English – “niini / niani”
Part of speech & meaning
niani = of/on/at this (near the speaker/listener but more specific)
Contracted forms
niini -> ini
niani -> ani
Typical place in a sentence
gikan niani – from this (by you)
ibabaw niani – above this
Common collocations
para niani – for this (near you)
tungkol niini – because of this
ibabaw niani – on top of this (near you)
Detailed usage
- Choose niini when the reference object or place is at the speaker’s location.
- Choose niani when it is beside the listener.
- These forms substitute for a whole noun phrase in a prepositional phrase; they never begin a clause or directly precede a noun.
Common mistakes
• Omitting the preposition (❌ Niini maayo → ✔ Maayo kini).
• Mixing distances: using niani for something near the speaker.
• Adding nga after niini/niani—not needed.
Example sentences
| Cebuano sentence | English meaning | Part-of-speech breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Ibutang sa niini ang libro. | Put the book on this. | ibutang (V) put • sa (PREP) on • niini (DEM-OBL) this • ang (ART) the • libro (N) book |
| Gikan niani ang hangin. | The wind comes from this (near you). | gikan (PREP) from • niani (DEM-OBL) this near you • ang (ART) the • hangin (N) wind |
| Para niini ni Ana. | This is for Ana. | para (PREP) for • niini (DEM-OBL) this • ni (PN) of • Ana (N) Ana |
