kanta

Cebuano Word: kanta
(noun – “song,” “tune,” any piece of music with lyrics; verb root kanta- means “to sing”)

1 – Part of Speech, Meaning, Usage, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: noun
• Meaning: a musical composition meant to be sung, usually with lyrics.

Example sentences

1. Paborito nako ang kanta ni Moira. – Moira’s song is my favorite.
2. Naminaw sila sa bag-ong kanta sa radyo. – They listened to the new song on the radio.
3. Gi-request sa audience ang ikatulong kanta sa banda. – The audience requested the band’s third song.

2 – Singular & Plural Forms

• Singular: kanta – one song
• Plural: mga kanta – several songs

3 – Where You Use kanta in a Sentence

• Subject: Ang kanta naka-touch sa mga tawo. – The song touched people.
• Object: Gipaminaw nako ang kanta pag-balik-balik. – I listened to the song repeatedly.
• Prepositional phrase: Aduna’ y leksyon gikan sa sulod sa kanta. – There is a lesson from the song’s lyrics.

4 – Common Collocations

• bag-ong kanta – new song
• klasikong kanta – classic song
• melodiyang kanta – melodic song
• kanta sa simbahan – church song
• lista sa mga kanta – song list / set list

5 – Detailed Usage Notes

• Often modified by genre: love nga kanta, rock nga kanta.
• Verb phrases: maminaw og kanta (listen to a song), mag-compose og kanta (compose a song), mag-kanta (to sing).
• Distinguish from musika (music in general); kanta is one specific piece with lyrics.

6 – Common Mistakes

1. Using English plural (kantas) instead of mga kanta.
2. Putting adjectives after the noun (✗ kanta bag-o → ✓ bag-ong kanta).
3. Calling an instrumental track a kanta; if it has no lyrics, use tugtog or instrumental.

7 – Everyday Conversational Phrases

1. Ganahan ka maminaw og kanta samtang nag-basa? – Do you like listening to songs while reading?
2. Unsay titolo sa imong paboritong kanta? – What’s the title of your favorite song?
3. Palihog ayaw ko’g spoil sa bagong kanta niya. – Please don’t spoil his new song for me.
4. Nindot kaayo ug mensahe ang kanta. – The song has a very nice message.
5. Replay-an nato ang kanta, ha? – Let’s replay the song, okay?

8 – Conversation Exchanges

1. A: Nakadungog ka na sa bagong kanta ni Taylor? – Have you heard Taylor’s new song?
   B: Oo, catchy kaayo! – Yes, it’s really catchy!
2. A: Pila ka minuto ang usa ka kanta kasagaran? – How many minutes is a song usually?
   B: Mga tulo ra ka minuto. – Only about three minutes.
3. A: Ganahan ka mag-cover sa kanta? – Do you want to cover the song?
   B: Pwede ra, kay sayon ra ang chords. – Sure, the chords are easy.
4. A: Asa ka tig-download sa mga kanta? – Where do you download songs?
   B: Sa legit nga streaming app ko mo-bayad. – I pay on a legit streaming app.
5. A: Unsa’y tema sa imong gicompose nga kanta? – What’s the theme of the song you composed?
   B: About friendship ug hope. – It’s about friendship and hope.

9 – Multiple-Choice Questions

Q1. Unsa’y nahitabo sa inyong kanta kagabii?
A. Nahuman na ang among kanta kagabii.
B. Kanta kagabii nahuman na ang among.
C. Ang nahitabo kanta among kagabii nahuman na.

Q2. Asa ka maminaw og kanta kada buntag?
A. Maminaw ko og kanta sa kusina.
B. Sa kusina maminaw ko og kanta.
C. Kanta maminaw ko sa kusina og.

Q3. Giunsa nimo pag-record ang imong kanta?
A. Giunsa nimo ang pag-record sa imong kanta?
B. Pag-record giunsa nimo kanta ang imong?
C. Kanta giunsa pag-record nimo ang imong?

Q4. Pila ka segundo ang intro sa usa ka kanta?
A. Pila ka segundo ang intro sa usa ka kanta?
B. Ang intro pila ka segundo usa ka kanta?
C. Usa ka kanta pila ka segundo ang intro?

Q5. Ganahan ka og bag-ong acoustic kanta?
A. Ganahan ka og bag-ong acoustic kanta.
B. Og kanta acoustic bag-ong ganahan ka.
C. Ka ganahan og acoustic bag-ong kanta.

Answer Key & Simple Explanations

Q1 – correct answer: A

• Correct order: verb phrase Nahuman na (“already finished”) + subject ang among kanta + time kagabii.
• Choice B starts with the noun and scrambles verb and subject.
• Choice C inserts extra words and jumbles the phrase, so it sounds wrong.

Q2 – correct answer: A

• Standard pattern: verb Maminaw ko → object → location.
• Choice B puts the place first then verb without a comma; possible in speech but less neutral.
• Choice C splits the verb and object and misplaces markers, making it ungrammatical.

Q3 – correct answer: A

• After Giunsa nimo (“How did you”), the verbal-noun phrase ang pag-record sa imong kanta follows naturally.
• Choice B drops the article ang and moves kanta before the adjective clause.
• Choice C starts with kanta and leaves the marker at the end, breaking the structure.

Q4 – correct answer: A

• Cebuano “how many” questions start with Pila ka segundo, then subject ang intro, then descriptor.
• Choice B flips the order of question word and subject.
• Choice C begins with the object Usa ka kanta, delaying the question word, which is not standard.

Q5 – correct answer: A

• Predicate Ganahan ka og followed by adjective-noun bag-ong acoustic kanta is natural.
• Choice B scatters adjective, noun, and pronoun, so syntax fails.
• Choice C places ka before ganahan and splits modifiers, producing an awkward sentence.