dautan

Cebuano word: “dautan”

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

Part of speech: adjective
Core meaning: “bad,” “evil,” “wicked,” “harmful.” It describes poor quality (dautan nga produkto – bad product), moral evil (dautan nga buhat – evil deed), or harmful conditions (dautan nga panahon – bad weather).

Sample sentences

• Dautan kaayo ang iyang batasan. – His attitude is very bad.
• Ayaw palita, dautan nga isda na. – Don’t buy it; that fish is spoiled.
• Dautan ang panahon karon buntag. – The weather is bad this morning.
• Nakasala sila tungod sa dautang tinguha. – They sinned because of an evil desire.

2. Linkers and derivational forms

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant: dautang plano – bad plan.
  • nga before a vowel or for emphasis: dautan nga ideya – bad idea.
• Degree and intensity
  • mas dautan – worse.
  • pinakadautan – worst.
  • dautan-dautan – rather bad.
  • dautan kaayo / dautan gyud – very bad / truly evil.
• Exclamatory and abstract nouns
  • Kadautan sa hitabo! – How bad the event is!
  • kadautan – badness, wickedness.
  • pagkadautan – the state or quality of being bad.
• Verb-like pattern
  • Cebuano usually says nag-ka-dautan “is getting worse,” not a direct verb from the root.

3. Where it appears in a sentence

1. Predicate adjective: Ang resulta dautan. – The result is bad.
2. Modifier with linker: dautang resulta – bad result.
3. Complement after an emphatic phrase: Mao ni ang dautan nga balita. – This is the bad news.

4. Common collocations

• dautang balita – bad news
• dautang batasan – bad behavior
• dautang buhat – evil deed
• dautang klima – harsh climate
• dautan nga kahimtang – poor condition

5. Detailed usage notes

“Dautan” ranges from simple poor quality (dautang kape – bad coffee) to moral condemnation (dautang tinguha – evil motive). Always attach a linker when it directly precedes a noun; drop the linker when it follows the noun as a predicate. Comparative (mas dautan) and superlative (pinakadautan) follow the standard Cebuano pattern. Reduplication (dautan-dautan) softens the judgment to “rather bad.” The abstract noun kadautan appears in formal or religious contexts to discuss wickedness.

6. Common mistakes to look out for

• Linker omission: ✗ dautan plano → ✓ dautang plano.
• Placing mas after the adjective: ✗ dautan mas → ✓ mas dautan.
• Separating pinaka from root: ✗ pinaka dautan → ✓ pinakadautan.
• **Using dautan for sickness (“ill”)—prefer masakiton or balatian when talking about health.
• Misspelling as “daotan” or “dauton.”

7. Five everyday conversational phrases

1. Mas dautan ang trapik kung ulan. – Traffic is worse when it rains.
2. Pinakadautan ni nga desisyon, likayi nato. – This is the worst decision; let’s avoid it.
3. Dautan kaayo ang serbisyo didto. – The service there is very bad.
4. Ayaw buhata ang dautang binuhatan. – Do not commit evil deeds.
5. Dautan-dautan ra ang iyang nota, pero makapasar pa. – His grade is rather bad, but he can still pass.

8. Five short conversation exchanges

1. Q: Dautan ba ang lami sa sud-an? – Is the dish’s taste bad?
   A: Oo, dautan kaayo; alat kaayo. – Yes, it’s very bad; too salty.
2. Q: Ngano mas dautan man ang sitwasyon karon? – Why is the situation worse now?
   A: Mas dautan kay nadugang ang gastos. – It’s worse because costs increased.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakadautan nga dalan sa siyudad? – Where is the worst road in the city?
   A: Naa sa daang distrito, daghan lubak. – In the old district; many potholes.
4. Q: Dautan-dautan ba ang score sa imong exam? – Was your exam score rather bad?
   A: Oo, pero naa pay remedial. – Yes, but there’s remedial.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pag-likay sa dautang impluwensiya? – How shall we avoid bad influence?
   A: Pili-on nato ang atong mga higala ug kalihokan. – We will choose our friends and activities carefully.

9. Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Dautan ba ang imong paghigda?
A. Oo, dautan kaayo ang akong paghigda.
B. Oo, paghigda dautan kaayo akong ang.
C. Oo, dautan paghigda kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas dautan, ang plano A o ang plano B?
A. Mas dautan ang plano A kaysa plano B.
B. Plano A kaysa plano B ang mas dautan.
C. Mas dautan kaysa plano A ang plano B.

Q3. Pinakadautan ba kini nga panahon sa tuig?
A. Oo, pinakadautan kini nga panahon sa tuig.
B. Oo, kini pinakadautan panahon sa tuig.
C. Oo, panahon kini pinakadautan sa tuig.

Q4. Ngano dautan ra imong hunahuna?
A. Dautan ra akong hunahuna kay kapoy kaayo ko.
B. Ang akong hunahuna dautan ra kay ko kapoy kaayo.
C. Kapoy kaayo ko hunahuna dautan ra akong ang.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay dautan-dautan nga record sa opisina?
A. Si Roy naay dautan-dautan nga record.
B. Naay si Roy dautan-dautan record.
C. Record dautan-dautan naay si Roy.

Answer key with brief explanations

• Q1 ⇒ A is correct. The predicate dautan kaayo precedes the subject. B and C mix up article order.
• Q2 ⇒ A is correct. Proper comparative pattern: “Mas dautan ang X kaysa Y.” B and C misplace elements.
• Q3 ⇒ A is correct. Pinakadautan directly precedes kini. B and C mis-order demonstrative and noun.
• Q4 ⇒ A is correct. Predicate first, then reason clause. B is awkward; C breaks word order.
• Q5 ⇒ A is correct. Sequence “naay + subject + description” is intact; B and C disrupt it.