gaan

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

Part of speech: adjective (also used adverbially)
Core meaning: “light,” “not heavy,” “easy,” “mild.”

Example sentences

• Gaan ra ang bag; dali ra madala. – The bag is light; easy to carry.
• Gaan kaayo ang trapik karong Domingo. – Traffic is very light this Sunday.
• Gaan nga buluhaton lang ni, di lisod. – This is just light work, not difficult.
• Gaan ra iyang paminaw pagkahuman sa pahulay. – He felt light (better) after resting.

2 Linking endings and derivational forms

• Linkers
  • -ng before a consonant → gaang parisan – light pair / easy match.
  • nga before a vowel or for clarity → gaan nga trabaho – easy job.
• Degree & intensity
  • mas gaan – lighter / easier.
  • pinakagaan – lightest / easiest.
  • gaan-gaan – rather light; somewhat easy.
  • gaan kaayo / gaan gyud – very light / truly easy.
• Exclamatory & abstract nouns
  • Kagaan ba! – How light!
  • kagaan-on – lightness, ease.
  • pagkagaan – the state of being light.
• Verb-like derivatives
  • mugaan / nigaan / naggaan – to become lighter / easier.
  • pagaan-a! (imperative) / pagaanon – make lighter; ease.

3 Where to place it in a sentence

1. Predicate adjective: Ang bagahe gaan. – The luggage is light.
2. Modifier with linker: gaan nga bagahe.
3. Complement after emphasis: Mao ni ang gaan nga paagi. – This is the easy way.

4 Common collocations

• gaan nga bag – lightweight bag
• gaan nga trapik – light traffic
• gaan nga buluhaton – easy task
• gaan nga tema – light topic
• gaan nga paminaw – feeling light / relieved

5 Detailed usage notes

“Gaan” reverses bug-at; it covers weight (gaan nga kahon), effort (gaan nga exam), and intensity (gaan nga silot – mild penalty). When the adjective comes right before a noun, attach a linker; omit the linker when it follows the noun. Comparative and superlative take mas / pinaka-. Reduplication (gaan-gaan) softens praise to “fairly light.” As a verb, mugaan describes something becoming less heavy or stressful (mugaan ang buot – the heart feels lighter).

6 Common mistakes to watch for

• Linker omission: ✗ gaan trabaho → ✓ gaan nga trabaho.
• Placing mas after the adjective: ✗ gaan mas → ✓ mas gaan.
• Separating pinaka from the root: ✗ pinaka gaan → ✓ pinakagaan.
• **Using gaan for “thin” (use nipis or daot).
• Writing without the hyphen when reduplicated: ✗ gaangaan → ✓ gaan-gaan.

7 Five everyday conversational phrases

1. Kagaan sa imong bag, walay sulod? – Your bag feels so light; nothing inside?
2. Mas gaan kung mag-bike kaysa mag-lakaw layo. – It’s easier to bike than walk far.
3. Pinakagaan gyud ning assignment kumpara sa uban. – This is truly the easiest assignment compared to the others.
4. Gaan-gaan ra ang meeting; quick updates lang. – The meeting is fairly light; just quick updates.
5. Mugaan ra imong gibati human ka mokaon ug prutas. – You’ll feel lighter after eating fruit.

8 Five short conversation exchanges (Cebuano ⇄ English)

1. Q: Gaan ba ang laptop? – Is the laptop light?
   A: Oo, gaan kaayo; dali ra dal-on sa biyahe. – Yes, very light; easy to bring on trips.
2. Q: Ngano mas gaan man ang trapik karon buntag? – Why is traffic lighter this morning?
   A: Mas gaan kay walay klase ug bakasyon sa uban. – Lighter because there are no classes and some are on holiday.
3. Q: Asa ang pinakagaan nga bayranan sa options? – Which option has the lightest fee?
   A: Ang online payment pinakagaan, gamay ra ang surcharge. – Online payment is the lightest; the surcharge is small.
4. Q: Gaan-gaan na ba imong trabaho pagkahuman sa deadline? – Is your workload a bit lighter after the deadline?
   A: Oo, mugaan-gaan na; makapahuway gamay. – Yes, it’s easing up; I can rest a bit.
5. Q: Unsaon nato pag-gaan sa mood sa presentation? – How will we lighten the mood of the presentation?
   A: Ibutang nato humor ug kolorful nga slides. – Let’s add humor and colorful slides.

9 Multiple-choice dialogue questions

Q1. Gaan ba ang iyong pagkaon?
A. Oo, gaan kaayo ang akong pagkaon.
B. Oo, pagkaon gaan kaayo akong ang.
C. Oo, gaan pagkaon kaayo ang akong.

Q2. Asa ang mas gaan, ang trabaho A o trabaho B?
A. Mas gaan ang trabaho A kaysa trabaho B.
B. Trabaho A kaysa trabaho B ang mas gaan.
C. Mas gaan kaysa trabaho A ang trabaho B.

Q3. Pinakagaan ba kini nga file sa folder?
A. Oo, pinakagaan kini nga file sa folder.
B. Oo, kini pinakagaan file sa folder.
C. Oo, file kini pinakagaan sa folder.

Q4. Ngano gaan ra imong paminaw karon?
A. Gaan ra akong paminaw kay nakatulog ko ug tarong.
B. Ako gaan ra paminaw kay tarong nakatulog ko.
C. Nakatulog ko tarong paminaw gaan ra ako kay.

Q5. Kinsa’y naay gaan-gaan nga budget para outing?
A. Si Roy naay gaan-gaan nga budget.
B. Naay si Roy gaan-gaan budget.
C. Budget gaan-gaan naay si Roy.

Answer key

• Q1 → A – Predicate gaan kaayo precedes the subject; B & C scramble article order.
• Q2 → A – Correct comparative: “Mas gaan ang X kaysa Y.” Others misplace components.
• Q3 → A – Pinakagaan directly precedes kini; B & C mis-order demonstrative and noun.
• Q4 → A – Predicate then reason clause; B & C jumble sentence order.
• Q5 → A – Proper “naay + subject + description”; B & C break the pattern.