Cebuano root word: paminaw
- Core meanings:
- Verb (imperative or root) – “listen!” / “to listen”
- Noun – “sense of hearing” or “act of listening”
1 Sentence position & basic use
In normal actor-focus clauses, the conjugated verb comes first, followed immediately by any actor clitic pronoun:
With patient- or locative-focus affixes the verb still opens the predicate, but the grammatical subject switches to what is listened to or where the listening occurs.
2 Key verb derivations
| Form | Focus & aspect | Typical translation | Example (EN gloss) |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-paminaw | actor, habitual / future | “be listening; usually listen” | Mag-paminaw sila og podcast kada buntag. – “They listen to a podcast each morning.” |
| mo-paminaw | actor, non-past / imperative | “will listen; listen!” | Mo-paminaw ta sa anunsiyo karon. – “Let’s listen to the announcement now.” |
| nag-paminaw | actor, progressive / recent past | “is / was listening” | Nag-paminaw siya sa radyo. – “She is listening to the radio.” |
| mi-paminaw / ni-paminaw | actor, completed past | “listened” | Mi-paminaw ko gahapon. – “I listened yesterday.” |
| gi-paminaw | patient, completed past | “was listened to (by …)” | Gi-paminaw ni Ana ang tambag. – “The advice was listened to by Ana.” |
| paminawon (-on) | patient, future / imperative | “to be listened to” | Paminawon nato ang iyang sulti. – “Let’s listen to what he says.” |
| paminawan (-an) | locative | “to listen at / in (a place)” | Ayaw paminawan ang lihok diha sa pultahan. – “Do not eavesdrop at the door.” |
3 Common phrases & collocations
- paminaw sa musika – listen to music
- paminaw og tambag – heed advice
- mopaminaw sa radyo – listen to the radio
- paminaw sa tingog – listen to the voice
- nag-paminaw og podcast – listening to a podcast
4 Detailed usage notes
- Verb vs. noun – Context tells whether paminaw is an action (“listen!”) or a noun (“good hearing”).
- Actor clitic placement – The clitic pronoun must immediately follow the verb: mo-paminaw ko, not mo-paminaw ako.
- Patient focus nuance – With gi- or -on, the thing heard is the grammatical subject: Gi-paminaw nila ang rekomendasyon “They listened to the recommendation.”
- Locative focus – paminawan highlights where the listening happens, often in warnings against eavesdropping.
- Reduplication – paminaw-paminaw can suggest casual or selective listening.
5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them
| Mistake | Why it is wrong | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-paminaw ako sa musika. | Actor clitic mis-positioned. | Mo-paminaw ko sa musika. |
| Gi-paminaw ko ang istorya. | With gi-, the actor needs a genitive marker (ni / sa). | Gi-paminaw ni ko ang istorya. |
| Paminaw ta sa instruksyon! | Imperative lacks focus affix. | Paminawa ta ang instruksyon! or Mo-paminaw ta sa instruksyon! |
6 Example sentences
(bullet list with full parts-of-speech breakdown)
- Mo-paminaw ko sa balita kada buntag.
I will listen to the news every morning. - Nag-paminaw sila og podcast samtang nag-biyahe.
They are listening to a podcast while travelling. - Gi-paminaw ni Pedro ang tambag sa doktor.
The doctor’s advice was listened to by Pedro. - Paminawa ang musika ug relax.
Listen to the music and relax.- Paminawa – Verb, patient focus, imperative mood
- ang – Subject-marker particle
- musika – Common noun (patient)
- ug – Coordinating conjunction “and”
- relax – Verb (borrowed English infinitive)
- Dili pa ko pwede mag-paminaw og kusog nga tingog human sa operasyon.
I am not yet allowed to listen to loud sounds after the surgery.- Dili – Negation particle
- pa – Adverb “yet/still”
- ko – Personal pronoun, first-person singular clitic
- pwede – Adjective functioning as modal “allowed”
- mag-paminaw – Verb, actor focus, infinitive/habitual aspect
- og – Object-marker particle
- kusog – Adjective “loud”
- nga – Linking particle
- tingog – Common noun “sound”
- human – Relational noun “after”
- sa – Locative-marker particle
- operasyon – Common noun
« Back to Glossary Index
