diha-diha

Cebuano word: “diha-diha”
(dee-HAH-dee-HAH — rapid reduplication) — an adverb that means “right away / immediately / on the spot.”

1. Part of speech, meaning, and example sentences

• Part of speech: adverb of time (instant action)
• Meaning: something happens instantly without delay, either in the present or the very near future.

Example sentences

• Buhata diha-diha para mahuman ta dayon. – “Do it right away so we can finish quickly.”
• Maka-refund ka diha-diha kung naay resibo. – “You can get a refund immediately if there’s a receipt.”
• Nasuko siya diha-diha pagkadungog sa balita. – “He got angry the moment he heard the news.”

2. Points to remember when studying “diha-diha”

• Intensity: Reduplication (diha → diha-diha) adds urgency; plain diha can also mean “there” (location), so context matters.
• Placement rule: Put it right before the verb or immediately after the imperative: Pa-sign diha-diha!
• No split objects: Keep diha-diha attached to the verb phrase; avoid inserting objects between them.
• Negative forms: dili diha-diha (“not immediately”) softens the urgency.
• Pair with commands: Common in instructions, warnings, or quick reactions: Tubaga ko diha-diha (“Answer me at once”).

3. Common collocations

• tubag diha-diha – answer right away
• bayad diha-diha – pay immediately
• diha-diha dayon – instantly, straightaway
• diha-diha nga + verb – immediately verb (e.g., diha-diha nga mi-dagan)
• wala na’y diha-diha – no more on-the-spot action (colloquial)

4. Typical position in a sentence

1. Imperative + adverb: Hatag diha-diha!
2. Subject + adverb + verb: Si Mara diha-diha mi-biyahe.
3. Sentence-initial (narrative): Diha-diha, mi-dagan ang mga bata.

5. Five handy conversational phrases

• Pa-sign diha-diha, palihug. – “Sign it right away, please.”
• Ayaw pag-react diha-diha kung wala ka kasabot. – “Don’t react immediately if you don’t understand.”
• I-update ko diha-diha kung naa kay balita. – “Update me immediately if you have news.”
• Dili tanan problema masulbad diha-diha. – “Not every problem can be solved instantly.”
• Gi-dismiss nila ang reklamo diha-diha. – “They dismissed the complaint on the spot.”

6. Five short dialogue exchanges

1. A: Pwede ko nimo tabangan?
   B: Oo, buhaton nako diha-diha.
   – “A: Can you help me? B: Yes, I’ll do it right away.”
2. A: Na-ay emergency!
   B: Sige, tawag ko’g ambulansya diha-diha.
   – “A: There’s an emergency! B: Okay, I’ll call an ambulance immediately.”
3. A: Nakita nimo akong pitaka?
   B: Oo, ihatag nako nimo diha-diha.
   – “A: Did you see my wallet? B: Yes, I’ll give it to you at once.”
4. A: Na-approve na ba ang request?
   B: Wala pa, pero i-process na nila diha-diha karon.
   – “A: Has the request been approved? B: Not yet, but they will process it right away now.”
5. A: Humana ka ni-luto?
   B: Humana; ipaka-on tika diha-diha.
   – “A: Have you finished cooking? B: Yes; I’ll feed you immediately.”

7. Multiple-choice dialogue questions

(Every set: one correct sentence, two word-order errors. All choices include diha-diha.)

Q1. Unsa’y buhaton nimo diha-diha pagkahuman sa klase?
A. Diha-diha buhaton nako ang homework pagkahuman sa klase.
B. Buhaton nako diha-diha ang homework pagkahuman sa klase.
C. Homework buhaton nako pagkahuman sa klase diha-diha.

Q2. Maka-reply ba ka diha-diha?
A. Maka-reply ka diha-diha ba?
B. Diha-diha ba ka maka-reply?
C. Maka-reply ba ka diha-diha?

Q3. Kinsa’y mo-dala sa bag diha-diha?
A. Diha-diha mo-dala si Pedro sa bag.
B. Mo-dala si Pedro diha-diha sa bag.
C. Sa bag mo-dala si Pedro diha-diha.

Q4. Pwede ba nimo i-send ang file diha-diha?
A. I-send nimo pwede diha-diha ang file?
B. Pwede ba nimo diha-diha i-send ang file?
C. Ang file i-send nimo diha-diha pwede?

Q5. Ganahan ba sila mo-uli diha-diha human party?
A. Ganahan sila mo-uli human party diha-diha.
B. Human party diha-diha ganahan sila mo-uli.
C. Ganahan sila diha-diha mo-uli human party.

Answer key

• Q1 – B – Verb + actor + adverb + object + time phrase; A front-loads adverb awkwardly; C misplaces adverb.
• Q2 – C – Standard yes/no form: modal + subject + adverb.
• Q3 – B – Verb + actor + adverb + object; A starts with adverb, sounding odd; C splits verb and actor.
• Q4 – B – Question particle first, subject + adverb + verb + object; A/C scramble elements.
• Q5 – C – Predicate ganahan + subject + adverb + verb + time phrase reads naturally; others break flow.