1 Part of speech, core meaning, and sentence position
- Part of speech: Verb (root) / Noun (speech, statement)
- Core meaning as a verb: “to say, tell, state”
- Typical placement: In a neutral clause the conjugated verb opens the predicate and any actor clitic pronoun follows immediately.
2 Principal verb derivations
| Form | Focus & aspect | Typical translation | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-sulti | actor, habitual / future | “be speaking, usually speak” | Mag-sulti sila ug Ingles sa klase. – “They speak English in class.” |
| mo-sulti | actor, non-past / imperative | “will say; say!” | Mo-sulti ta sa tinuod. – “Let’s tell the truth.” |
| nag-sulti | actor, progressive / recent past | “is / was speaking” | Nag-sulti siya sa telepono. – “She is talking on the phone.” |
| mi-sulti / ni-sulti | actor, completed past | “said / spoke” | Ni-sulti ko ganiha. – “I spoke a while ago.” |
| gi-sulti | patient, completed past | “was said / told (by …)” | Gi-sulti ni Ana ang balita. – “The news was told by Ana.” |
| sultihon (-on) | patient, future / imperative | “to be said / say it” | Sultihon nato siya sa kamatooran. – “We will tell him the truth.” |
| sultihan (-an) | locative, addressee | “to tell someone (place/adressee focus)” | Sultihi ko sa detalye, palihog. – “Please tell me the details.” |
3 Common collocations
- sulti sa tinuod – tell the truth
- sulti og pasaylo – say sorry
- mag-sulti ug istorya – narrate a story
- gi-sulti sa maestra – said by the teacher
- sultihan ang bata – tell the child
4 Detailed usage notes
- Verb vs. noun – As a noun, sulti means a statement or utterance: Ang iyang sulti klaro. – “His remark is clear.”
- Addressee focus (-an) – sultihan highlights the person told rather than the message.
- Clitic placement – Actor clitic pronouns (ko, ka, siya, sila, nato) must follow the verb: mo-sulti ko, never mo-sulti ako.
- Polite requests – Imperative sulti-a (patient focus) or sulti-i (locative focus) soften commands: Sulti-a ko, palihog. – “Please tell me.”
- Negative form – Combine dili with an infinitive or finite verb: Dili ko mo-sulti. – “I will not say.”
5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them
| Mistake | Problem | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-sulti ako niya. | Clitic pronoun is misplaced. | Mo-sulti ko niya. |
| Gi-sulti ko ang sekreto. | With gi-, the actor must be in a genitive phrase (ni / sa). | Gi-sulti ni ko ang sekreto. |
| Sulti ta siya! | Imperative lacks focus affix; also wrong actor marking. | Sultihi siya! or Sulti-a siya! |
6 Short everyday conversations
A: Unsa imong plano ugma?
What’s your plan for tomorrow?
B: Mo-sulti ko nimo inig human sa trabaho.
I’ll tell you after work.
A: Nakadungog ka sa balita?
Did you hear the news?
B: Oo, gi-sulti sa radyo ganiha.
Yes, it was said on the radio earlier.
A: Sultihi ko kung naay problema, ha?
Tell me if there’s a problem, okay?
B: Mag-sulti ko dayon kung naay usa.
I’ll tell you right away if there is one.
A: Ngano wala ka ni-sulti niya sa tinuod?
Why didn’t you tell him the truth?
B: Nahadlok ko nga masuko siya.
I was afraid he might get angry.
A: Nag-sulti sila og Bisaya o Ingles sa klase?
Do they speak Bisaya or English in class?
B: Kasagaran, mag-sulti sila og Ingles.
Usually, they speak English.
