Cebuano root word: tan-aw
- Core meaning: “to look at, watch, view, inspect”
1 Sentence position & basic use
In a neutral Cebuano clause, the conjugated form of tan-aw starts the predicate and any actor clitic pronoun follows immediately:
With patient- or locative-focus affixes, tan-aw still begins the predicate, but the grammatical subject changes (object viewed or place of viewing).
2 Key verb derivations
| Form | Focus & aspect | Typical translation | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| mag-tan-aw | actor focus, habitual / near-future | “be watching; usually watch” | Mag-tan-aw sila og balita kada buntag. – “They watch the news every morning.” |
| mo-tan-aw | actor focus, non-past / imperative | “will watch; watch!” | Mo-tan-aw ta sa konsiyerto ugma. – “Let’s watch the concert tomorrow.” |
| nag-tan-aw | actor focus, progressive / recent past | “is/was watching” | Nag-tan-aw siya sa ulan. – “She is watching the rain.” |
| ni-tan-aw | actor focus, completed past | “watched” | Ni-tan-aw ko kagabii. – “I watched last night.” |
| gi-tan-aw | patient focus, completed past | “was looked at (by …)” | Gi-tan-aw ni Ana ang mga litrato. – “The photos were looked at by Ana.” |
| tan-awon (-on) | patient focus, future / imperative | “to be watched / watch it” | Tan-awon nato ang salida karon. – “We’ll watch the film now.” |
| tan-awan (-an) | locative focus, place/time | “to look at (a place)” | Ayaw tan-awan direkta ang adlaw. – “Do not look directly at the sun.” |
Imperative short forms: tan-awa! (object focus), tan-awi! (locative focus)
3 Common phrases & collocations
- tan-aw sa TV – watch TV
- tan-aw og salida – watch a movie
- tan-aw sa oras – check the time
- mag-tan-aw og sine – go to the cinema
- tan-aw sa dagat – look at the sea
4 Detailed usage notes
- Physical vs. evaluative viewing – tan-aw can mean simply looking or critically inspecting: tan-aw sa papel (check the paper).
- Actor clitic placement – clitic pronoun must follow the verb: mo-tan-aw ko, not mo-tan-aw ako.
- Patient focus nuance – gi-tan-aw or tan-awon highlight the thing viewed rather than the viewer.
- Avoid Tagalog interference – Beginners sometimes substitute Tagalog tingnan or panoorin; keep tan-aw forms in Cebuano.
- Reduplication – tan-aw-tan-aw suggests casual browsing or sightseeing.
5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them
| Mistake | Why it’s wrong | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| Mo-tan-aw ako sa TV. | Actor clitic mis-positioned. | Mo-tan-aw ko sa TV. |
| Gi-tan-aw ko ang salida. | With gi-, actor needs genitive marker. | Gi-tan-aw ni ko ang salida. |
| Tan-aw ta sa mapa! | Imperative lacks focus affix. | Tan-awa ta ang mapa! or Mo-tan-aw ta sa mapa! |
6 Everyday example sentences
(bullet list with full parts-of-speech breakdown)
- Mo-tan-aw ko sa salida karon gabii.
I will watch the movie tonight. - Nag-tan-aw sila sa ulan gikan sa bintana.
They are watching the rain from the window. - Gi-tan-aw ni Pedro ang painting sa gallery.
The painting was looked at by Pedro in the gallery. - Tan-awa ang kalendaryo para sa petsa.
Look at the calendar for the date.- Tan-awa – Verb, patient focus, imperative mood
- ang – Subject-marker particle
- kalendaryo – Common noun (patient)
- para – Preposition “for”
- sa – Locative-marker particle
- petsa – Common noun (purpose; “date”)
- Dili ko gusto mag-tan-aw og horror movies kung gabii.
I do not like to watch horror movies at night.- Dili – Negation particle
- ko – Personal pronoun, first-person singular clitic
- gusto – Verb/adjective “like”
- mag-tan-aw – Verb, actor focus, infinitive/habitual aspect
- og – Object-marker particle
- horror movies – Common noun phrase (object)
- kung – Subordinating conjunction “when/if”
- gabii – Common noun “night”
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