadaan-an na kaayo, kinahanglan nato og bag-ong teknolohiya. – It is too outdated; we need new technology.

9. Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Daan ba ang imong sapatos?
A. Oo, daan kaayo ang akong sapatos.
B. Oo, sapatos daan kaayo akong ang.
C. Oo, daan sapatos kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas daan, ang libro o ang dyaryo?
A. Mas daan ang libro kaysa dyaryo.
B. Libro kaysa dyaryo ang mas daan.
C. Mas daan kaysa libro ang dyaryo.

Q3. Pinakadaan ba kini nga tulay sa siyudad?
A. Oo, pinakadaan kini nga tulay sa siyudad.
B. Oo, kini pinakadaan tulay sa siyudad.
C. Oo, tulay kini pinakadaan sa siyudad.

Q4. Ngano daan ra imong laptop?
A. Daan ra akong laptop kay dugay na nako ni napalit.
B. Ang akong laptop daan ra kay napalit ko dugay na.
C. Napalit ko laptop daan ra akong ang dugay na.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay daan-daan nga bisikleta sa baryo?
A. Si Toto naay daan-daan nga bisikleta.
B. Naay si Toto daan-daan bisikleta.
C. Bisikleta daan-daan naay si Toto.

Answer key with brief explanations

• Q1 – A is correct. It keeps the predicate daan kaayo before the subject ang akong sapatos. B and C jumble articles and order.
• Q2 – A is correct. Standard pattern “Mas daan ang X kaysa Y.” B and C misplace comparative parts.
• Q3 – A is correct. Pinakadaan precedes kini and the sentence remains grammatical; B and C mis-order components.
• Q4 – A is correct. Predicate first, then the reason clause; B is awkward but nearly acceptable, C is ungrammatical.
• Q5 – A is correct. “Naay + subject + description” sequence is intact; B and C break that structure.