kanta

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1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences

  • Part of speech
    • Verb (root): kanta — “to sing”
    • Common noun: kanta — “song”
  • Sentence-position rule
    A conjugated kanta form normally begins the predicate; any clitic actor-pronoun follows it: Mo-kanta ko sa entablado karong gabii.
    I will sing on stage tonight.
  • Example sentences
    • Mo-kanta ko ug balada ugma sa pagsaulog. — I will sing a ballad tomorrow at the celebration.
      • Mo-kanta – Verb, actor focus, future
      • ko – 1-sg actor clitic
      • ug balada – Object phrase “a ballad”
      • ugma sa pagsaulog – Time/place phrase “tomorrow at the celebration”
    • Nag-kanta sila sa karaoke kada weekend. — They sing at karaoke every weekend.
      • Nag-kanta – Verb, actor focus, progressive/habitual
      • sila – 3-pl pronoun
      • sa karaoke – Locative phrase
      • kada weekend – Adverbial phrase “every weekend”
    • Gi-kantahan ni Ana ang bata og lullaby. — The child was sung a lullaby by Ana.
      • Gi-kantahan – Verb, beneficiary focus, past
      • ni Ana – Genitive phrase (actor)
      • ang bata – Subject/beneficiary
      • og lullaby – Object “a lullaby”

2 Verb derivations of kanta

FormVoice & aspectTypical translationSample sentence
mag-kantaActor focus, habitual / future“will be singing; usually sing”Mag-kanta sila og hymns kada Domingo. — They sing hymns every Sunday.
mo-kantaActor focus, non-past / imperative“will sing; sing!”Mo-kanta ta karon, ha. — Let’s sing now, okay.
nag-kantaActor focus, progressive“is / was singing”Nag-kanta ko pag-tawag nimo. — I was singing when you called.
mi-kanta / ni-kantaActor focus, completed past“sang”Ni-kanta siya sa recital kagahapon. — She sang at the recital yesterday.
gi-kantaPatient focus, completed past“was sung (by …)”Gi-kanta sa banda ang classic hit. — The classic hit was sung by the band.
kantahon (-on)Patient focus, future / imperative“to be sung / sing it”Kantahon nato ang national anthem una. — We will sing the national anthem first.
kantahan (-an)Beneficiary / locative focus“to sing to / sing at”Kantahi siya og birthday song, palihog. — Please sing a birthday song for her.

3 Common phrases

  • kanta sa simbahan — sing in church
  • mag-kanta og karaoke — do karaoke
  • gi-kanta sa artista — sung by the artist
  • kantahon nga paborito — favorite song to sing
  • kantahan sa duyan — sing a lullaby at the cradle

4 Detailed usage notes

  1. Actor-focus everyday use — mo-kanta, nag-kanta, ni-kanta talk about who is singing.
  2. Patient focus — gi-kanta, kantahon highlight the piece performed.
  3. Beneficiary / locative focus — kantahan / kantahi emphasizes whom you sing to or where: kantahi ko palihog.
  4. Noun vs. verb — As a noun, kanta refers to any song: unsa imong paboritong kanta?
  5. Reduplication — kanta-kanta can imply casual humming or light singing.

5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them

MistakeIssueCorrect form
Mo-kanta ako og rock.Actor clitic misplaced.Mo-kanta ko og rock.
Gi-kanta ko ang awit.With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa).Gi-kanta ni ko ang awit.
Kantahon ta siya!Beneficiary command needs kantahi.Kantahi siya!

6 Short everyday conversations

  1. A: Unsay imong kantahon karon? — What will you sing now?
    B: Mo-kanta ko og love song. — I’ll sing a love song.
  2. A: Nag-kanta ba sila sa fiesta? — Are they singing at the fiesta?
    B: Oo, live band man. — Yes, there’s a live band.
  3. A: Kantahi ko palihog og lullaby. — Please sing me a lullaby.
    B: Sige, para makatulog ka dayon. — Sure, so you can sleep right away.
  4. A: Nganong ni-kanta ka og kusog kaayo? — Why did you sing so loudly?
    B: Excited man ko, sorry. — I was excited, sorry.
  5. A: Mag-kanta ta sa karaoke ugma? — Shall we sing karaoke tomorrow?
    B: Oo, dala kog song list. — Yes, I’ll bring a song list.
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