Cebuano Root Word: inom
- Part of speech: Verb (also used as a verbal noun “a drink”)
1. Core meaning & sentence position
inom means “to drink, take a liquid.”
In actor-focus clauses it normally comes immediately after the actor pronoun/clitic:
Moinom ko og tubig.
(I will drink water)
In patient- or locative-focus clauses the affixed verb moves to the first slot of the predicate, with the actor marked by ni/sa + name or a pronoun.
2. Key verb derivations
| Form | Focus / Aspect | Typical translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-inom | actor, future/habitual | “to (habitually) drink / go drinking” | Mag-inom ta ug kape ugma. “Let’s drink coffee tomorrow.” |
| mo-inom | actor, future / imperative | “will drink / drink!” | Mo-inom siya karon. “He will drink now.” |
| nag-inom | actor, progressive / past | “is/was drinking” | Nag-inom sila sa bar. “They were drinking at the bar.” |
| ni-inom | actor, completed past | “drank” | Ni-inom ko og tubig. “I drank water.” |
| gi-inom | patient, past | “was drunk (by …)” | Gi-inom ni Ana ang gatas. “The milk was drunk by Ana.” |
| imnon (-on) | patient, future/imperative | “to be drunk (object)” | Imnon nimo ang tambal. “Drink the medicine.” |
| inuman (-an) | locative | “place/time for drinking” | Duol ra ang inuman. “The drinking place is nearby.” |
3. Common collocations
- inom og tubig/kape/alak – drink water/coffee/alcohol
- inom og tambal – take medicine
- mag-inom sa bar – go drinking at a bar
- inoman sa balay – a drinking session at home
4. Detailed usage notes
- Marker choice: use og for indefinite liquids (inom og tubig), sa for specific ones (inom sa tubig nga gi-andam).
- Clitic placement: Actor clitics (ko, ka, siya) follow the verb: mo-inom ko.
- “Drink medicine” is inom og tambal, not kaon (eat).
- Tagalog interference: Beginners sometimes say uminom (Tagalog). Use Cebuano forms above.
- Pronunciation: stress on the first syllable: Í-nom.
5. Common mistakes & how to avoid them
| Mistake | Why it’s wrong | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-inom ako tubig. | Actor clitic improperly placed. | Mo-inom ko og tubig. |
| Gi-inom ko ang kape. | gi- requires patient focus; actor should be marked ni or sa. | Gi-inom ni ko ang kape. |
| Inom og tambal ka! | Imperative should use imnon or inom-a. | Imnon (or inom-a) ang tambal! |
6. Example sentences
| No. | Sentence | Parts of speech breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mo-inom ko og tubig karon. (I will drink water now.) | Mo-inom (verb-AF-future) / ko (1 sg clitic) / og (obj marker) / tubig (noun) / karon (adv) |
| 2 | Nag-inom sila sa bar gabii. (They were drinking at the bar last night.) | Nag-inom (verb-AF-prog) / sila (3 pl pronoun) / sa (loc marker) / bar (noun) / gabii (adv) |
| 3 | Gi-inom ni Ana ang gatas. (The milk was drunk by Ana.) | Gi-inom (verb-PF-past) / ni Ana (actor marker + name) / ang (subj marker) / gatas (noun) |
| 4 | Dili pa siya pwede mag-inom og cerveza. (He can’t drink beer yet.) | Dili (negator) / pa (yet) / siya (3 sg) / pwede (adj) / mag-inom (verb-AF-habit) / og / cerveza (noun) |
| 5 | Imnon nimo ang tambal pagkahuman sa pagkaon. (Take the medicine after eating.) | Imnon (verb-PF-future) / nimo (2 sg gen pronoun) / ang / tambal (noun) / pagkahuman (prep) / sa / pagkaon (noun) |
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