1 Part of speech, core meaning, and example sentences
| Role | Cebuano | English |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (root) | gawas — “to go out, exit, come out” | |
| Common noun / adverb | gawas — “outside; outdoors; the exterior” |
Predicate position rule – The conjugated gawas form begins the predicate and the clitic actor-pronoun follows it:
Mo-gawas ko karong break.
I’ll go outside during the break.
Example sentences
- Mo-gawas ko sa opisina aron mag-kaon. — I will step out of the office to eat.
- Nag-gawas ang mga estudyante sa classroom pagkahuman sa klase. — The students are coming out of the classroom after class.
- Gi-gawasan sa isda ang tubig samtang nag-lukso. — The fish leapt and came out of the water.
2 Verb derivations of gawas
| Form | Voice / aspect | Typical translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-gawas | Actor-focus, habitual / future | “will normally go out” | Mag-gawas sila sa balay kada hapon para mag-exercise. |
| mo-gawas | Actor-focus, non-past / imperative | “will go out; go out!” | Mo-gawas ta karon, ha. |
| nag-gawas | Actor-focus, progressive / recent past | “is / was going out” | Nag-gawas ko pag-tawag nimo. |
| ni-gawas / mi-gawas | Actor-focus, completed past | “went out / came out” | Ni-gawas siya gikan sa meeting kagahapon. |
| gi-gawasan | Patient-focus, completed past | “was exited from (by …)” | Gi-gawasan sa pusa ang pultahan. |
| gawasan (-an) | Locative / beneficiary focus | “to go out to / exit through” | Gawasi ang pikas ganghaan kung sarado kini. |
| gawas-on (-on) | Patient-focus, future / imperative | “to be brought outside / take it out” | Gawas-on nato ang basura inig alas-otso. |
3 Sentence slot / placement
- Actor focus: Mo-gawas ko sa kwarto.
- Locative focus: Gawasan sa iro ang gamay nga lungag.
- Patient focus: Gi-gawasan ang hagdan sa tao sa sunog.
4 Common collocations
- gawas sa balay — outside the house
- mag-gawas og basura — take the trash out
- gawas sa tinuod — except for the truth
- ni-gawas ang tinuod — the truth came out
- gawasan sa pultahan — go out through the door
5 Detailed usage notes
- Literal vs. figurative — Besides physical exit (mo-gawas sa room), gawas can mean information or secrets “coming out” (ni-gawas ang tsismis).
- Prepositional sense — As a preposition “except,” spelled the same: gawas sa usa ka butang (“except for one thing”).
- Direction marker — Often paired with sa + place (out of), or * ngadto sa* destination after exiting.
- Beneficiary / locative – suffix -an / -i shows exit point: gawasi ko sa likod-pultahan (“let me out the back door”).
- Noun/adverb – gawas for “outside”: init sa gawas — “it’s hot outside.”
- Reduplication – gawas-gawas can imply stepping out briefly or intermittently.
6 Common mistakes & how to avoid them
| Error | Problem | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-gawas ako unya. | Clitic pronoun must follow verb. | Mo-gawas ko unya. |
| Gi-gawas ko ang aso. | Actor with gi- must be genitive (ni/sa). | Gi-gawas ni ko ang aso. |
| Gawas-on ta siya! | Locative command needs gawasi. | Gawasi siya! |
| Nag-gawas sa tindahan | Missing subject. | Nag-gawas ang mga tawo sa tindahan. |
7 Conversational phrases with gawas
- “Gawas ta kadiyot.” — “Let’s step outside for a moment.”
- “Init kaayo sa gawas.” — “It’s so hot outside.”
- “Na-gawas na ang resulta!” — “The results are out already!”
- “Ayaw sa paggawas, ulan pa.” — “Don’t go out yet, it’s still raining.”
- “Gawas sa usa, okay na tanan.” — “Except for one, everything’s fine.”
8 Short everyday conversations
- A: Mo-gawas ka ron? — Are you going out now?
B: Oo, mo-gawas ko para mopalit tubig. — Yes, I’m stepping out to buy water. - A: Nag-gawas na ba ang barko? — Has the ship left?
B: Wala pa, nag-hulat pa sila sa pasahero. — Not yet; they’re still waiting for passengers. - A: Gawasi ang iro palihog. — Please let the dog out.
B: Sige, akoy gawas-on niya karon. — Okay, I’ll take him out now. - A: Ni-gawas diay ka kagabii? — You went out last night?
B: Oo, pero kadiyot ra, ni-palit ra kog snack. — Yes, but just briefly; I only bought a snack. - A: Mag-gawas ta sa opisina para maka-stretch. — Shall we go outside the office to stretch?
B: Sakto, gikapoy na akong liog. — Good idea, my neck is tired.
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