kanus-a?

Cebuano Word: “kanus-a”
(pronounced kah-NOOS-ah; sometimes written kanus-a? with a question mark in informal texts)—the interrogative adverb “when?”

1. Part of Speech, Meaning, and Example Sentences

• Part of speech: interrogative adverb (time question word)
• Meaning: asks at what time / on what date / when something happens.

Example sentences

1. Kanus-a ka moabot? – “When will you arrive?”
2. Kanus-a nagsugod ang klase? – “When did the class start?”
3. Wala ko kabalo kanus-a siya mobalik. – “I do not know when he will return.”

2. Tips for Using kanus-a with Day-and-Time Vocabulary

• Combine with adjuncts: kanus-a karong semanaha? (“when this week?”) or kanus-a sa buntag? (“when in the morning?”).
• Answer expectations: replies usually give a day, date, clock time, or relative phrase (ugma, alas-nwebe, karong Sabado).
• Word order: Kanus-a + subject + verb …? is neutral; adding man (Kanus-a man ka…?) softens the tone.
• No preposition needed: never say sa kanus-a; just use the bare word at sentence start.
• Indirect questions: drop the question mark and embed: Gusto kong mahibaw-an kanus-a siya moabot (“I want to know when he will arrive”).

3. Common Collocations

• kanus-a pa – when (emphatic “still when?”)
• kanus-a kaha – I wonder when…
• kanus-a man – polite form of asking
• kanus-a diay – so when, actually?
• kanus-a gud tawn – when on earth? (frustrated tone)

4. Typical Sentence Position

• Clause-initial (almost always): Kanus-a magsugod ang sinema?
• Embedded after verb in indirect questions: Nasayud ba ka kanus-a sila mouli?
• Rare mid-clause (poetic or rhetorical): Matahum, kanus-a pa kaha kini mausab?

5. Five Frequently Used Conversational Phrases

• Kanus-a man ta mag-kita? – “When shall we meet?”
• Kanus-a ka libre? – “When are you free?”
• Kanus-a ang deadline? – “When is the deadline?”
• Kanus-a pa mo-abot ang bus? – “When will the bus arrive?”
• Kanus-a nimo plano i-submit? – “When do you plan to submit it?”

6. Five Short Dialogue Exchanges

1. A: Kanus-a ka miabot kagahapon?
   B: Miabot ko alas otso sa gabii.
   – “A: When did you arrive yesterday? B: I arrived at eight in the evening.”
2. A: Kanus-a nimo basahon ang libro?
   B: Basahon nako karong hapon.
   – “A: When will you read the book? B: I’ll read it this afternoon.”
3. A: Kanus-a ta magsugod sa meeting?
   B: Magsugod ta inig alas-diyes.
   – “A: When shall we start the meeting? B: Let’s start at ten.”
4. A: Kanus-a kaha mahuman ang proyekto?
   B: Tingali sa sunod buwan.
   – “A: I wonder when the project will be finished. B: Maybe next month.”
5. A: Kanus-a pa nimo siya tawagan?
   B: Tawagan nako siya human sa klase.
   – “A: When will you finally call her? B: I’ll call her after class.”

7. Multiple-Choice Dialogue Questions

(Every item: the interrogative sentence contains “kanus-a.” Each of the three answer choices also contains “kanus-a”; only one has correct word order. The correct letter varies.)

Q1. Kanus-a ka moabot sa opisina?
A. Moabot ko kanus-a alas-nwebe sa opisina.
B. Alas-nwebe kanus-a moabot ko sa opisina.
C. Moabot ko sa opisina kanus-a alas-nwebe.

Q2. Kanus-a nimo i-submit ang report?
A. I-submit nimo kanus-a ang report ugma.
B. I-submit nako ang report kanus-a ugma.
C. Ugma i-submit nako ang report kanus-a.

Q3. Kanus-a sila mi-dawat sa email?
A. Mi-dawat sila kanus-a sa email ganina.
B. Kanus-a mi-dawat sila sa email ganina.
C. Ganina mi-dawat sila sa email kanus-a.

Q4. Kanus-a man ka mo-uli?
A. Kanus-a man ko mo-uli karong gabii.
B. Mo-uli ko karong gabii kanus-a man.
C. Karong gabii mo-uli ko kanus-a man.

Q5. Kanus-a pa mahitabo ang event?
A. Mahitabo kanus-a pa ang event sunod tuig.
B. Sunod tuig mahitabo ang event kanus-a pa.
C. Kanus-a pa mahitabo sunod tuig ang event.

Answer Key & Simple Explanations