Cebuano root word: lakaw
1 Core meaning & sentence position
- Actor-focus clauses: the conjugated verb (mo-lakaw, nag-lakaw, etc.) normally begins the predicate and is followed by any actor clitic pronoun:
Mo-lakaw ko sa tindahan.* - Patient- or locative-focus clauses: the verb with gi-, -on, or -an often comes first, and the actor appears in a genitive phrase (ni Pedro, nimo) later.
2 Key verb derivations
| Form | Focus & aspect | Typical translation | Sentence sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-lakaw | Actor focus, habitual or future | “be (habitually) walking; go walking” | Mag-lakaw sila kada buntag. – “They walk every morning.” |
| mo-lakaw | Actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will walk; walk!” | Mo-lakaw ko sa eskwelahan ugma. – “I will walk to school tomorrow.” |
| nag-lakaw | Actor focus, progressive or recent past | “is / was walking” | Nag-lakaw siya ngadto sa sakayan. – “She was walking toward the jeepney.” |
| ni-lakaw | Actor focus, completed past | “walked / left” | Ni-lakaw mi kagabii sa alas diyes. – “We left last night at ten o’clock.” |
| gi-lakaw | Patient focus, completed past | “was walked (by someone)” – used when distance or path is the subject | Gi-lakaw ni Ana ang tulo ka kilometro. – “Ana walked the three kilometres.” |
| lakawon (-on) | Patient focus, future / imperative | “to be walked (object)” | Lakawon nato ning trail ugma. – “Let’s walk this trail tomorrow.” |
| lakawan (-an) | Locative focus, place/time | “to walk on / along (a place)” | Dili pwede lakawan ang bas-a nga salog. – “You must not walk on the wet floor.” |
3 Common collocations
- lakaw sa dalan – walk on the road
- lakaw sa trabaho – walk to work
- lakaw-lakaw – stroll around
- mag-lakaw og paspas – walk quickly
- lakawan ang baybayon – walk along the beach
4 Detailed usage notes
- Walking vs. leaving – lakaw also means “leave” in many contexts: Ni-lakaw na sila “They already left.”
- Marker choice – use sa for destinations (mo-lakaw ko sa merkado).
- Plural or iterative – reduplication (lakaw-lakaw) signals casual strolling.
- Tagalog interference – avoid substituting Tagalog lakad; Cebuano keeps lakaw.
- Patient translation – in Cebuano grammar discussions, “patient” = agitated person.
5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them
| Mistake | Problem | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-lakaw ako sa park. | Actor clitic misplaced. | Mo-lakaw ko sa park. |
| Gi-lakaw ko ang dalan. | gi- makes the path the subject; actor needs genitive marker. | Gi-lakaw ni ko ang dalan. |
| Lakaw ta sa sakyanan karon! | Verb lacks affix for imperative. | Mo-lakaw ta sa sakyanan karon! |
6 Everyday example sentences
| No. | Cebuano sentence | English translation | Parts-of-speech breakdown (full terms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mo-lakaw ko sa eskwelahan ugma. | I will walk to school tomorrow. | Mo-lakaw – Verb, actor focus, future aspect • ko – Personal pronoun, first-person singular clitic (actor) • sa – Locative-marker particle • eskwelahan – Common noun • ugma – Adverb of time |
| 2 | Nag-lakaw sila sa dalan samtang nag-istorya. | They were walking on the street while talking. | Nag-lakaw – Verb, actor focus, progressive aspect • sila – Personal pronoun, third-person plural (actor) • sa – Locative-marker particle • dalan – Common noun • samtang – Subordinating conjunction • nag-istorya – Verb, actor focus, progressive aspect |
| 3 | Gi-lakaw ni Pedro ang tulo ka kilometro aron moabot sa opisina. | The three kilometres were walked by Pedro to reach the office. | Gi-lakaw – Verb, patient focus, past aspect • ni – Genitive marker for personal names • Pedro – Proper noun • ang – Subject-marker particle • tulo ka kilometro – Numeral phrase (subject/patient) • aron – Purpose conjunction • moabot – Verb, actor focus, infinitive/future • sa – Locative-marker particle • opisina – Common noun |
| 4 | Lakawan nato ang baybayon unya sa hapon. | Let’s walk along the beach later this afternoon. | Lakawan – Verb, locative focus, future/imperative aspect • nato – Personal pronoun, first-person plural exclusive genitive (actor) • ang – Subject-marker particle • baybayon – Common noun • unya – Adverb meaning “later” • sa – Locative-marker particle • hapon – Common noun (time-of-day) |
| 5 | Dili pa ko pwede mag-lakaw layo human sa operasyon. | I am not yet allowed to walk far after the operation. | Dili – Negation particle • pa – Adverb “yet/still” • ko – Personal pronoun, first-person singular clitic • pwede – Adjective functioning as modal “allowed” • mag-lakaw – Verb, actor focus, infinitive/habitual • layo – Adverb “far” • human – Relational noun “after” • sa – Linker/marker particle • operasyon – Common noun |
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