1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences
- Part of speech
- Sentence-position rule
A conjugated pangutana form ordinarily starts the predicate; any clitic actor-pronoun follows it: Mo-pangutana ko nimo unya.
I’ll ask you later. - Example sentences Cebuano sentence English translation Mo-pangutana ko sa maestro ug dugang klaro. I will ask the teacher for more clarification. Nag-pangutana sila og direksiyon sa guard. They are asking the guard for directions. Gi-pangutana sa HR ang aplikante bahin sa kasinatian. The applicant was questioned by HR about experience.
2 Verb derivations of pangutana
| Form | Voice & aspect | Typical translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-pangutana | Actor focus, habitual / future | “will (habitually) ask” | Mag-pangutana sila sa kustomer kada survey. — They will ask customers at every survey. |
| mo-pangutana | Actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will ask; ask!” | Mo-pangutana ta karon, ha. — Let’s ask now, okay. |
| nag-pangutana | Actor focus, progressive / recent past | “is / was asking” | Nag-pangutana siya pag-abot nato. — She was asking when we arrived. |
| ni-pangutana / mi-pangutana | Actor focus, completed past | “asked” | Ni-pangutana ko sa polis gahapon. — I asked the police yesterday. |
| gi-pangutana | Patient focus, completed past | “was asked (by …)” | Gi-pangutana sa reportero ang mayor. — The mayor was asked by the reporter. |
| pangutan-on (-on) | Patient focus, future / imp. | “to be asked / ask it” | Pangutan-on nato ang sunod isyu ugma. — We’ll ask about the next issue tomorrow. |
| pangutan-a / pangutan-i (-an / -i) | Beneficiary / locative focus | “to ask someone / ask at” | Pangutan-a siya sa buhat, palihog. — Please ask him about the work. |
3 Common phrases
- pangutana sa klase — class question
- mag-pangutana og pamaagi — ask about a procedure
- walay pangutana — no questions
- gi-pangutana sa press — asked by the press
- pangutan-on nga detalye — detail to be asked
4 Detailed usage notes
- Actor-focus forms (mo-, nag-, ni-pangutana) focus on who asks.
- Object markers — use sa for definite target (mo-pangutana ko sa maestro), og/ug for indefinite (nag-pangutana og tambag).
- Patient focus (gi-pangutana, pangutan-on) puts the question/topic as grammatical subject.
- Beneficiary focus (pangutan-a, pangutan-i) points to the person being asked: pangutan-a siya.
- Noun use — pangutana “question”: daghan kog pangutana — “I have many questions.”
- Reduplication — pangutana-pangutana can imply a barrage of questions or casual quizzing.
5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them
| Mistake | Issue | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-pangutana ako sa detalye. | Actor clitic must follow the verb. | Mo-pangutana ko sa detalye. |
| Gi-pangutana ko ang witness. | With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa). | Gi-pangutana ni ko ang witness. |
| Pangutan-on ta siya! | Beneficiary command needs pangutan-a / pangutan-i. | Pangutan-a siya! |
6 Short everyday conversations
- A: Naay kay pangutana? — Do you have a question?
B: Oo, mo-pangutana ko bahin sa schedule. — Yes, I’ll ask about the schedule. - A: Nag-pangutana ba sila sa reception? — Are they asking at the reception?
B: Oo, nangayo sila og porma. — Yes, they’re asking for a form. - A: Pangutan-a palihog ang driver kung pila ang plete. — Please ask the driver how much the fare is.
B: Sige, ako’y mangutana. — Sure, I’ll ask. - A: Ni-pangutana ka sa doktor? — Did you ask the doctor?
B: Ni-pangutana ko ug klaro sa dosage. — I asked clearly about the dosage. - A: Mag-pangutana ta sa HR ugma bahin sa leave? — Shall we ask HR about the leave tomorrow?
B: Oo, para maklaro ang proseso. — Yes, so the process will be clear.
