kadali

Cebuano Word: kadali

1 Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: Adverb (of time) and interjection
• Core meaning: “briefly,” “quickly,” “for a moment,” often requesting or describing short duration

Everyday example sentences

• Kadali ra ko, mokuha lang ko ug tubig. — I will be brief; I am just getting water.
• Palihug, hulat kadali. — Please wait a moment.
• Ni-balik siya kadali sa opisina. — He returned to the office quickly.

2 Points to Keep in Mind When Learning Adverbs like kadali

• Duration sense: kadali always refers to short spans; using it with long actions sounds contradictory.
• Placement flexibility: It may appear clause-initial (Kadali, …) or after the verb (muhawa kadali) without changing meaning greatly.
• Polite requests: As an interjection it softens commands (Kadali, paminaw ko.).
• Intensity markers: Combining with ra (“only”) or lang (“just”) emphasizes brevity (kadali ra, kadali lang).
• Contrast term: The opposite (“for a long time”) is ta-as nga panahon or taas-taas; learning both helps express time precisely.

3 Common Collocations

• kadali ra — only a moment
• kadali lang — just a second
• hulat kadali — wait a moment
• mobalik kadali — come back shortly
• kadali nga oras — brief time

4 Typical Position in a Sentence

• Sentence-initial (emphatic): Kadali, i-check usa nato.
• Post-verbal (neutral): Mopirma ko kadali.

Placing it first highlights urgency; placing it after the verb sounds matter-of-fact.

5 Five Frequently Used Conversational Phrases

1. Kadali ra ko, humanon lang nako ni. — I’ll be quick; I will just finish this.
2. Hulat kadali, naa koy ipangutana. — Wait a moment; I have a question.
3. Mobalhin ko kadali sa pikas lamesa. — I will move to the other table briefly.
4. Kadali lang, mag-save sa ko sa file. — Just a second; I will save the file first.
5. Kadali ra kaayo ang miting unya. — The meeting later will be very short.

6 Five Everyday Conversation Exchanges

1. A: Pwede ko nimo ma-istorya?
   B: Oo, kadali lang, tiwason ko ni. EN: Can you talk? — Yes, just a second, I’ll finish this.
2. A: Asa ka ni-adto ganina?
   B: Ni-adto ko sa accounting kadali para pirma. EN: Where did you go earlier? — I went to accounting briefly to sign.
3. A: Kanus-a ta molakaw?
   B: Lakaw ta kadali ra human sa klase. EN: When shall we leave? — Let’s leave shortly after class.
4. A: Gikapoy naka?
   B: Dili pa; motindog ko kadali para mo-unat. EN: Are you tired? — Not yet; I will stand for a moment to stretch.
5. A: Nahuman na ba imong report?
   B: Hapit na; kadali na lang gyud. EN: Is your report done? — Almost; just a moment more.

7 Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

Q1

Unsaon nato pag-padala sa email?
A. Padala nato email kadali sa.
B. Nato kadali padala sa email.
C. I-padala nato ang email kadali.

Q2

Kinsay mo-report sa manager?
A. Mo-report kadali si Arnel sa manager.
B. Kadali si Arnel mo-report sa manager.
C. Sa manager si Arnel kadali mo-report.

Q3

Kanus-a ka mo-balik?
A. Kadali mobalik ko ugma.
B. Mobalik ko kadali ugma.
C. Ugma kadali mobalik ko.

Q4

Diin nimo gibutang ang dokumento?
A. Gibutang ko ang dokumento kadali sa lamesa.
B. Ang dokumento kadali gibutang ko sa lamesa.
C. Kadali sa lamesa gibutang ko ang dokumento.

Q5

Pila ka minuto ta magpahulay?
A. Magpahulay ta kadali ra lima ka minuto.
B. Ta lima ka minuto kadali ra magpahulay.
C. Kadali ra magpahulay ta lima ka minuto.

Answer Key

• Q1 – C: Verb I-padala + subject nato + object + kadali (time adverb) is proper order.
• Q2 – A: Subject after verb, then adverb; reads “Arnel will report soon to the manager.”
• Q3 – B: Verb + subject + kadali then time word keeps natural rhythm.
• Q4 – A: Verb first, object next, adverb kadali, then place phrase—clear and grammatical.
• Q5 – C: Imperative verb + subject, followed by adverbial phrase kadali ra and duration—natural placement.