English Explanation of “kadto”
Part of Speech & Basic Usage
• Demonstrative (pronoun / determiner)
• Means “that (over there / far from both speaker & listener)”
Contracted Form
• In casual conversation, the short form of “kadto” is “kato”.
In rapid speech: “’to” may be heard but standard is kadto.
Sentence Position
• As determiner (before noun): kadto nga balay = “that house (over there)”
• As pronoun (after verb/preposition): Gipalit ko kadto = “I bought that (distant one).”
Common Collocations
• kadto nga adlaw = that (distant/past) day
• kadto nga tuig = that year (long ago)
• kadto nga lugar = that place over there
• Asa diay kadto? = Where was that?
Detailed Usage
Use kadto for objects or events far from both the speaker and the listener, or something in the past, usually a specific past event.
Common Mistakes
• Mixing up kadto with kana (near listener).
• Forgetting nga before nouns (❌ kadto balay → ✅ kadto nga balay).
• Wrong word order as pronoun (❌ Kadto gipalit ko → ✅ Gipalit ko kadto).
Example Sentences
Parts-of-Speech Breakdown
| Sentence | Part | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| Kadto nga bukid taas kaayo. | kadto (DEM)=that over therenga (LINK)=link modifierbukid (N)=mountaintaas (ADJ)=tallkaayo (ADV)=very | “That mountain over there is very tall.” |
| Gipalit nako kadto sa layo. | gipalit (V)=boughtnako (PR)=Ikadto (DEM)=that (distant)sa (PREP)=in/fromlayo (N/ADV)=far place | “I bought that from far away.” |
| Unsa man kadto? | unsa (WH)=whatman (PART)=emphasiskadto (DEM)=that | “What was that?” |
Questions
Q1. Kadto ba ang inyong balay sa bukid?
A. Ang inyong kadto balay sa bukid.
B. Inyong balay kadto sa bukid.
C. Kadto ang among balay sa bukid.
Q2. Asa nato ibutang kadto nga kahon?
A. Ibutang nato kadto nga kahon sa sulod sa aparador.
B. Nato kadto nga kahon ibutang sa sulod sa aparador.
C. Sa sulod sa aparador ibutang kadto nga kahon nato.
Q3. Kanus-a nimo balikan kadto nga tindahan?
A. Kadto nga tindahan balikan ugma nako.
B. Balikan nako kadto nga tindahan ugma.
C. Ugma balikan kadto nga tindahan nako.
Q4. Ngano wala pa nimo nadala kadto nga dokumento?
A. Wala pa nako nadala kadto nga dokumento kay nawala.
B. Kadto nga dokumento wala pa nadala nako kay nawala.
C. Nako kadto wala pa nadala nga dokumento kay nawala.
Q5. Kinsa ang mipalit kadto nga awto?
A. Kadto nga awto si Miguel mipalit.
B. Mipalit si kadto Miguel nga awto.
C. Si Miguel mipalit kadto nga awto.
Answer key and brief explanations
Q1 – Correct: C
• “Kadto ang among balay …” keeps the demonstrative first, followed immediately by the marker “ang” and the noun phrase ― the usual Cebuano subject order.
• A scrambles the sequence by inserting “kadto” between possessive and noun.
• B moves “kadto” after the noun, separating demonstrative from the marker.
Q2 – Correct: A
• Verb “Ibutang” + actor “nato” + object “kadto nga kahon” + place phrase is clear and natural.
• B begins with the actor, leaving the verb last; word order feels twisted.
• C fronts the place phrase and splits “kadto” from “kahon,” so the object is broken up.
Q3 – Correct: B
• Verb “Balikan” + actor “nako” + object “kadto nga tindahan” + time word “ugma” follows the common pattern.
• A fronts the object and time, pushing the actor to the end; flow is awkward.
• C starts with the time word, then verb, then object; demonstrative is detached from its noun.
Q4 – Correct: A
• Negative marker “Wala pa” + actor “nako” + verb “nadala” + object “kadto nga dokumento” + reason clause preserves logical order.
• B moves the demonstrative phrase ahead of the verb, splitting the negative construction.
• C scatters actor, demonstrative, and noun, so the clause is hard to understand.
Q5 – Correct: C
• Subject “Si Miguel” + verb “mipalit” + object “kadto nga awto” gives a smooth declarative answer.
• A places the object first and strands the demonstrative; the verb comes last, making the sentence heavy.
• B inserts “kadto” between verb and subject, which breaks the normal verb-subject link.
