1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences
- Part of speech
- Typical predicate order
The conjugated verb heads the predicate; any short actor pronoun follows it: Mo-dala ko ug payong karon.
I will bring an umbrella now. - Example sentences (bullet list; English translations and full parts-of-speech breakdown)
2 Principal verb derivations
| Form | Focus & aspect | Standard translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-dala | Actor focus, habitual / future | “be (regularly) bringing” | Mag-dala sila ug tubig kada lakaw. – They always carry water on trips. |
| mo-dala | Actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will bring; bring!” | Mo-dala ta sa dokumento karon. – Let’s bring the document now. |
| nag-dala | Actor focus, progressive / recent past | “is / was bringing” | Nag-dala siya og bulak sa ospital. – She is bringing flowers to the hospital. |
| mi-dala / ni-dala | Actor focus, completed past | “brought” | Ni-dala ko ug regalo gahapon. – I brought a gift yesterday. |
| gi-dala | Patient focus, completed past | “was brought (by …)” | Gi-dala sa drayber ang kargamento. – The cargo was brought by the driver. |
| dal-on (-on) | Patient focus, future / imperative | “to be brought / bring it” | Dal-on nato ang basurahan gawas. – We will take the trash outside. |
| dal-an (-an) | Locative / addressee focus | “to bring to / bring along for” | Dala-i siya ug jacket, palihog. – Please bring her a jacket. |
3 Common phrases
- dala ug payong — bring an umbrella
- dala og baon — bring packed food
- mag-dala og gift — bring a gift
- gi-dala sa ambulansya — transported by ambulance
- dal-on ang papeles — have the papers brought
4 Detailed usage notes
- Actor focus for everyday actions — mo-dala and nag-dala are the go-to forms when the person bringing is important.
- Object markers — Use ug/og for nonspecific items (dala og tubig), but sa when the item is specific (dala sa report).
- Addressee / destination focus (-an) — dal-an / dala-i emphasizes the recipient or place: dala-i ko ug kape — “bring me coffee.”
- Noun sense of “load” — As a noun, dala can mean physical or figurative burden: daghang dala — “a lot of baggage/responsibility.”
- Reduplication — dala-dala may imply casually carrying something around without a fixed purpose.
5 Common mistakes and things to watch out for
| Mistake | Issue | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-dala ako ug sapatos. | Actor clitic mis-positioned. | Mo-dala ko ug sapatos. |
| Gi-dala ko ang sulat. | With gi-, the actor must be genitive (ni / sa). | Gi-dala ni ko ang sulat. |
| Dal-on ta siya! | Wrong imperative suffix for addressee/destination focus. | Dala-i siya! |
6 Short everyday conversations
- A: Unsay imong dal-on para sa outing? – What will you bring for the outing?
B: Mo-dala ko ug snacks ug tubig. – I’ll bring snacks and water. - A: Nag-dala ba sila og payong? – Are they carrying umbrellas?
B: Oo, kay basin moulan. – Yes, because it might rain. - A: Dala-i ko palihog ug kopya sa file. – Please bring me a copy of the file.
B: Sige, dal-on nako unya sa opisina. – Sure, I’ll bring it to the office later. - A: Nganong wala ka ni-dala sa resibo? – Why didn’t you bring the receipt?
B: Nahimo nakong malimtan sa balay. – I ended up forgetting it at home. - A: Mag-dala ta og first-aid kit kung mag-hike? – Shall we bring a first-aid kit when we hike?
B: Oo, importante kaayo na. – Yes, that’s very important.
