diin

Cebuano Word: diin

1 Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: interrogative adverb / interrogative pronoun
• Core meaning: “where” (more formal, literary, or dialect-specific than asa)

Everyday example sentences

• • Diin ka karon? – Where are you now?
• • Diin man ang museo? – Where is the museum, then?
• • Gusto ko mahibalo diin sila nagpuyo. – I want to know where they live.

2 Learning Points for Cebuano Interrogatives

• • Register: Diin is common in southern and literary Cebuano; informal speech more often uses asa.
• • Sentence-initial position: Like other wh-words, diin normally opens a direct question.
• • Optional particle man: adds mild emphasis (Diin man ang sakayan?).
• • Intonation: Maintain a rising pitch at the end to signal a question.
• • Indirect questions: In embedded clauses, diin moves after the verb mahibalo, hibalo-an, etc.

3 Common Collocations

• • diin ka – where are you
• • diin man – so where / where then
• • diin dapit – where exactly
• • diin gikan – where (someone) came from
• • diin paingon – where going to

4 Typical Position in a Sentence

Direct questions: diin + (optional particle) + subject / predicate

Diin ang terminal? – Where is the terminal?

Indirect questions: verb + diin + clause

Nangutana siya diin mi mag-stay. – He asked where we would stay.

5 Five Frequent Conversational Phrases

• • Diin ka gikan? – Where have you come from?
• • Diin ta magkita? – Where shall we meet?
• • Diin ko makapalit ani? – Where can I buy this?
• • Diin ang pinakaduol nga ATM? – Where is the nearest ATM?
• • Diin paingon ang bus? – Where is the bus headed?

6 Five Mini-Dialogues (Cebuano ↔ English)

1. A: Diin ka paingon? – Where are you going?
   B: Pa-uli ko sa balay. – I’m heading home.
2. A: Diin ta mag-panihapon? – Where shall we have dinner?
   B: Sa bay-bayon ta, nindot didto. – Let’s eat by the seaside; it’s nice there.
3. A: Diin ang opisina sa turismo? – Where is the tourism office?
   B: Atbang sa simbahan. – Opposite the church.
4. A: Diin ka nakakat-on og Cebuano? – Where did you learn Cebuano?
   B: Sa online course ra. – Just from an online course.
5. A: Diin gikan kining kape? – Where did this coffee come from?
   B: Gikan sa Bukidnon, lami kaayo. – From Bukidnon, it’s very good.

7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Exercise

Part A – Questions with Answer Choices

(Each prompt is declarative; you choose the correct interrogative sentence using diin)

Q1. Juan needs to ask the exact place of the library.
A. Diin ang librarya?
B. Librarya diin ang?
C. Ang diin librarya?

Q2. The visitors want to ask the location of the airport.
A. Diin ang tugpahanan?
B. Tugpahanan diin ang?
C. Ang tugpahanan diin?

Q3. Carla must inquire about the shop’s origin of those fruits.
A. Diin gikan ang prutas?
B. Gikan prutas diin ang?
C. Prutas diin gikan ang?

Q4. The driver should ask the precise parking spot.
A. Diin dapit ang parkehan?
B. Dapit parkehan ang diin?
C. Parkehan diin dapit ang?

Q5. Leo wishes to know the destination of that ferry.
A. Diin paingon ang lantsa?
B. Paingon lantsa diin ang?
C. Ang lantsa diin paingon?

Part B – Answer Key & Explanations

• Q1: Correct – A
• Q2: Correct – A
• Q3: Correct – A
• Q4: Correct – A
• Q5: Correct – A